Nuances of Deflated Titan Cylinders

[Hawk]

I want to start by saying I have zero personal concern about this issue but post it because on occasion a discussion comes up about the nature of a penis with deflated Titan cylinders.  There is little dispute that the Titan cylinders are unmatched at correcting deformities such as bends, dents, hourglass, or curves.  It is also recognized that it gives an erection with the greatest axial rigidity of any implant while providing a perfectly natural feeling erection.  Because of that I personally would not care if my deflated penis looked like a corkscrew.  To me, a penis is all about sex.  Everything else is beside the point even though it can be argued that for every hour your penis is inflated it is likely to be deflated for 23 to 160 hours.

Men regardless of implant are likely to be very aware of a few things about their penises in the first weeks after surgery.  They will be larger when deflated than they likely ever were flaccid before surgery.  That is combined with the fact that they are swollen with blood and fluid in the cavernosa surrounding the cylinders.  Additionally, there may be some fluid in the cylinders either because the surgeon left it that way or there was some backflow from the reservoir in the hours or days after surgery.  If the patient begins cycling (often as early as day three) he often does not properly depress the deflate valve or squeeze all the fluid from the penis because he has not become proficient and he is just too sore to squeeze his penis or the pump's deflate valve to fully deflate.

These all combine to give him what appears to be tumescence or semi-erection, sometimes referred to as a with English slang as a chub.

While these factors are typical of all implants, and gradually resolved in 2 - 8 weeks, the Titan has an additional factor, especially if compared to an LGX-700.  Titan cylinders are by nature stiffer when deflated, especially when new.  They get progressively softer over many months for maybe as long as a year or more.  It is a gradual process without any recognizable progress on a day to day basis.  With all the above-considered, men sometimes feel they are stuck with a perpetual near-erection in the weeks after a Titan implant.  This is especially true if he had total Erectile Dysfunction for years before the implant and was not even used to having spontaneous natural erections in recent memory.

There is one additional factor that I want to address from strictly laymen's terms.  Cylinders totally devoid of fluid are flat (all models) because they are not only empty but they have a vacuum on them when the fluid is squeezed out of the sealed cylinder. Whether they flatten horizontally to the flood (in a man standing on his feet) or verticle to the floor or a combination makes a difference in how the penis looks and hangs.  Attached is a drinking straw that approximates my cylinders when totally deflated.  It is a more accurate representation of the right cylinder.  I have traced them with my fingers to analyze exactly how they lay.  I have also altered them with pressure to note how it change the bend factor. I have no idea how typical or unique every install is.  What I do know is that it is just plain physics that a cylinder that is flat horizontally will bend downward with less resistance than one that flattens vertically.

This means that cylinders that flatten vertically near the base of the shaft (like mine) when deflated will have more of a tendency to resist bending down.  At my slightly above average size (length 7" BPEL) (5 1/4" girth) penis hangs fine in spite of that vertical flattening at the base.  It is not perfect but I think I could walk around a nudist colony without attracting suspicion that I was semi-aroused. Maybe a 4" penis would not.  However, while a 4" penis might take some additional force to make up for less penis weight, some snug-fitting underwear would far more than provide that little extra weight/force so clothing should not be a problem, especially after healing.  I suspect even a 4 " penis would hang effortlessly if the cylinders near the base flattened horizontally.  

I wonder if this variation in flattening vertical vs horizontal is very individual and depend on how the cylinders are inserted or if it is a result of the path of least resistance depending on how the penis contracts, or if they can actually be manipulated or messaged during healing or even after.  All good questions for some surgeons just to understand these nuances that might actually matter to some.

[Alibaba]

Titan cylinders are notoriously stiff when new. They soften over time. Just tonight it hit me how very soft mine are now after 2 years, 5 months and 20 days.  The photos below show that a Titan can droop quite well without sporting a stiffy over time and properly deflated. It takes time to learn to deflate. The best method I found with both the LGX and the Titan I have now, is to lay down, hold the deflate button and squeeze the cylinder holding it for a minute. The cylinders are much larger in diameter than the tubing so it takes a little time for the fluid to travel through it. It is not an instant thing that happens. I know some pumps say pop it to release and forget it, but this is my experience for a best result.  

[Roddy]

I read your post this morning, Hawk, and thought I'd respond later when I had the chance. An interesting read and a good topic for us implantees to discuss. My deflated cylinders most definitely sit vertically ie flat on either side. I couldn't agree more. The only person that will really ever see my dick flaccid is myself - when I take a pee or a shower. Not that I hide myself from my wife as she sees me naked as a matter of course and especially since I now sleep in the nude since my op. I'm now, after 2 years of no sexual activity due to peyronies, really only interested in what it's like when erect and I'm delighted with my Titan.  

[SW01]

I just want to say my cylinders were reall stiff right after implant but at 5.5 months of cycling, use, and just the passage of time they are noticeably softer and I hang down very acceptably. Not planning on visiting a nudist colony but am back to wearing board shorts at our pool and I have had no comments from friends or neighbors who have been over.

Yes I can feel what is comparable to a flattened straw but like others said so what. When I start pumping up those go away. When fully pumped they are gone.

My wife and I are enjoying the titan a lot. We are trying to get as much in before her next rounds of surgery when I will be celibate again for who knows how many months. While sex is not everything we sure do enjoy it a lot.

If I know we are getting intimate I just give it a few pumps to take the crinkles out. Then when she starts caressing, or starts oral i just add a few every now and then. I do not usually just pump it straight to hard unless we just want to go right to it.

So the flaccid status for me is definitely not an issue period.

[Stepone]

I too have noticed a softening of the cylinders after 7 months. This is a good thing.  I have had a problem with total deflation quite frequently. I can squeeze most of the fluid from the cylinders so they are totally flat, but it seems like some fluid gradually comes back into the cylinders.
My surgeon said after I squeeze all the fluid out to give the pump one small pump to reset the pump valve.
Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
I have noticed the pump button is hard to press...or is it that my thumbs have always been weak because of the arthritis.
Suggestions?  

[Hawk]

Interestingly enough I have had noticeable softening of my cylinders even between the 1-year mark and now (15 months).  I do NOT regularly cycle on a daily basis.

The pump button is definitely hard to press and I have a strong grip.  It does get easier even up to or beyond the 1-year mark.  If you get no more backflow without resetting the valve (with 1 small pump) than you do with resetting it, I would leave the valve open.  That way a few times during the day when you take a leak you can simply squeeze your penis to re-drain it without touching the valve.

I will also add that it is easier to TOTALLY drain the cylinders if instead of squeezing with one hand you press your penis flat between the heels of your two hands.  You can even roll the heels from tip to base on the shaft.  I find this TOTALLY flattens the cylinders.  If I do this, in time I will get a slight amount of backflow but not enough to care about.  In fact, I prefer it for a more natural hang.

I have also noticed I hang even better with a few pumps.  I think the weight of the fluid in the cylinders is just enough extra weight to weigh my penis into a deeper hang, but not enough to make it rigid in the least.

[Stepone]

Thanks Hawk, I will try things out tomorrow.
I appreciate your wisdom and your willingness to share.