Waiting vs. going ahead w/ an implant right away

[MikeSmith0]

I just watched a video about penile implants that was posted in another thread.  It was geared more toward men with ED - but it was still useful to hear.

Here's the main issue they mentioned at the end - they said all their patients who put off having implants (and later did) regretted it, especially the prostate cancer patients...because every day they put it off, they ended up losing more length.  I'm not sure if this is due to lack of erections or what - but even though I can still have erections, I have lost 3/4 of an inch of length in 3 months (in addition to 1/2 inch already lost since november, roughly).  Although some have had success with various devices like FS and the VED, wouldn't it make more sense just to have the implant now - and not take any gambles?

Docs gave me the impression they  will not operate until 1.5 years from onset and he will probably want to do grafts, which will leave things even shorter and not very rigid or thick, based on my natural erections over the past 5 years which were poor quality (but I didn't care that much because it still worked and looked fine).   I wanted to have surgery ASAP and get this over with and get on with my life - but that was not his way of doing things.  

Also, I can't see how anything aside from an implant will truly restore significant narrowing / hourglassing.

The implants have a high satisfaction rate, and although they can NOT make the penis larger - however, i think they can at least preserve what you have left.  

Anyway, please let me know what you think about all this - and any misunderstandings and misconceptions I have about the implant process since I haven't had any consults of this sort.  My own doc  said I was a good candidate for grafts...but we didn't get much beyond that.  I watched two surgeons put in two implants so despite the gory nature of that - I am still willing to do it while there's still something left to implant.

[GS]

Mike,

Obviously, your question is a tough one and I don't think there is a right or wrong answer.  I am continuing to use the VED, but I can't say I'm seeing any progress; unless you can call not getting worse progress.  I guess that's the way I'm looking at the situation; as long as I don't get worse and I can still function, I'm not going to have surgery.  If and when I can't function, I'll look at a surgical solution.

I spend most of my spare time thinking about it and researching possibilities; all to pretty much no avail, so I can relate to how you and probably all the rest of us feel.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

[cowboyfood]

. . . I told Dr. Levine in March that I wanted to have surgery ASAP and get this over with and get on with my life - but that was not his way of doing things. . . but he didn't want to operate until 6 months after the penis stabalized- which I have learned is the standard Peyronies Disease protocol now.  

. . . Also, I can't see how anything aside from an implant will truly restore significant narrowing / hourglassing.

. . . In general, this has had extremely adverse psychological effects on me - particularly as I have realized that nothing has worked so far (VIs, pentox, arg, daily viagra, cialis, fast size, trazodone)...

MS,

I've read your posts, but they do not describe in much detail your history with the condition.  So, I will assume that you've had the condition for a relatively short period of time (maybe I missed this in your posts).

You're not alone.  Overcoming the psychological stress caused by this condition is one of the hardest things I've had to do.  Talk about a reality check, this is a major one.  

According to your posts, you received a VED a couple of months ago.  But, I don't see any comments about your usage of it.  If you're not doing the VED protocol, I would strongly advise you to start it and perform at least two protocols before taking any invasive action.

I completely understand your desire to "get on" with your life.  I think I am following your thinking, just get the implant and leave this issue behind.  Maybe that is a solution.  But, on the other hand, maybe it's unnecessary because there are other less aggressive solutions.

Sure, from the stories on this forum, the VED is a long-term treatment.  And, I'm assuming that the implant is a much quicker treatment alternative (surgery plus recovery = less time than VED treatment) and possibly has a more predictable outcome.  Maybe you're thinking you would rather not invest the time to perform the VED treatment only to realize that it was not as effective as you hoped and then subsequently have a surgery or even an implant.

Based on your posts, I think you've got a great shot at overcoming the psychological effects and improve the deformity.  

I guess my suggestion is for you to put off making a final decision on whether to have an implant and religiously perform the VED protocol for the time-being; or, continue consulting with Dr. Levine about the surgery treatment - which he would consider doing as soon as in six months according to your post.  Per the VED, IMO, it will help you psychologically due to the fact that you are doing "something" and I believe it will help.

CF

[MikeSmith0]

Thanks guys... Cowboy - check out the name "mikesmith"  - I have more posts under that name. Something happened with my password and I can only use that screen name on 1 computer that has a cookie.  I tried the pw resent... but I dont know - I'm missing something (usually im not computer illiterate).

My history is basically that I started having mild ED symptoms in the past few years but never really cared because it was mild and I didn't think anything of it.  I noticed I was getting smaller but I knew if I told a doctor that, they would send me to a psychiatrist so I never said anything.  Well, turns out i WAS getting smaller and it was all due to the pre-Peyronies Disease stage I was in (I never heard of Peyronies Disease so I didn't do anything or go to a doctor during that era)...and then the plaque became palpable in November...when I may have had some kind of injury - or maybe just as a process of whatever was going on with my body (I don't have nighttime erections - it may all be related to a medication I've been on for 10 years - not sure).  Anyway,  all plques of which have worsened since VIs.  Curve changed from 30 to 80 degrees in 3 months and it's much shorter.  

I am gonna get opinions from a few Uros in the next few months - all the main surgeons have very long waiting periods to get appointments and it's a little hard to  go on my peyronie's disease national tour because I cant get in to see most of the main guys until late August...and I'm not sure if I can schedule this all with everyting else going on.   I will continue using the VED and FastSize... stopped the VIs for good...and maybe the 80 degrees will come down a bit... I've just gotten frustrated over the last 5 months of such rapid worsening.  I've never had a condition that got this bad so fast.  

GS - thanks for your post...yeah I spend way too much spare time thinking about this... I am "functional" (alone by myself) but the thing is I can't have sex...so I don't know if that is really "functional".  The hardness is not there and the shape could not work in sexual situations.  At 30 degrees, things were still "ok" (not great) - not now... not at 70-80.  And aestheticaly the hourglassing is just unattractive and bizarre looking - not to mentoin there is extremely hard plaque ridges around that area which seem really peculiar.  I am certainly not comfortable with any kind of sex with this going on.