I'd like to respond to an Anonymous Poster

September 21, 2009 12:46 AM

Anonymous said...
I cried when you mentioned the first time you and your husband made love. I have vivid memories of that time, and my inability now is devastating. My wife is a real trooper, and tries to make me feel better by telling me how unimportant sex is. We are in our fifties, and I don't want it to end already. I just have to convince her that the money, whatever that may be, is worth it. Mike O

Mike:
If insurance coverage is an issue, seek out a University teaching hospital. A young man in his 40's contacted me and I referred him to Dr Weinstein, my urologist who performed my surgery. He had no insurance. Dr Weinstein arranged with the hospital to reduce his cost to what my health insurance paid for my surgery. I had excellent health insurance and the price reduction was huge, almost $15,000 less. Also, most urologists who perform this surgery know what the requirements are to have this surgery approved by insurance and by Medicare. Penile Implant surgery is considered a "standard of care" (very important) to correct Erectile Dysfunction. This is not considered cosmetic surgery and don’t let insurance misinform you on this point. Erectile Dysfunction of the penis is a failure of a body part the same way that hip replacement surgery corrects a body part that has worn out. Or the replacement of a heart valve restores function of the heart. The penile implant is considered a “Durable Medical Goods or Device” by your insurance. Your doctor has to have documentation proving that you have had ED over a period of time. That it is not a temporary occurrence, but is a permanent condition. That cheaper alternatives have been tried and don’t work, ie: you’ve tried Viagra, or Cialis, and Levitra, and it failed to cause an erection or the side effects were such that you could not tolerate it. That you maybe tried a vacuum erection device and it did not work satisfactorily for you.
Your doctor may order some tests.
A Doppler ultra-sonography of your penis. The doctor will inject a vasoactive drug into your penis to cause an erection and then with the use of ultrasound, will determine if you have serious venous leakage.
Another test is an overnight test where you will place a band around your penis to determine if you are having nightly erections.
Your doctor will look at your health history. Do you have a history of diabetes? Erectile dysfunction is a red flag to test for un-diagnosed High Blood Pressure and un-diagnosed diabetes. Your doctor will listen to your carotid artery to listen for diminished blood flow caused by arterial sclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Your doctor will also want to check your lipids or what your cholesterol levels are. Smoking history. Quit now and get help quitting now. I know, I know how hard it is. When my daughter was 5 years old, she asked me to quit, and I found a way to quit. When I caught her as a teen ager with cigarettes, I had a powerful argument for her and she stopped smoking for me. Exercise and weight control. You know what you need to do, so no lecture here. Get healthy, you’ll live longer, you’ll live better, and you will have the stamina you need for the bedroom.
Do you have Peyronie’s Disease? (Scarring that occurs in the Corpora Cavernosa, which is the twin sheaths of spongy tissue that run the length of the penis). Scar tissue replaces the spongy tissue that normally fills with blood effecting an erection. This scar tissue prevents engorgement and expansion of the penis. It can also lead to erectile length and girth loss over time. The implant will help keep the penis from shrinkage and will also help maintain a straight penis.
Have you experienced spinal cord damage? Many paralyzed men are able to enjoy sex even with a spinal cord injury or other nerve damage caused by disease or trauma. I know for a fact that Penile Implant surgery is VA approved and will cover service connected ED from trauma injuries.
What I have suggested is get yourself as healthy as you can. That’s half of the equation. Get age related health problems treated (High Blood Pressure, diabetes, High Cholesterol, weight and exercise). Next talk to your doctor, either your Primary Physician or your urologist about your ED and your options. Ask for a referral to someone who performs Penile Implant surgery. Also check out American Medical Solutions Physician Referral at http://www.amsfindadoctor.com/Patient/Search.aspx?LOBID=4
Look for a surgeon who performs at a minimum 50 penile implants a year. University Teaching Hospitals are great places to start looking for a surgeon. The VA Hospitals can also refer you to a Urologist who performs implant surgery. Outside of the US, AMS Medical Solutions and Coloplast have toll free numbers that you can call. They are staffed by knowledgeable people who can refer you to Urological Surgeons who perform implant surgery in your country.
To Contact AMS Medical Solutions

AMS serves patients and physicians across the globe. Our world headquarters are located in Minnesota. Connect with us today.

AMS World Headquarters
10700 Bren Road West
Minnetonka, Minnesota 55343
USA

Phone:
800-328-3881

Fax:
952-930-6373

AMS patient liaison at 800-328-3881, extension 6261, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CDT.


Coloplast Corporation
1499 West River Rd. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Phone: (800) 533-0464
E-mail: USMEDWEB@coloplast.com
Headquarters
Coloplast A/S
Holtedam 1
DK - 3050 Humlebaek, Denmark
Tel: +45 49 11 11 11/Fax: +45 49 11 22 60

Visitors to PenileImplant Blog

Howdy Folks:
A lot of people have traveled to my blog from all over the world. Analytics tells me that 4300 people in the past 30 days from 88 countries traveled to my PenileImplant blog to find out and read about the experiences of myself and15 other gentlemen have had after penile implant surgery. I'm really humbled by that. I spoke to one gentleman on the phone today who was so excited that he got to pump up his implant and was given the go ahead by his doctor to use his implant. He told me he had called his wife and she was taking the afternoon off from work to meet him at home. Before he got home he called me to thank me for giving him hope that he could have a normal sex life again. I'm corresponding to younger and younger men as time goes by. I’m talking to men in their 20's who have severe venous leakage as their primary erectile dysfunction diagnosis and they are so severely depressed that they are missing out at enjoying a normal sex life. They call me on the phone and correspond by email with me for advise. They get a lot of the run a round by urologists who feel they are too young to be considered an implant candidate. If the vaso-dilators Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra aren't working and the injections aren't working or are too painful for the patient, then penile implant surgery is a viable alternative and should not be dismissed. I personally know a couple of young men who are scheduled for surgery after standing their ground with their doctors and they have a positive outlook for their future. I'm also corresponding with men in their 80's and one gentleman who is 91 years old. Good for you guys. One of the secrets of longevity is an active sex life. My father in law is 81 and my mother in law is 76 and they are healthy active adults who do volunteer work, golf, bike, and think nothing of climbing in the car and driving 500 miles. Young, old, or in between. Don’t let erectile dysfunction keep you from enjoying a healthy, loving and happy relationship with the one you love. Men, and the women who love you, get help by seeking a urological surgeon skilled in implant surgery. And get your questions answered so that you can make an informed choice. As I pointed out earlier, a whole lot of you folks are looking for answers to fix your erectile dysfunction. I sincerely hope that this blog answers some of those questions. If I can help any of you, don't hesitate to contact me. My name is Bob and I can be contacted by email at bbacon15@yahoo.com or you can call me in the evenings at 573-808-2962.