Colopast Titan Vs Boston Scientific LGX700 (leading Inflatable implant models)

[Hawk]

These two implants are only two of the several implants made by each of these companies.  They are however the two most popular 3-piece inflatable models.  There have been virtual wars break out on other forums between proponents for each of these.  It is kind of the old adage that you are prone to like what you have and to even imply yours is not the best suggests you made a poor decision.  Objectivity from someone with one of these two implants is difficult to come by.  In this topic, we are going to try our best to be objective but we all have our bias.

A few men have had both.

I ask that posts stick to facts that you can document.  Please contribute to the discussion by eliminating wisecracks or sweeping generalized opinions like Titan will give you a more girth or LGX will increase your length more than the Titan.

While studies show that these implants have the same failure rates, when they do fail, they tend to fail in different ways.
They also have some very clear and distinct differences.  Sometimes the significance of these differences are exaggerated by those who are cheerleading for one model or the other.

This topic is an attempt to confine most of that back and forth discussion on comparing these implants to one topic so we can refer members to this topic and not scatter confusion or controversy all over every topic where the subject of a penile implant comes up.  Posts that get side-tracked on comparing or recommending one or the other will be moved here. It is not essential that we all agree.

Hawk

[Hawk]

This document was much more difficult to compose than I expected.  I am sure I will fine-tune it over time as I get additional facts or more specific information.

Differences in Coloplast Titan and Boston Scientific LGX 700:
I. Cylinders
   A. Stiffness of materials
   B. Method of Expansion
         1. Length
         2. Girth
    C. Increments of length
    D. Distal tips - shape and hardness
    E. Proximal base diameter
 
II. Pump
    A. Shape
    B. Size
    C. Operation

III. Antibacterial coating


I. Cylinders Cylinders (not to be confused with tubes) are the part of the implant that goes into the cavernosa.  They fill with fluid and expand the penis shaft just as blood filled the cavernosa to produce an erection.
A. Stiffness of Materials Titan cylinders are made of a stiffer medical-grade plastic.  While they do soften over time, they always have substance you can feel when deflated.  The advantages of these cylinders are that while not indestructible, they are very rugged and seldom fail.  When inflated, they have greater axial rigidity than any implant cylinders available.  This means they resist bending or buckling under a load or force.*1  This becomes more critical with each added centimeter of penis length since a longer penis is more prone to hinge or buckle under force.  It also means that they have more straightening power to correct deformities.  The LGX-700 has silicone cylinders that are softer and more flexible when deflated. Both feel very natural to the touch when inflated. We will discuss differences when deflated in the next section.

B. Method of Expansion - Length This is without any doubt the most discussed difference between the Titan and the LGX-700, even though it is not necessarily the most significant difference.  The reason it is so discussed is that the ability of the LGX to expand in length is unique to the LGX.  The other reason is no doubt men's obsession with penis size and especially length.  There are, however, many misconceptions surrounding this feature and the end result on a man's penis size.  The manufactures of the LGX-700 make no advertising claims of a longer penis.  Their claim is simple "Hard for the bedroom. Soft for the locker room".  That is all they promise, and that is what they, in fact, deliver.  

Girth - in addition to rigidity or axial strength, Titan cylinders also have a capacity to expand in girth limited only by the restraints placed on them by the tunica.  Again, they will more forcefully correct dents or hourglass deformity and give larger girth provided that the limits of your penis girth is greater than the limits of the AMS-LGX girth.  The girth of the LGX-700 is limited by a mesh sleeve surrounding each cylinder that restricts girth expansion independent of any restrictions placed on it by the tunica.  They will only expand to 18mm girth because of the mesh. This is more than adequate for many patients. For patients requiring a cylinder length of 20cm or more, this lateral expansion may not be enough, and better rigidity might occur with the wider Coloplast cylinders (the longer cylinders expand to a width of 21mm plus). The Coloplast cylinders are tunica dependent, and if the tunica is thin, the rigidity might not be as good as with the AMS cylinders.

A characteristic of these cylinders that could be considered a negative by some and a positive by others is that they have very little length difference between inflated and deflated.  This means that when deflated, rather than shortening more than about a centimeter, or so they reduce in diameter and axial rigidity or stiffness, with the pressure taken off of the penis, the shaft contract enough to cause the cylinders to accordion or "dogear" fold.  These folds can give an irregular shape to a totally deflated penis.  A few pumps round out the cylinders enough to give the penis a natural look.  Another result of the more rigid cylinders that resist length contraction is that the deflated penis is only nominally shorter than the inflated erect penis.  This has the positive effect of preventing a shriveled-up turtle-effect that some men experience.  This is the contraction effect experienced by most men in cold water.   In essence, the Titan cylinders make you a shower, not a grower.  Many if not most men like this, but on a penis of 5 1/4 inches or shorter, it could have the effect of causing the deflated penis to stick out at 4 o'clock and look like a semi-erection to some. This is far more likely in the nude because usually, even the gentle pressure of suit pants material will make the penis bend down when deflated once you are beyond the 3 months mark.

In summary, the inflatable Titan cylinders are rugged, give a girthy rigid natural feeling erection but lose a point or 2 on a natural-looking completely flaccid penis in men under 5 1/2 inches.

C. Proximal base (cylinder end furthermost from the glans) - There are issues other than materials, rigidity, and method of expanding that are a consideration.  Every inflatable implant cylinder has a non-inflatable base that inserts into the patient's body.  This portion of the body is called the Crus.  It is the internal length of the cavernosa that extends past the scrotum into the body.  This is the anchor point of an implant.  It can be compared to the post hole that a fence post is planted in.  The tighter a cylinder base fits into the pseudo scar capsule that forms in the crus, the more stable the inflated penis will be.  A loose fit in the crus can cause an inflated penis to point downward rather than upward or straight out at 3 O'clock.  It would also wobble from side to side.  The length of this solid uninflatable base is 5 cm for Coloplast (Titan) and 4.5cm for AMS (LGX700).  Therefore if a man has a 20 cm cylinder, 15 cm would inflate, and the base 5 cm portion is solid if it is a Coloplast.  The Titan has a larger diameter base than the AMS LGX.  This gives a more stable base.  The base of an AMS is only 9mm in diameter.  

D. Distal tips - shape and hardness - The distal tips (the end extending into the glans) are more rounded and softer on the Titan and a little larger diameter since the cylinders themselves are larger.

E. Increments of cylinder length - Titan comes in 2 cm increments such as 14cm, 16cm. 18cm, up thru 28cm.  The LGX-700 comes in 3 cm increments 17cm. 21cm etc

II. Pumps - I think the pumps of these two models are similar in reliability.  There are differences in shape, size, and operation.  The LGX-700 is somewhat larger (28% larger) and has more of a square design.
See link ->  AMS and Coloplast pumps actual size and dimensions - Peyronies Society Forums
In function, both inflate by squeezing a pump bulb placed in the scrotum.  They both deflate by depressing a deflate valve.  The deflate valve on the AMS-700 can be accidentally depressed, and quite the opposite, the Titan deflate valve can be less than easy to locate and depress for a new user.  Both of these require a short learning curve to master these moderate challenges.

III. Antibiotic Coating - The bottom line is this.  Infection rates and revision rates are consistently the same between these two models, and variations in infections are far more dependant on the surgeon you select than on the brand or model of the implant.  The LGX-700 cylinders and some of their other components are treated with an anti-microbial coating with the brand name Inhibizone.  This Inhibizone can leech out if the components are soaked in saline, however. On the other hand, Coloplast Titan has a Hydrophilic coating that bonds with the antibiotic dip of choice before installation.

Footnotes
*1: NCBI testing concludes The Coloplast Titan demonstrated greater resistance to longitudinal (penetration) and horizontal (gravity) forces in this study. The AMS device was very sensitive to fill pressures. In contrast, the Coloplast Titan's ability to resist these forces was less dependent on the device fill pressure.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27770856 This statement is supported by Dr. Eid and other expert surgeon opinions as well as statements from men who have had multiple models of implant.

[Alibaba]

I made these observations not long after the LGX was replaced by the Titan.  It is due for some updating and will try to edit it soon.

Questions often arise asking which it best. I have no idea in the long run but having had and LGX for 13 months and a Titan for 3 weeks and a day I will give you my impressions. None are going to say this is best but there are advantages to both. I think if there were a way to combine the advantages of both and get them in a single implant I would have another revision to get it. Time will tell more I am sure because my experience with the Titan has had a limited run at this point.

LGX. The good:
The flaccid of this thing is spectacular. Other than being a little weightier, I could not tell there was anything in my dick unless I felt toward the glans and felt the hard tips.
The One-Touch release works much better than the Titan. Click and forget it is simple.
The buzz you get on deflate makes it easier to tell it is deflating.
Deflated you have a beautifully smooth dick. See Titan comment.
At this point, it seems clear to me the LGX will deflate more and softer than a Titan.

The not so good:
It is harder to pump the OTR pump on the AMS than the Coloplast.
It takes MONTHS to tell if you are making any progress on size. I truly think you do but it takes forever to see it happen.
Glitchy damn pump takes forever to smooth out and work well.
I do not think the LGX can ever straighten out a crooked dick. The same factors that give it a beautiful flaccid leave it too weak to fight a bend IMO.
That annoyingly huge square cornered rectangular block on top for the valve.
Pumped up, my dick looked so flat it looked like it had been smashed between two concrete blocks.

Titan.
The Good:
This thing works straight out of the box. No months of pumping to get consistent results.
The pump bulb is much easier to squeeze. This is a Titan One-touch release.
The pump is much smaller than the AMS. 28% smaller in volume.
This thing seems to have the power to straighten your dick and grow it from day 1. Maybe not length but certainly girth.
My dick does not seem to have as flat an appearance with the Titan. It is still oval-shaped but does not look like it was just slammed in the car door.

The bad:
I do not know if a smooth crinkle-free, kink or wrinkle-free flaccid is possible with this thing. When deflating it reminds you of wadding up a potato chip bag. Sometimes I wonder if my wife can hear what I feel.
As doctor Kramer put it, Coloplast tried to copy the AMS OTR pump and did a poor knock-off copy. The release valve is a little hard to find though similar in size to the AMS. There is no buzz on release. I have no idea if it is deflating or not until I try bending my dick to see.

Overall it seems to me the LGX results in a more slender dick. Over time, say a year or more, I have a strong feeling it will stretch more in line with the Titan new out of the box. If a girl felt your crinkling Titan deflated it would seem to me she would wonder what the F~@< is going on inside this thing? There can be a lot of kinks and corners in the Titan and you can feel them move around. If a girl felt your LGX limp dick I do not think she would ever know you had an implant. Both implants would be obvious if she felt your ball sack but to be honest, the OTR Titan pump is so small and not having that cursed square-cornered rectangle on top, she would not know you had a pump unless she counted balls.
I may add to this if I have any more thoughts.  

[Alibaba]

I would add to I-D that the Titan XL series, 24,26,28 cm in length have a very wide and blunt tip. Much wider and more bluntly rounded than the other Titan series.  My Aussie friend Max with the 5 x's  and I have discussed this more rounded and wider tip and both of us believe it would really help fill out the glans.  I will edit if I can ever find a picture.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14 months post Kramer implant.  Keep in mind that I have stated it takes a year to get close to your potential. Factory manual for AMS and many doctors say it takes 2 years of regular pumping to the max.

Likes:
Regaining size
Gets straighter if I leave it pumped up for about 15 minutes first. The curve is still there when first pumped but it does slowly graduate to nearly straight. See picture.

Deflated it is soft and pliable with no kinks or interruptions now.

Dislikes:
Still a couple.
The left cylinder "withdraws" from the glans when deflated leaving the head looking crooked. As soon as it is pumped up it straightens out though still slightly smaller on left.

I am able to pump full pumps, have a method I will share at some point but bulb collapses and I run out of fluid anywhere from 36-39 pumps. At first, I thought I had a leak but has become the consistent norm.

Appears there is a lot of scar tissue where the old tubing wrapped around my dick. If I pull back the skin, it is quite visible there is a considerably thicker area of my dick where the old tubing was.

I think there is either room for more fluid or larger cylinders because 1) I run out of fluid, and 2) my dick stands out about 3:30 position and is quite flexible as far as swing left-right or bounce up and down. The shaft is stiff and does take some force to bend. Dr. Kramer has offered several times for me to come back and put in 24 cm. At one time I thought I saw a chart where 24cm was the only size that had a fat glans tip with I think would be preferable.

I still think the corporotomy was too high. It is not possible to jerk off without bouncing the palm of my hand over the tubing. Maybe the thought of hand job is not considered in an implant. This is the one issue that would be a nonissue with an infrapublic implant. There is the issue of your hand bouncing over the tubes wrapped around your dick though.

Pump juts out too far forward and scrotum rubs on my clothes all the time. I think it is due to the tethering to keep it centered inside.

Hangs bent to the left. Wish it could hang down straight-center between my balls but if this is my biggest gripe then I should be grateful.

I have to wonder if these issues were fixable or if my dick was such a f'd up mess after the first implant that this is the best possible outcome. Cheers, all.

[Alibaba]

The chart attached shows the change in girth upon inflation of 2 models of AMS, now Boston Scientific, and 2 models of Coloplast implants. It shows how much they expand upon inflation.  

[Alibaba]

This picture shows an LGX with 1 tube blocked to prevent inflation and the other inflated. You can see the difference in length and girth.

[Alibaba]

The importance of this chart is that it shows how much of the implant is actually inflatable. There is a non-expandable tip and the tubing end also does not expand. It is much longer than the tip. This is another reason to reduce the number of tip extenders. The longer the implant cylinder, the more percent of it can be inflated and help regain lost length. Tip extenders are fixed in length and will never gain anything. How rigid or saggy your implant is will be proportionate to the amount you can inflate.

PS: Note the rigidity increases with length of inflatable implant and decreases with the addition of Rear Tip Extenders.

[Alibaba]

Comparing the strength of 2 brands of implants to buckling.  

[Alibaba]

What happens to the inflatable length of your implant when tip extenders are added?

PS: The standard non-inflatable portion of the implant base is 5 cm without any rear tip extenders.

[Alibaba]

At 127 in this video, you can see how much more blunt the tips are than in the regular Titan. I will continue to search for the picture.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRlErgOMlLg    Compare that to the tips in the picture below.  

[Larry]

It takes MONTHS to tell if you are making any progress on size. I truly think you do but it takes forever to see it happen.
Glitchy damn pump takes forever to smooth out and work well.
Pumped up, my dick looked so flat it looked like it had been smashed between two concrete blocks.

Strange, I never experienced any of this and there was nothing glitchy with my pump... I did have one problem, one time... I called Boston Scientific and spoke to Jamie... she walked me through a reset and I have never had any more problems.  Ali, I'm really sorry you had problems with yours, it's too bad you didn't get the experience that I did.  Dr. Kramer told me that 75% of the market is the AMS.  I have nothing against the Titan, in fact there were several people that I told that they needed to get the Titan because of either their size of severity of there Peyronie's Disease.  So that's where I get my opinions on the two implants.  I don't trust doctors that only implant the one brand of implant because one model is not appropriate for everyone and I have to wonder is there is some financial gain from the one brand that he/she implants.  Just my 2 cents.

Larry

[Larry]

Hey Hawk, I never heard some of this stuff, can you tell me where you got your reference material??

Larry

[Hawk]

Good question Larry.  I originally thought I would knock that post out in 20 minutes.  I worked on it until I was tired of it several sittings over days.  I will try to footnote it but be patient.  In general, I got some in conversation with Dr. Eid, some in conversation with Dr. Kramer, some from the website of Dr. Eid, and some from the websites of both manufactures.  Still, other information is from respected medical studies.

Descriptions of pump deflating from personal experience and other patient posts here and elsewhere.

Larry, As I start to footnote I see that it could be a month-long pain in the butt with limits of forum post editing protocols.  Much of it is well established except for guys new to penile implant information.  If you tell me the specific, less obvious data you are most interested in I will start there first.  On the one hand, I want to really thank you for the question and on the other hand, I want to kick your butt for the question.    It will help to make all of this a more orderly read, however.  I just don't want to footnote the more obvious widely accepted statements because I am lazy.

[Alibaba]

Larry, both implants are flat just like a sack of balloons purchased for kids when they are new in the package. The fluid in them gives the rounded appearance. Over deflation leaves them flat and the penis flat as well but in tight clothes helps to fit and be comfortable. Yes, it appears it has been smashed between to bricks. I will try to get a picture at some time. One way of knowing if you are deflating all that you can deflate is to take it that far. It takes no more effort than to squeeze on deflate. Cheers

[samsung]

Is this correct? With both implants, when deflated, your penis is flat? Not good.

[Pfract]

Now here is an amazingly well done post with plenty of information on both implants. Congrats hawk and Ali.  

[Larry]

On the one hand, I want to really thank you for the question and on the other hand, I want to kick your butt for the question.

[Alibaba]

Is this correct? With both implants, when deflated, your penis is flat? Not good.

With an implant, your penis will be oval shaped when pumped up, most often if the glans does not engorge. The glans and the 3rd corporal body that surround the urethra are one continuous unit that share the same blood supply.  If you are aroused and that section still works on it's own, (mine does not like many others), the 2 cavernosas pumped full of fluid are all you have, so it is flatter, not round.  If FULLY deflated, the penis will or can be flat like a balloon that has not been blown up which is exactly that you have with an implant except you fill it with saline instead of air.  The fluid in the implant is what gives it shape and the amount in it which you control. It is all a learning process. I still have not read my posts above due to other projects but they were both my impression early on with the Titan implant. cheers.

[samsung]

What if you still have working erectile tissue? What shape will it be?

[Hawk]

I am not sure if it is nuances in wording, or differences in perception, or just differences in one case to another that are at work here.

If my goal is to try to make my penis as flat and I put effort into it I probably can make it somewhat flat for several minutes.  I do not think I have any backflow from my reservoir but my penis will rebound or fill out a little after sever minutes but still have a bit of a square look to it, maybe more of a little bit of a triangle shape with the top of the shaft being widest.  It is not so dramatic that other guys in a public shower would likely notice it but someone might notice it.  I think the rebound is from natural body fluid filling the tissue because the cylinders still feel flat.  If I give it 4 pumps then it is very natural looking but longer than my flaccid before the implant.

If you have some erectile function then you will have an EXTREMELY natural looking erection with a very round penis and a very engorged glans (provided you get that now).
If you have total ED even at the point of orgasm, then your penis will be more of an oval since the chamber dead center of the bottom of the penis will not engorge with blood.  That same chamber mushrooms out to form the glans so the glans will not be engorged but at least in my case, it looks well within the spectrum of normal.

Whether you have Erectile Dysfunction or not, the deflated penis might look a bit oval since the side chambers never totally collapse like a natural full flaccid.  The cylinders give them some substance, taking up room even when deflated.  The exact highly scrutinized shape of a deflated penis with a Titan might depend on the individual and details of the individual implant.  Deflated cylinders can flatten either vertically or horizontally.

[Stepone]

I find all of this interesting and Hawk you try so hard to share information as accurately as possible, but I do agree with you about the nuances of case, interpretations, descriptions. I would like to add my own confusing view. Keep in mind I am only about 110 days with my Titan, but I think my penis is still changing for the better. I have noticed an "ever so slow" change in it's soft appearance and it's erect appearance. It seems that my penis is becoming wider when inflated. I
Sometimes will look and think gosh, that looks like my penis when I was 19!
Sometimes when I deflate, I think oh my it looks so thin, but when I feel it, it's as if the cylinders are stacked on top of each other. I guess it's how I squeeze it to get rid of the fluid. I have noticed sometimes after a long intimate session, my penis will not want to deflate as much. I imagine that there are still fluids occupying some of the space.
I have also noticed that if I wear shorts commando, my penis will eventually hang more as the day progresses. It tends to look the most naturally deflated at this point. It still has a semi erect look, but it is starting to relax more.
I assume as time goes on, it will become more natural in it's deflated state, as it certainly has been moving in that direction. No pun intended.
But the most important appearance of my penis is when it is fully inflated and ready for action. It is at this point, that I call it my dick.
So my point is, we are never all going to hang the same, look erect the same, etc.
But this site helps us all see and share the various outcomes, nuances, achievements, backslidings, depressions, emotions, climaxes, sensations, etc., as we do have one very important thing together.... and that thing is we are trying to be better through communication.
I helped one lady friend with getting her husband to do something, instead of suffering with Peyronie's Disease. They are both much happier now. Not quite all the way there yet, but at least now they are talking and starting to get help.
So once again, I must say thanks for this website and all those that have made it such a valuable resource.

[Alibaba]

I did not explain well but Hawk did with this statement. Cheers. d

"If you have some erectile function then you will have an EXTREMELY natural looking erection with a very round penis and a very engorged glans (provided you get that now)."

Dr. Eid said the Titan implant tends to push the urethra down and help with the issue of pinching the urethra and glans engorgement.  I think pinching off the blood supply is part of the issue especially since I have better results partially inflated than fully and since I can "milk" or squeeze blood into it for full engorgement. I theorize that the penis could be trained to reshape itself but it would be a long long process, by keeping it inflated with a catheter in place to make sure all is pushed down by the implant, not pinched off.  A catheter long term is not advisable nor is it practical though.  I have given thought to the "wand" some use trans urethral for kicks as a way to train, grow, reshape or whatever it is the body does to see if the glans engorgement can be resurrected by one's own body.  This part of the discussion might need it's own thread. Cheers