Implants and reducing curve

[dkline]

I am considering getting an implant in the next month and had read that it would help with Peyronies. Yesterday I visited with my Dr and he said the implant would have very little impact on straighting the penis.  Is this true, or its it just related to the way he performs the operation?

Would appreciate any feed back.

[james1947]

dkline

Yesterday I visited with my Dr and he said the implant would have very little impact on straighting the penis.

Correct. This is the reason that when one have Peyronies the scar tissues have to be incised or excised during the implant surgery.
The surgery is more complicate than implant only.

Welcome to the forum
James

PS: I will move your post to the board:
Surgery for Peyronie's Disease - PDS - Peyronies Society Forums

[LWillisjr]

James,
Thanks for moving this thread here!

dkline,
Before you go for an implant there are many factors to consider first. I only recommend surgery as a last resort AND it also depends on what your symptoms are. I have had surgery myself (not an implant) and it was successful for me. But was not a decision taken lightly.

The first thing to consider is your personal history. Things like how long have you had Peyronies disease? Does it cause pain? Does it prevent you from having intercourse or cause problems for your partner?

Second....  What therapies have you tried? There are other things to consider before you try surgery. Your doctor may tell you there "really isn't any documented cure for Peyronies Disease". And to some degree he or she is correct. There is not single cure all remedy. But there are oral meds and therapies that have helped a certain percentage of men. These are well documented on this site and I'm not going into all of them here. The point is there are other things to try first that have no negative outcomes. They are worth a try, they might work for you. The surgery decision is not reversable. Won't you do it you live with the outcome.

third.... After exhausting all other options, and nothing else seems to work, then consider surgery. But educate yourself as there are various types of surgeries again dependent upon your symptoms. For this you want an experienced doctor who specializes in this and performs multiple surgeries per week. While your doctor may be knowledgeable and helpful, he/she might not be the one you want to perform the procedure. When it came to my penis, I didn't want just a GOOD doctor, I wanted the ABSOLUTE BEST surgeon.

Implants can straighten a curve, but usually are only necessary if you cannot achieve an erection. If you erections are OK, there are other procedures that are less invasive depending on the severity of your curve. I describe the different procedures here:

https://www.peyroniesforum.net/index.php/topic,910.0.html

Feel free to post or PM me if you have questions. You can read my personal story by clicking on the "My History" link below.

[dkline]

Thanks for your quick reply, and thanks James for getting me to the right spot.
I should give more back ground. I am 67 and have Ed for about 15 years.  Up until a couple of years ago, I was fine on pills, but in the last year have had to resort to injections.  From the injections I believe I developed peyronies.  I first noticed it about 3 months ago and it points up at about 30 degrees.  

I was ready to go for an implant after the unsuccessful injections, but now I have two issues, not just one.

A couple of questions
         After this short of time is the peyronies stabilized?
         Do most doctors that do implants, capable. To do the extra step to straighten?

[LWillisjr]

A couple of questions
         After this short of time is the peyronies stabilized?
         Do most doctors that do implants, capable. To do the extra step to straighten?

Thanks for the additional information. Generally it takes 12-18 months for Peyronies. At least this is the text book answer so some guys could take longer, some less. But in general I would be surprised if any doctor would do the surgery under 12-14 months. So you have some time to let this stabilize but your doctor should advise you of this.

We can't say how capable various doctors are. I just know that there are a few that members of this forum have been to and highly recommend. Names like Dr. Lue in California, Dr. LeVine in Chicago, and Dr. Milam at Vanderbilt. You should discuss with your doctor about using an implant for straightening and what your expectations would be post surgery.

[dkline]

I have been talking to dr Eid in NYC.  He has done three thousand implants, but only had a brief conversation with him on the peyronies.

I really have no pain, just the bend.

Thanks for you input.

[timk]

I had Peyronies for about 5 years with ever worsening ED so that even injections weren't really working. I contacted Dr Levine in Chicago after watching a presentation he had made on Peyronies in the internet. He thought an implant was the only solution.

With some difficulty, I found a competent doctor here in Germany (Dr. Leiber at the University Hospital in Freiburg) and had the implant done in August 2010. Dr Leiber told me after the OP that he had "broken" the plaque and put his fist together like he was breaking twigs.

Whatever he did, it worked. I am straight now and am now back to my original, pre-Peyronies size. I have learned to pump with one hand in under one minute. I remarried last month and sex has been just fantastic. I'm 69 and she's 57.

The only regret I have is that I didn't have the OP sooner!

[LWillisjr]

timk,

Thanks for sharing your experience. There are risks with surgery, and we only suggest this as a last resort. And it is always great to hear from someone with a positive result.

[timk]

All I'm saying is that if you've got Peyronies and ED - a combination that appears to be fairly common, at least in older men - then you're just wasting your time if you don't follow Dr Levine's advice and get an implant.

Find a competent, experienced Dr. and clear it with your insurance first, but there's nothing else that will solve both problems at once - kill the two birds with one stone.

If you Peyronies Disease and ED and if you enjoy sex and would like to have a normal sex life again, then there's really no alternative, IMHO.  

[Hawk]

I am interested in you story and I have a few questions for myself and others.

What model of implant did you get?  
Do you know how much size did you lost from Peyronies Disease BEFORE you got the implant.
Did you reveal that you had an implant before your first sexual encounter with your current wife and how did she respond to finding out?

[voulezvous]

In addition to the questions asked by Hawk, I have another:

At age 69, are you utilizing any testosterone shots?

I received an implant back in 2009 (AMS LGX) in Minneapolis which resolved my issue with Peyronies Disease. However, at age 70, I was advised (& prescribed) to use 1 ml shots of testosterone about every 2 weeks. Since then, my sex life has also been terrific & the only cost has been some shrinkage in my testicle size. I hasten to add that I have blood work done every 2 months to be certain that there are no ill effects on my prostate or heart muscles.

Frankly, I find it hard to believe that any man over age 65 can NOT experience ED with or without some chemical stimulant (notwithstanding the excitement of a new relationship). Its one thing to be physically capable of penetration & even orgasm but quite another to maintain the desire level once age has affected our hormonal balance.

[timk]

I got an AMS LGX, too. I had lost about 4 cm due to Peyronies Disease - 18 cm down to 14.

She went to the bathroom first, and I pumped it up while she was away. I then told her about it afterwards. She had no problems and thinks it's great.

In the beginning, we were having sex 3 or 4 times a day - something I wasn't even able to do at 18. We're now down to a more normal 3-4 times a week. Ejaculation is a problem, but it still feels great, and we've found a way to help with that problem.

To be able to have sex anytime you or your partner want is just amazing at this age.

My testosterone level is adequate, according to my Doctor. So I don't take any.

My ED wasn't responding to any chemical stimulation - pills or shots.

[Hawk]

Timk,

You have provided some very useful information.  I am especially interested in your loss of size and regaining that size.

Do I understand you to say you regained all your size?  If so how long did that take?
Do you attribute that to just the expanding implant or did you gain some through traction/VED prior to surgery?
What can you report about girth (pre-Peyronies Disease, post-Peyronies Disease, post surgery)
Finally, do you have a total absence of an engorged glans or head of your penis since you had total ED?  Is that an issue?

Any other though on things to consider as far as lowering expectations of those considering an implant?  

Thanks so much for your contribution.  I can get a good erection with a VED and constriction band with full glans.  I Also get a decent erection with the combination of Levitra, L-Arginine, (some times I need a constriction ban with that and sometimes not.)  I do get a levitra hangover that I don't like however.  I no longer have any curve to speak of but have lost 4 CM so I am very interested in whether to keep what I have or consider an implant.

[timk]

Yes, I have - completely. I'm not entirely sure how long; I think one to one and a half years.

I used a VED for about 5 months before the operation, and I told the doctor that I had been 18 cm before Peyronies Disease - he had measured 16 cm before the operation. So, on my insistence, he implanted for 18 cm. So what caused the return to original size I don't know. I suspect the implant, though I have no proof.

Size returned to pre-Peyronies Disease - length and girth.

Interestingly enough, although they say you'll never have a natural erection again after an implant, I find that I do have about a 50% (good, maybe only 35 - 40%) natural erection when aroused. Certainly not enough for penetration, but the feeling is there, the glans swells.

I'm a full blown implant convert. If the operation is a success, I can't think of any negatives.

If I were a rich old man who wanted to play around with pretty young things, I'd throw out the Viagra and get an implant. If his heart held out, he could satisfy a whole room full of young beauties. (And if the heart didn't hold out, what a way to go!)

[james1947]

Timk

Every day have a post that changing my mind, to do or not to do the implat.
Today twice (and I don't read yet all the posts, I am on a business travel of a few days).
My wife 32, me 65, I am the old man you are talking about?  

James

[timk]

James

No operation is risk free and even competent, experienced doctors make mistakes.

But that given, yes, you look like a prime candidate.  

Timk

[james1947]

Yes, I think I am a prime candidate
And soon as possible

James