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.

10/09/2009 My one-year post op at Vanderbilt, Jack P story

Dear Readers:

For those of you who have followed my blog over the past couple years, Jack P has been a regular contributor to this blogsite as well as to other supports sites, most notably to Peyronies sufferers. Jack has been an inspiration to many men with his never say quit spirit. His first attempt to have implant surgery resulted in his doctor puncturing his urethra and having to stop. Jack has had Peyronies disease for many years. Peyronies disease is where there is scar tissue that builds up in the corpora cavernosa of the penis. The corpora are the spongy tissue that fills with blood to give rigidity to the penis during erection. The surgeon, in trying to push a pathway through the scar tissue and spongy tissue, caused a puncture through the urethra forcing him to stop the procedure. Jack opted to find a second opinion and found an excellent surgeon at Vanderbilt University Hospital. Just prior to having surgery, Jack choked on a piece of meat and what followed can be read on my February 28, 2009 blog Jack P, The Rest of my story. As I pulled everything together for that blog. Jack did have his implant revision on 10-23-08 where he had an AMS 700 LGX implanted quite sucessfully. Jack is at the one year anniversary of his implant surgery and he wishes to let all of you know about his success and the impact of what a penile implant has had upon his life. Jack's story is what this blog is all about. Bringing hope to men who have given up hope. It's restoring wonderful sexual lovemaking back in the bedroom between two people who very much love each other. Folks, here is Jack's story in his own words.

10/09/2009 My one-year post op at Vanderbilt by Jack P

The exam and follow up with Todd Doran PA, and Dr. Douglas Milam

I am delighted with my implant and all the care I received at Vanderbilt. During the exam and follow up questions I spent about 45 minutes with Todd and Dr. Milam. I had a few questions and learned a lot.

We started out with Todd and an intern. I pumped up my implant. Todd showed the intern where the tips of the implant extend into my glans. Of course the glans was flaccid and with a slight downward pressure on the tip you could see where the tip of the implants are. Both sides fit to the same size and approximately ½ way into the glans.

We discussed my success with the implant and the impact it had on my life. I am happy to say the impact has been better than I ever expected. During the discussion Todd asked what is the most common complaint with men with pryronies. Loss of size, length and girth. The AMS 700 LGX is the only implant that can help restore length.

I wish I had a recording but I will tell you basically what Todd said. The AMS 700 LGX will straighten out a peyronies curve. Peyronies is not normally in the erection chambers when the implant is activated it will straighten out the penis. I said to Todd that some men go into surgery expecting an LGX and come out with a CX or other implant. I asked if there was a reason for that. He said that when that happens the doctor does not fully understand the anatomy of the penis and the workings of the implant. Dr. Milam was an engineer before becoming a surgeon and fully understands the mechanical function of the implant and penis. He said that all there patients, with peyronies, that have the LGX have a straight erection like mine.

I have a diminished blood flow to the glans. I told Todd that it is more noticeable now that I have been off blood thinners for a year. He said that was what happens is a lot of men. I asked how could I help blood flow to the glans without the blood thinners. I asked if Cialis would help. He said it would and recommended the daily dosage of 5mg. He wrote me a prescription for the 5mg daily dosage. I will take it along with the coupon for a free months supply from http://www.cialis.com/ to the pharmacy today. My prescription drug plan (Medicare Part D) does not cover it so I need to shop around the cost.

I asked about the Ambicor 2 piece implant for a gentleman in the New England area. He said they only use it if they cannot get a reservoir in. He said it has a much lower satisfaction rate than the other implants.

I asked about pain with peyronies for another gentleman. He has been having pain with erections and other urinary symptoms. They know Dr. Levine and his work. They disagree with not doing any surgery for peyronies if you have pain. They did not get specific as to what they prescribe for pain only different men have different symptoms and they prescribe different things, and they also occasionally recommend surgery for the pain. They also recommended a second opinion on the urinary symptoms and said they would be glad to help him with that.

We talked about penile injection therapy for ED. They do not recommend it and do not prescribe it. Injection therapy caused my condition to get worse with corporal fibrosis.

We talked about the peyronies society web site. Todd said that now he has a face to put with those coming in after visiting the web site. He said that they have been able to help several men after viewing the site. Todd said he has looked at the site and likes the fact that we are straightforward and informative. The information is usually straight and factual.

We talked about the difference in the pubic and scrotal approach. 98% of the implant that Dr. Milam does is the pubic approach. He said that the dorsal nerves are easy to identify and keep out of harms way. He said that if there is a problem with the corporatomy it is much easier to repair with the pubic approach. We discussed my punctured urethra that happened with the local doctor using the scrotal approach. Todd said that the instrument to dilate the corpora is curved and if not done properly with the scrotal approach that a punctured urethra can happen. He said Dr. Milam is very detailed about this and reminds his students all the time of this.

I asked about revisions. Dr. Milam said that they do “a ton” of revisions.

I asked about the life expectancy of the implant. Dr. Milam said 93% were performing normally at five years. Both Dr. Milam and I have some engineering background. I am a retired Boiler Inspector and Mechanical Contractor. We compared it this way; you can buy the best HVAC system on the market and use the worst or cheapest contractor in town. The system will not perform properly because of an improper installation. If you buy the same equipment from a first rate contractor you get a properly performing system that will save you money in the long run. I said it to him like this; I charge an A/C system with a digital thermostat to the manufacturer’s specifications. 90% of the systems I go to the first time are at least ½ to 1 pound of Freon overcharged. This cuts the efficiency of the system by about 20-30%. Moral, to get the best results use the best equipment and an experienced well qualified people.

We discussed additional penile length. I have gained weight and need to loose 20-30 pounds. Yes I am a big guy 6’2’, 255 pounds. I was told that if I loose the weight I would gain 1 to 1 ½ inches. That will put me back at my length before peyronies. Now all I have to do is get off my butt and do it. I have started back walking 2 miles a day, but as my wife says I need to cut back on the sweets, bread and portions. I lost over 20 pounds several years ago on the Atkins Diet and considering going back to it.

Girth: My erect girth is back to where I was as a teen’s or early 20”s. If I remember my algebra correctly 2” diameter x 3.14 = 6.28” or 1” radios x 3.14 squared = 6.28”. Any way the wife and I are very happy with it.

The best part of this whole experience is the renewed confidence I have. I feel NORMAL for the first time in years.

There was the pain of surgery, the 6 weeks waiting to activate the device, the discomfort when the device was first activated, getting used to the pump in the scrotum and the about 3 month learning curve of using the implant. The small amount of discouragement when first activated that I was not as long as in the VED but as Dr. Milam said at my 3
Month check up I regained it as the AMS 700 LGX continues to expand

Dr. Milam, Todd and I talked about the publication on using the AMS 700 LGX. It has just been submitted to The Journal of Urology and will take 6 to 9 months before it is published. There is a meeting next month (11/09) in California of the Sexual Medicine Society. Dr. Milam has a major presentation at that meeting on the AMS 700 LGX. Dr. Milam will send me a copy of the publication when it is printed and I have his permission to publish it on the peyronies society web site a yahoo implant group.

I also have kidney stones 3 on the left side and 2 on the right. I showed Dr. Milam the report from a CT I had the end of May. He said so long as I was not in pain the wait and see that my local doctor recommended is normal.

Dr. Milam and I discussed that when my local urologist did a bladder scope, after the ultra sound for kidney stones, that he said that with an implant I was limited with options if I had prostate problems. I had a couple of TURP’s about 12 years ago. Dr. Milam said that with the implant there was no problem with any prostate procedure with the implant.

Dr. Milam and his team do all kinds of penile surgery from surgical correction of penile curvature, penile implants, and artificial urinary sphincter to control incontinence, circumcision and lots more.

Before anyone asks, No you cannot gain additional length or girth with the implant above what you normally have. Any one that tells you their product or device will is selling “snake oil.”


Dr. Milam told me I did not need to make the trip back to Nashville any more but if I needed him just let him know. I will always be a patient of his and Vanderbilt.

JackP

An Addendum to Rich's Implant Story

Dear Readers:
Back on June 8th 2009, I published Rich's story about his 2 piece AMS Ambicor implant surgery. Since then,Rich has had to have a testicle removed due to problems with blood supply being damaged from prior hernia surgery. He has written about his experiences having an orchiectomy and how he is doing now. Folks, here is the rest of the story.

Bob,

No problem to post. As you may recall I submitted a story about my implant and follow up photos so feel free to use as I think it may help others.

I did address my very uncomfortable testicle with my urologist for a year before my implant but he seemed to dismiss it and I was so glad to get the implant I didn't say anything. About 6 months after the implant I decided that I would go for an appointment and thank him for his help with my low T and for his helping me get the implant with his letter to the insurance company and gave him a gift certificate to a very nice restaurant.

I explained that I noticed pain after my first hernia procedure and more after my second a year later and it had not ceased since and was negatively affecting my life. He said to my: are you sure? I responded by saying that since it was atrophied and not working plus it hurt that I was absolutely sure about it.

The procedure did not require any pre-authorization and since I had met my deductible, $0 out of pocket. The cost to the insurance company was $2,200. It only took about 30 minutes. After I went home at noon I looked at the scrotum and there was still a lump where the testicle was and I was somewhat puzzled as I thought it would be completely gone. It seems he just took the insides out of the testicle and what remained was called a "grape" that would disappear. After 30 days it did start to disappear and now that it is 2 months today is has shrunk about 70%. I used our Jacuzzi every night before bed and that helped me sleep like a baby the first week after surgery but had very little discomfort anyway, actually less than before the procedure.

I don't miss the testicle at all and the empty scrotum is no problem. It is kind of nice as nothing is banging around during sex. Sex is enjoyable and I have a powerful orgasm and I cum the same as before. I do notice that the bottom of the pouch in my briefs is empty but my briefs are snug so its not a problem.

My testosterone injections were increased by 25% after so that is going well and have no problems. All in all a positive experience and a big relief from discomfort. My wife is happy that I am not in pain.

Thanks for this blog as it really helped me before, during and after my procedures. Rich

A Wounded Marines Story of Impotense and Penile Implant Surgery

Dear Readers:
Since we have just celebrated the 8th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America, The next story I want introduce you to is a story of courage, pain, recovery, and good news. This is the story of a young wounded marine's battle with impotence. This story is about a young couple that I met about a year and a half ago. I've changed their names to protect their privacy, but they wanted to tell their story.

Dear Bob:
I want to so much thank you for all of your help and encouragement. You saved our marriage and Debby is now expecting our first child. Debby and I got married right out of High School. We were High School sweet hearts and three weeks after graduation we were married. My dad had been a marine during Viet Nam and I wanted to follow in his footsteps ever since I can remember. I was deployed with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Force and saw action fighting in Ramadi. I was badly wounded by a rocket propelled grenade that exploded near me. One minute I was firing my weapon and the next minute everything went crazy. I remember blurs of people trying to tell me something, but my hearing was gone. They kept me pretty sedated until I got to Germany. There I learned that my left foot was gone and that I was partially paralyzed from the waist down due to a spinal cord injury. The doctors also removed a lot of junk out of my legs and back. I remember being so scared that I was going to be a cripple for the rest of my life. From Germany, I was sent to Walter Reed Army Hospital. I asked them, what is a Marine doing in an Army Hospital? Well, I had lots of company. Debby, her mom, her sister, along with my mom and dad all flew from St Louis to see me. A lot of tears hit the floor at that reunion, but God was I so happy to see all of them, especially Debby. I just wanted to hold her forever and never let go. I spent six and a half months at Walter Reed recuperating from my wounds. I had nine more surgeries and hours and hours of really painful physical therapy. I hear about how some people in this country are upset that we may have tortured somebody to get information out of them to save American lives. Whatever pain they suffered was nothing compared to the pain of the men and women wounded fighting those $%#%$#$%#%@. You can make up your own descriptions if you want. I was finally sent home to finish up my physical therapy and treatments at a VA Hospital near my home. I tried to make love to Debby. The nerve damage robbed me of the ability to have an erection forever. I tried Viagra and Cialis, but hated the sinus headaches and the erections weren’t very good. Vacuum erection sucked and shots, one shot cured me of ever wanting another one. At this point, I was so depressed, I just wanted to go off somewhere and die. I wasn’t a man anymore. I was also picking fights with Debby because I was so depressed. I have a prosthesis foot and walk with a cane. Debby decided to go back to college and get her nursing degree. I just stayed home depressed every day and watched my marriage beginning to fall apart. The doctors were no help because I just didn’t want to listen to anyone anymore. I was totally fed up with life.

Debby takes over at this point.
As Steve has told you, I had gone back to school to become a nurse and we had a unit on Sexuality and part of it was on male impotence. I read that a guy can have an erection by having a penile implant inserted in his penis. At this point I wanted to know more, so I hit the library hard and then went on the internet and looked up penile implants. I found Bob’s blog and started reading and reading. I thought about it for several days and finally got up the courage to call Bob. I was so nervous, but he was so easy to talk to and made me feel so at ease. Before I knew it, we had talked for almost an hour. Bob lives about 70 miles from us and he agreed to talk to Steve and I and we made a date to meet for dinner one evening. Steve wasn’t sure he was ready to talk with somebody he didn’t know about not being able to get it up, his words, and especially not with a guy he had never met before. But after much arm twisting by me, Steve agreed to meet Bob. Because Bob has been there, he was able to put Steve at ease. By the end of dinner, Steve was certainly interested in possibly exploring more about implant surgery. But he still was a little apprehensive. Then Bob said the kicker that gave him the courage to consider surgery. He told Steve, close your eyes and picture the first time you made love to Debby. Picture being able to repeat that moment tonight. You squeeze a soft rubber bulb in your scrotum and your penis is standing straight out, hard enough to pound nails. Debby is expectant on you making love to her and and with your new implant you have the perfect erection. You can make love all night long to her. You can have an orgasm that feels normal and afterwards you can keep on making love to Debby without losing your erection. That did it. Steve agreed to sit down and talk to a urologist who did implants. What he learned helped to convince him that this was his best option to fix his impotence. When he asked me what I thought, I had the world’s biggest grin on my face. Oh baby, I can’t wait to drag you into the bedroom and ravage your ass. Steve had the surgery about a year ago and the six week wait before he could pump it up was a daily agony for both of us. Steve reserved a really nice suite at a hotel, and after he got the okay from his surgeon, off we went to the hotel. The really sexy negligee that I bought for our weekend never made it out of the suitcase. It took a couple months, but I’m expecting a baby around Thanksgiving and Steve is so proud and happy now. He’s a new man and I feel like a new woman. Steve also started college this fall and we both are so happy that we just had to let others know our story. Don’t throw your marriage away if you find yourself unable to perform. Steve is all the man I could ever ask for now. He can perform anytime, anywhere,and at a moment’s notice he can make love to me. I really am grateful to Bob for saving our marriage and for the help he extended to Steve and I. He was so kind and thoughtful with us and answered our questions without making us feel embarrassed. He just wants to help people like us. Thank you for letting us tell our story.

Two Years with my Penile Implant

Dear Readers:
May 30th was my 2 year anniversary of my Penile Implant and I thought I would voice my thoughts for you. My implant is an unqualified success and it has become one of my best decisions that I have ever made in my life. When I made my decision two years ago, it was after many weeks of serious research. Like all of you, I realized that I was traveling down a road with no turning back. Because their is such a lack of searchable testimonials from guys like me who have actually had this surgery, I decided to write this blog for the many men who would be following in my footsteps. Never in my wildest imaginations would I have guessed that I would soon be contacted by thousands of men and their partner's from around the world with so many questions to answer. In addition, I had to count up the number of men who have joined me on this blog, 14 guys who joined me in discussing their experiences after undergoing Penile Implant surgery. So there is a wealth of experiences on this blog if you want to hear about other men's experiences following Pnile Implant Surgery. In addition, I have talked to thousands of men with erectile dysfunction, their wives, their girlfriends, and their boyfriends by email and by phone, from all over the world and at different times of the day and night and have enjoyed having dinner with several couples. I've even talked to a couple of doctors!!! Wow. I've also been privvy to many stories of real pain being suffered by many men from all over the world. That's an awsome responsibility that I take very seriously because I've walked in every one of those guys shoes and I understand what they are feeling. When those guys write me back and are able to tell me how awsome their sex life is after they had surgery, its an incredible feeling for me and has made all the hours spent on this blog seem very worth while. My next task is to compile all of the emails that I've received and somehow write a Frequently Asked Questions page. Just grouping the different questions will be a large task. There is one question that I will answer first. Would I, knowing what I know now, have this surgery. Not only yes, but that 13 years of shots and pills that I took would never have happened. To all the readers on this blog, I'll talk to you any time and answer any questions you have. If you don't feel comfortable asking, put your wife, girlfriend, or boyfriend or whomever you want to make love to, but can't because of ED, and we'll talk about what's available for you to change that sad state of your life. We'll change that soft part of your anatomy that has let you down so many times into something hard, erect, and brings back to you a level of confidence and pride as a sexual man that you have always been.
So take care of yourself out there.
Bob
bbacon15@yahoo.com
1-573-808-2962

Rich and the Two Piece Ambicor Penile Implant

Dear Readers:

The above photos were submitted by a gentleman by the name of Rich. Rich elected to have the 2 piece AMS Ambicor Penile Implant. Rich also included his story and you can read it below.

Hello

I finally got around to taking those photos. First shot (Bottom) is erect and second shot (Middle) is flacid. Top shot is flacid in my briefs. As you can see, I'm not one of the big boys anymore, but still at 4 inches, I can still get the job done.

As you may recall, I wrote before I had my first experience using my 2 piece Ambicor implant with my wife. I was nervous to be honest and it had been almost 14 weeks, so I had a big load built up, and I was ready and so was my wife. We played around for awhile and as she was stroking me. I pumped it up and she liked it. I am shorter in length and much smaller girth than before, but she likes that to. She is built very small and it used to hurt her when we had sex before because of my penis size. Everything fit nice and she had no discomfort and neither did I so we had great sex and both had satisfying orgasms. Glad I don't have to do the injections anymore and I can be spontaneous and have sex when desired.

She did coment that the tip of the penis seemed cold and says it feels different when she gives me a bj, but it feels great to me. Been 4 months now and all is well. I would have the implant again without a second thought. One benefit of the 2 piece implant is that it looks bigger when soft in my pants and my briefs and that isn't all bad

Jack P, The Rest of my Story

The Rest Of My Story

Posted on Implant Group 8/13/08
9/28/08
As most of you know I was scheduled for my implant at Vanderbilt fortomorrow.7/27/08 I was eating lunch at the local O'Charleys and cut a bit largerthan usual piece of prime rib. With all going on with family andfriends I swallowed before I was ready.The meat stuck in my esophagus just before entering my stomach. Wenthome and tried everything I knew to get it to go one way or another. NOLUCK.2:00 in the morning my wife took me to the local ER. They tried twiceto get it out. The second try they put me to sleep. Woke up and stillthere.They transferred me to the main hospital in Memphis and brought in aSurgeon.Tuesday about noon they put me to sleep again and tried with a rigidscope. No Luck. Seems that I am longer than normal, esophagus that is.They were so aggressive that the doctors collapsed a my left lung andput my heart into A-Fib. Woke up in recovery with a doctor cutting inmy side to put in a tube, "called him a couple of bad words." Then theybrought in a heart doctor.Two day of hell in the room with at least six (6) IV's. Then onThursday afternoon back to surgery. The Dr. marked my chest thatmorning just in case they had to go after it. This time it went throughwhen they put the tube down. Back to hospital room NPO with a stomachpump. I was on ice chips until Monday morning. Liquid diet, did notknow so little would make you feel full.Saturday morning (I think) wife and I had a Come to Jesus meeting with all the Doctors. On what to expect.Tuesday afternoon the surgeon and then the heart Dr released me to gohome. While in the hospital I asked about the implant surgery and theysaid postpone it for a couple of months. Had a long talk with heartdoctor before leaving the hospital and he assured me that in a coupleof months I could get the implant but first I had to get the A-Fibfixed.Went to heart doctor today and the A-fib is much better. Wants me towait a couple of weeks and if the meds do not fix the A-fib they willshock it back.I've lost 15 pounds. When I came home the next morning I looked in themirror and did not see myself. What A Shock.With heart doctors blessing I have rescheduled the pre op at Vanderbiltto October 24 and the implant to October 30. I WANT MYSELF BACK BY THEEND OF THE YEAR!If it has not been one obstacle it has been another but come "Hell orHigh Water" I am going to get the implant.

8/21/08 Epilog: Went to Dr. Shirwany’s for my pre op before the cardiac conversion. Nurse checked my blood and that was fine. Went to the exam room and took my BP she said I hear a normal heart beat. She went and got the EKG and sure enough my heart was back to normal rhythm.
Dr. Shirwany came in and was almost as happy as my wife and I about not having to do the Cardiac Conversion.
For the arrhythmia in the hospital they added Cartia, a calcium channel blocker and Amodarone to the BP meds I was already taking, Ramipil, and ACE inhibitor and spironolactone are my normal BP meds and have controlled my BP well. I told Dr. Shirwany that in my past calcium channel blocker caused me lots of problems and fatigue and not sleeping were the worst. I asked if I could get off the new meds because of the side effects. He said that for now I needed these but he would cut the dose in half. He also said that in mid November after the implant I would ware a monitor for few days and then reevaluate the meds.
I signed a release so he could get the records of my last cardiac cath 7/07 and other history from my previous heart doctor.
He said after he received these records he would mail me a cardiac release for the implant surgery.
In the hospital the surgeons almost killed me. If it had not been for Dr. Shirwany I don’t think I would have made it. IMHO

8/23/08
Went to Dr. Walzer for semi annual DRE and PSA. DRE was normal.

8/25/08 Dr. Walzer’s office called with results of PSA. Result was 1.1 that is normal. Asked her to send me a copy.

10/15/08 Phyllis with Dr. Milam’s office called and wanted to move the surgery up a week. Pre op is now scheduled for 10/22/08 and surgery for 10/23/08 @10:30. Will drive up to Nashville the 22nd and spend the night at.

10/16/08 received cardiac clearance from Dr. Shirwany and faxed it to Phyllis 615-343-9815.

10/22/08 Vanderbilt Pre Op.
Pre op went well, had all my paperwork in order and a cardiac clearance letter from Dr. Shirwany. EKG was normal and cleared for surgery the next day.

10/23/08 Vanderbilt Hospital – Penile Implant
Check in time was 10:30. Went to pre op holding room and had 2 antibiotic IV’s. Dr. Milam came in about 1:00 we talked and he said everything looked fine. A few minutes later one of his assistants came in and we talked for a while. I mentioned the previous surgery where the Dr. penetrated my urethra and he said he knew all about it. I believe that Dr. Milam and staff had a pre op meeting and knew my history well.
About 2:00 I was taken to surgery and Dr. Milam had a few words and then I was asleep.
Woke up about 3:30 in recovery and felt like I had to pee real badly. Had a Foley Catheter and nurse said everything went as planned and the wanting to pee was normal.
My wife had meeting with Dr. Milam after surgery and he told her everything was OK but I would be in pain for a while.
About 4 or 4:30 Dr. Milam came into the room and said everything went well and he thought I would be well pleased with the outcome. He said I would have some asymmetry because of the scar tissue from the previous attempt but I would hardly notice it.
The next morning about 5:30 the catheter was removed. Had a light breakfast urinated on my own and was on the way back to the hotel by 9:00. We arrived home about 2:00.

To say I am satisfied with the results to date would be an understatement. Just the look on my wife’s face when I got back to the room told me everything was OK. She has supported me all these years and I never saw her happier for me.

My testicles are black and blue, but that was expected. The pump is in front of my right testicle and I have to pull it down to the center every day. Dr.said it would be easier for me to get to there.

I have the AMS 700 LGX. If I am reading the paperwork right I will have an erection of about 12 CM (4.7 inches). If I get a 20% increase over time I will be within ¾ inch of my pre peyronies size. Right now I can tell the flaccid state is larger, no more turtle effect. This is more than I expected before surgery I would have guessed about a 4-inch length. I know size is not everything we have been dealing with peyronies about 13 years and learned length is not where it is with sex. You can adapt to most any size and still have fun.

A better than expected length is credited to the proper VED exercise given to me by Old Man of peyroniessocitey.org. That year of proper VED exercise gave me a better than expected outcome.

11/5/2008 Post Op with Todd Doran, Everything normal. Still sore. Pump is in place so I do not have to pull it down anymore. Advised to remove the strips on the incision the next time I shower (looks good after removal). No tub or hot tub for another 4 weeks. Lifting restriction of 15 pounds.

Had to wait in exam room for about 90 minutes. Nurse came in and said they were having a problem with an anther patient. Offered juice while I waited. Told the nurse wait would be ok I would appreciate it if I had a problem. Left home at 11:00 and back by 8:30 after stopping for dinner at Cracker Barrel.

12/04/08 Activation: I was at Vanderbilt at 8:30 this morning for my implant activation. Doran showed me where the relief button is and them activated the pump. He then had me pump it up. For the first time in years I had an erection that stood straight out and stayed on its own.
AMS that gave full instructions on how to use the implant gave me an “owners manual”. I was advised to pump up the implant 2 times a day for at lest 5 minutes until the next appointment in 3 months.
I was told to pump the implant up at least 3 rimes before trying to use it. I now know why the first few times you pump the implant it stings some for a while. When I arrived home I showed my wife the erection and let her feel of it. Feels just like an erect penis of a 20 year old. When we went to bed I pumped it up again. Lying on my back with my penis sticking straight up and hard gave me a feeling of being normal again.
The actual measured result in the office was 4.25 inches. I was informed that over the next 3 months to a year I should gain at least another ½ inch. This puts me closer to my pre peyronies of approximately 5.5 inches.
The VED was a “gods send” over the last years. After I found the proper exercise for peyronies I gained some size back. Lost about a quarter inch from VED to implant. My Venous Leakage, and Corporal Fibrosis was so bad that I had to use a very tight constriction ring that sometimes did not hold, but I don’t know what I would have done without it. I will give the VED a proper send off New Years in a Barn Fire.
Took me a long time to get here. In my time I would have had the implant years go. God’s time was now. It has been a difficult road but here I am happily lying on my back with a hard on that a 20 year old would envy. I have a “date” with my wife to put it to use tomorrow after noon. Can hardly wait.

12/5/08 Date with wife: All went well still soreness when I pump up the implant and it interferes with feelings. This will all heal with time. Learning curve with use but that is part of the fun,

I HAVE MY NEW TOY FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

1/5/09 One-month post activation. The implant is expanding into the head and have gained back some length. The last month has been a learning curve, tried to just not push it. Today when activated to full length there is no more soreness. Sex the last time was great.

There was still some soreness Christmas but New Years it was 98% gone. Feelings are returning. Great sex new years!!!

2/19/09 This afternoon I decided to take a nap. While lying there I pumpedup my implant. I kept pumping about 20 times after the bulb got hard.My girth got sore and a little soreness at the glans. Then I noticedthe best erection I have had scene the implant. Like my doctor saidit takes 3 month to a year to get the LGX to full size.I do not let the soreness keep me from using the implant. It is notthat bad. The first few weeks I was real sore, but that is the pricewe pay for success.

Rich's Story, 2 piece implant after hernia surgeries

Dear Reader's:
I wish to add Rich's story to my blog for your education on penile implants. I feel really fortunate to be able to add all of these gentlemen's stories to my blogsite. In the past 20 months, I have been priveledged to be able to correspond with thousands of men, their partner's, and many doctors around the globe about this sexual surgery. I now have 20 months of experience with a penile implant and it has exceeded my expectation a hundred fold. My experience has been echoed by almost everyone that I have talked to who has gone ahead and had this surgery. I hope these many stories are of great help to you and your loving partner. So folks, here is Rich's story.


I hope my experience is helpful to others. Rich

My active life of mountain biking and a related biking accident caused me to lose a testicle. I had previously had two hernia operations with mesh so I have had 3 surgeries in the groin area. I am in good shape at 6’4” and 200 pounds. I am an active married guy, 57 years old.
I noticed after the hernia surgeries that my 8” of manhood began shrinking. I went to the dr. and he said that I had Peyronies Disease and that I had fibrosis in my penis and the 2 hernia surgeries combined would cause less blood to the penis and that would cause shrinkage. I also noticed that I didn't have morning erections and started having trouble maintaining an erection.
I had my testosterone checked and it was 390,, but I had extremely low free and bio available testosterone, so my md prescribed Androgel and it worked well with nice calmness to my overall personality, more confidence, more energy and yes morning erections returned even though they were not hard, at lease something was happening. I used that for about 6 months when I developed a rash and started to get injections that last 2 weeks.
My md prescribed Viagra to help with the E.D. and it gave me terrible headaches as did Cialis and Levitra. I then tried Muse which is a pellet that is inserted in the penis and while it worked great, my wife was allergic to it. I then was put on Caverject and it worked very well for about a year but I noticed that I was still shrinking and the fibrosis in my penis seemed to be getting worse. Over the next 6 months I was getting very sore after the injections for maybe a day or so and I decided to check with the md to see what other options I had. He said I was too young for an implant so I just went along with the injections and then after 6 months I asked him again, reminding him that I was 57 and he replied that he thought I was in my mid forties. He said that yes the implant would be my only other option as if I waited, that the penile shortening would continue and an implant would have to be smaller. He said to discuss this with my wife and let him know. My wife said if I wanted to do it, great, but don't go through it all just for her, as she was satisfied with me as a loving husband. I did decide to go ahead and fix the problem. My doctor recommended a 2 piece AMS Ambicor implant since I had the two hernia surgeries, he didn't want to go into the abdomen.
I had the operation and it was less painful than I thought. I missed one day of work and only took the pain medication For 3 days, then took my Tylenol. There was swelling and black and blue and it was uncomfortable sitting at my desk. The implant is about ½ full so it is a bit hard to hide in pants. So I still keep it in the up position like I did the first two weeks and wear briefs with no problem. I am glad that I had the implant as it is a short inconvenience for a long term solution. It cost $9,000 which insurance covered.
I am now at 4 weeks and all the swelling and black and blue are gone and my penis looks about the same except it is longer when flaccid and my wife says I look great in the shower and in my briefs. I could never wear boxers as my penis would be obvious . I will go soon to see when I can pump it up and see how all that goes. The appearance is very normal, but to the touch, it does feel mechanical. The bulb in my scrotum is no problem since I just have one testicle and had plenty of room for it.
The 2 piece implant placement did permanently damage the spongy erectile tissue on each side of the penis when dilation took place because with so much fibrous tissue they had to use several instruments to create a space for the implants. So while I have good feelings early each morning, I do not get any type of erection at all and I have no expectation for that to change, which is ok. All good so far. I will let you know how it goes when I get the ok to pump it up.

Vacuum Erection Devices to Treat Erectile Dysfunction

Dear Readers:

I want to talk about Erectile Dysfunction and the most important self treatment for men with ED is the use of Vacuum Erection Devices. Guys, all of our lives, or most of our life, we experienced waking up with a nice firm erection. Most men don't even think about morning erections as we were just used to this happening without any impute from us. Morning erections were extremely important in the health of our penis. That morning erection exercised and expanded the spongy tissue in our corpora while delivering much needed oxygen to all parts of the male penis. Men who develop Erectile Dysfunction have either low hormone levels, poor circulation, or damaged nerves which effect the man's erection. Over a period of time, our erections become less and less firm and this begins a breakdown in our penis. Current research is beginning to show that just taking viagra or cialis when we want to have sexual intercourse is not fully addressing the problems that impotence is causing to our bodies. Many of you who travel to my blog are considering penile implant surgery. You want the best outcome possible. Guys, I have talked to a hundred or so men like myself who have experience the penile implant experience. I also worked in Histo-Pathology as a registered Histotechnologist for 17 years. I left due to severe carpel tunnel syndrome. A Histologist is someone who works in the part of laboratory medicine that deals with tissue diagnosis. Any time you have surgery and have a part of you removed, it goes to Histology for diagnosis. So I know my way around the human anatomy. Before you decide to have penile implant surgery, or if you just aren't sure right now, talk to your urologist and have him right you a prescription for a quality Vacuum Erection pump such as the models from OSBON. With a primary diagnosis of ED, the majority of insurance plans will cover the cost under Durable Medical Devices. I'm going to give you a small part of an article that appeared in UroToday.com. This article is of particular interest for men who have undergone a Radical Prostatectomy. You guys really need to heed this article. The location of this article is at: http://www.urotoday.com/42/browse_categories/prostate_cancer/vacuum_erection_devices_to_treat_erectile_dysfunction_and_early_penile_rehabilitation_following_radical_prostatectomy__abstract.html Vacuum erection devices (VED) are becoming first-line therapies for erectile dysfunction and preservation (rehabilitation) of erectile function following treatment for prostate cancer. Currently, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors have limited efficacy in elderly patients or patients with moderate to severe diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. Alternative therapies, such as VED, have emerged as a primary option for patients refractory to oral therapy. VED has also been successfully used in combination treatment with oral therapy and penile injections. More recently, there has been interest in the use of VED in early intervention protocols to encourage corporeal rehabilitation and prevention of post-radicalprostatectomy venoocclusive dysfunction. To read the rest of this copyrited article, please go to the above internet address.

Court's Penile Revision

Results of first implant surgery performed by Dr Paul Perito, Coral Gables, Florida. Implant was apparently improperly sized resulting in buckleing of the erect penis. Not a happy situation.

After the new AMS implant. Properly sized, erect, and completely functional. This is how an implant should leave your penis when inflated. Folks, I can't begin to tell you how happy I am for Court and Beth. This is a close, loving couple who have been mistreated by a rushed surgery.

Looks pretty good, doesn't it.

Dear Bob,I don't know if you remember me or not, my Name is Courtney Hazelton and I used to post to your blog about a year or so ago with tales of woe about a botched implant that left me with a 3 1/2" erection, if you can call it that. The implanted rods only extended about 2/3 of what was left of my penis causing a hinging effect that made intercourse basically impossible for over a year. I was a Coloplast titan 3 piece done by a real cowboy of a surgeon down in Coral Gables, FL. His name was Paul Perito who prides himself in doing procedures in under 20 minutes and I was only one of 12 implants he did that morning. Repeated attempts to contact him for help with dealing with the unsatisfactory result only resulted in placating responses to be patient and just keep pulling and inflating and my length would return. I finally gave up and went into a deep depression listening to my beloved wife cry herself to sleep every night for months knowing that our sex life was over. Well, after about 8 months of not knowing where to turn I contacted AMS and they turned me onto a great surgeon down in Daytona Beach, Fl. Martin Dineen who works very closely with his ED specialist in developing a new, soon to be published protocol that incorporates the use of a vacuum pump device for a minimum of 2 months to bring the penis back to it's original length. Now this regimen only serves to re lengthen the penis and does not promise to give you back all I lost in the first surgery but greatly enhances the final outcome. This guy categorically stated that I was the worst case of misizeing he had ever seen and promised to bring me back substantially closer to what I had to begin with. Unfortunately we kind of had a falling out of sorts that resulted in his refusal to do the surgery because of insurance problems but I later found out that my case was a little beyond his comfort level. Don't get me wrong here, this guy has a great reputation but found it difficult to deal with me due to my emotional state and insurance problems so he did me the greatest favor by referring me to a Dr. Steven K Wilson out in Indio, CA who, through very thourough research turnes out to be the most highly respected and accomplished implant revision surgeon there is. He has been practicing for over 30 years and has implanted more devices than anybody else in the world. I went to him with all my pictures and showed him what I could accomplish with the vacuum device and he agreed to take my case and agreed to implant an AMS 700 EX (formerly known as the ULTREX). Best move I've made in my adult life. He gave me an implant that was almost 4cm longer than the implant Perito gave me. The new device is a little more difficult to operate than the Coloplast but the trade off is more than well worth it. I'm now almost 4 3/4" long and about 15% greater in girth. I have to inflate twice a day and use the vacuum device once a day but all that is worth it to have a more normal sex life than I've ever had in my life. If anyone is looking to have this procedure done, Wilson is THE go to guy. He is expensive as he doesn't take any insurance and you have to file your own claim and hope for the best from your insurance company but trust me when I say it is worth every penny. I'll include some pictures of before and after to show you what I mean. I would love it if you could post this to your blog, I can't figure out how to post, hence this email.

Kindest regards,Courtney Hazelton

April 2007 post

Dear Readers:I've been corresponding with Beth & Court and they wish to share their experiences. Court received his first implant, in 2007. His doctor was Doctor Paul Perito from Coral Gables, Florida. Dr Perito performs hundreds of implants annually and is a highly skilled surgeon who does a lot implant surgery. Beth and Court are a loving couple who feel that having a full sex life is an important part of their marriage. It is the way men and women can express their love to each other and give of themselves. They, like my wife and I, have suffered with Erectile Dysfunction for many many years. After all the other treatment for ED failed them and us, we, both couples looked to penile implant surgery as the finale solution to fix that all important sexual part of our lives. But as we've found, some doctors view the surgery with higher expectations than what the majority of patients are going to achieve in real life. What both couples hope to achieve is for you the reader to learn from us. We want you going into the decision with a realistic knowledge of what an implant can acomplish and what are its limitations. No ED treatment up to this point is a full proof solution. I was told that I would not lose any length from erections with the implant. In reality, I'm about a 1/2 inch short in length, but the circumference of my penis has gained at least a 1/4 inch in girth. In time as I use the implant, things may change. Am I satisfied with my present results. My answer would be an unqualifying yes. Just understand going in, your result might be diferent than what your doctor may optimistically tell you. But do keep an open mind.Regards to all and thank you Court and Beth for your candor and help. As I've said before. I would like this blog to be a learning resource that tells it like it is. Please send me your stories and be honest. No bragging allowed and no flaming other posters.Thanks allBob

From: Badnessneeds@yahoo.com [mailto:badnessneeds@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 4:59 PMTo: Bob BaconSubject: Re: How is your husbands progress
Dear Bob,I'd be honored if you chose to cobble together some of the things I've written and put it up on your blog. It needn't be anonymous, I am not ashamed or feel uncomfortable discussing this subject from ANY angle. I'll discuss any aspect of this from the physical, the emotional, the roller coaster ride for the last 17 years that lead us here. I consider my husband (and you) to be the bravest, most committed guys I know. I could not conceive of a life that didn't include feeling my husband inside me - there is no substitute for making love with the person you love most and like best in the world. Nothing I've written is off limits. I wish we'd taken some photos of Courtney during all this, but it just never occurred to me. Last night, after a warming and massage, then a tugging and a pump-up of the device, I can say that Courtney has, in the last month, regained 1/4 of an inch (I only let him measure every few weeks, so as to avoid yet another dick obsession). It's not all of what he lost, but by the same token, let's get real - the pills didn't work, I couldn't find a tri-mix formulation that worked for more that a few minutes so "the old Courtney" lives on only in my memory. I was never going to get that back, so I might as well get over it and get creative (like smallish cock rings worn behind the head). This is what we have now, and a quarter inch beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, wouldn't you agree?By the way, Courtney learned that "come hither" trick with the finger a few years ago, too. What's so hilarious is that when he hits it, even if I am in the middle of a sentence, I just stop talking like a doll who's string finally wound all the way back in. We now refer to it as "that place that makes me go quiet".As for creating a place for people to go for information - all the shit the doctors just can't seem to bring themselves to get honest about - if you hadn't started your blog, we would have. We can find a plethora of guys who have either had the surgery just recently or are scheduled to have it shortly. What we need to do is encourage a mentorship program - guys who've lived and loved with hydraulics who can help when one of the newbies wants to jump off a bridge because he's left with a lot less than he remembers it being.... So let's keep going - we need to be the voices of sanity, advice and reason in the year to follow - that's where the internet is sorely lacking in resources. So why not have it be a group like us? We're significantly better educated on the subject than most. Courtney and I will help you and Ann in any way we can.Beth
Bob Bacon <mailto:bbacon15@centurytel.net:Beth:
Thank you for the email and for your frankness and no it doesn’t bother me at all. It’s refreshing. Ann and I aren’t supposed to do today what we did, but she couldn’t stand looking at my erection and having had to do without for 5 weeks, I let her climb aboard. It was wonderful. She had a very nice orgasm, but I got just a little sore and decided not to push my luck. I understand perfectly what you are saying. Ann my wife, loves having me curl my finger and give her a come hither with my finger over her g spot while performing oral. It drives her wild. I love your inventiveness and as I was reading your letter, I was thinking along the same lines as you came up with. The studded cock ring was ingenious. I wish you and Court the very best. Making love is the glue that keeps the marriage strong. I’m about a half inch short of what I had, but I know now that with what I have left that I still can do the job so I’m just going to try and take it in stride. I do have a quarter inch of thickness that I didn’t have before. I do wish that my surgery had occurred a week earlier than it did. This resort would make any couple feel pretty frisky. And without the kids around, no interruptions, it’s perfect. The weather is perfect and we’re going to watch the fireworks from our boat tonight. Coming down here, we got to within 20 minutes of the resort and the boat started feeling really different. I couldn’t stop as I was stuck in traffic in a hard poring rain. When we got to the resort, I checked my trailer and the right tire was completely worn out and all of the tread was gone. I’m glad it didn’t happen to me at 70 mph. It would be a lousy way to start a vacation after destroying a boat. One of the bearings disinagrated into little pieces inside the hub. I’ve got a new hub and bearings kit being Fed Ex’ed to me for two day delivery. We have met some really nice people here at the resort. Normally we come here over Labor Day weekend. But now my wife and I think we’re going to come down here 4th of July week as well. Friends of mine who retired to Florida keep wanting my wife and I to join them when we retire. That’s going to be quite a few years from now. We’re still kids. At least I still think so. Keep up working with Court, and he should be back to normal in no time. Like you said, I followed the same regimen that you folks followed. There’s a reason for nightly erections in men and it has to do with oxygenation of the tissues as well as keeping the tissue stretched out. One of the things I learned after I became a juvenile diabetic was to get ambitious, and really take good care of myself. Watching what I eat, exercise and monitoring my blood sugars closely. Even though I have kept good care of myself, the diabetes over time nicks you a little at a time. This implant is going to allow me to continue loving my best friend. Court is truly blessed with having you as his wife Beth. If you ever want to contribute anonymously and tell your story on the blog I’m keeping, I would appreciate it. I’m trying to help other couple learn from my experiences as well as from other men if I can. The doctors don’t tell the whole story. If I can obtain enough stories, I’d like to incorporate it into a web site of truthful information for men and their partner’s looking into penile implants, so that they can make an informed decision. Have a happy 4th of July.
RegardsBob

From: Badnessneeds@yahoo.com [mailto:badnessneeds@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 2:29 PMTo: Bob BaconSubject: Re: How is your husbands progress
Dear Bob,Yeah, our surgeon told us the same thing, that we shouldn't lose any length because whether it was only 3 minutes from a shot of tri-mix or using the vacuum pump, I never let Courtney go more than a few days without an erection, no matter how brief. He was 5 inches to start - perfect for me. Courtney had testicular seminoma (it left a perfect place to put the pump!). It's not just the loss of length - that really is not the issue for me. A couple of years ago, I started becoming more interested in developing the sensitivity of my g-spot. I'd had occasional instances of mind-blowing orgasms and it took me a little while to put A with B. After that, I bought a few books on the subject, and started (with Courtney's blessing and assistance) to develop better control, to learn to "listen" to just the signals my g-spot was sending and how to use my muscles to bring my g-spot more into play during intercourse. It didn't take long to realize the coronal ring of the glans penis was the lynchpin to involving my g-spot. So for me, I wasn't solely upset by the loss of that inch - I was devastated at the loss of the engorgement of the glans. Since you mentioned that you and you wife had played around a bit, I'm sure you also know that above the ring of opening muscles, the tissues of the vagina do not perceive stimulation the same way as do the skin on your arm, or the tip of your nose. It's very difficult to describe, but pressure seems to be the most important stimulus. So when I would squeeze my muscles to bring Courtney's glans into hard contact with my g-spot, nothing happened. I could squeeze him and feel absolutely nothing up there. I felt him perfectly but only at the opening ring of muscles. I was devastated. I didn't know if I could go back to an orgasm that relied solely on my clitoris again, after everything Courtney and I had worked so diligently to learn about those bundles of nerves I'd recently discovered.Day before yesterday, I came up with an idea on my way home from work and I text messaged Court and asked him what he thought and he (of course) said "Do it!" I stopped by an adult shop near our home and looked at all the different cock rings. I knew that I didn't want to use a cock ring at the base of his penis, but I found one company that makes very stretchy silicone rings with small balls embedded in them and one of them was small enough to fit just behind the glans penis. Filled with trepidation, we gave it a try. It was just enough to scrape my g-spot and was the right size that not only did it not move or come off, it did not prevent Courtney from ejaculating. So at least for the nonce, we may have found a solution to helping me "feel" my husband deep inside me again.We have decided that we will continue our regimen until at least this autumn: we have a buckwheat neck ring that can be heated in the microwave, so we start with 10 minutes of warmth, then I massage the whole area, including perineum using both lotioned hands and a Hitachi-style massage wand for about 10-15 minutes. I follow that with hot wet compresses, mopping up the excess lotion, dry him off and while I re-heat his buckwheat ring, Courtney does his tugging exercises. He says they seem to be much more effective now that he's changed his style a bit. He makes sure he has a good grasp on not just the skin, but the implant too, bringing it down as far into the penis as safely as possible.I know I got kind of graphic on all this - if that bothers you, I apologize in advance. But I can't possibly be the only woman on the planet to feel like this, to mourn this loss, to become very inventive in seeking solutions (and occasionally crying in my coffee).
Courtney has his surgery done by Paul Perito at Coral Gables Hospital– the man responsible for about 50% of the implants done in the US and the golden boy of Coloplast. He did not address the loss of length in advance, and for that I am angry – but because, like you, Courtney was sexually active right up until his surgery, he says we have ever reasonable expectation to regain the length that’s been lost. In my reading, I found one interesting thing – did you know that the European Union’s version of the AMA published a position paper stating that all penile implant recipients should be counseled extensively regarding the loss of length associated with receiving an implant? Interesting, huh?
Have a wonderful vacation – we’re just hangin’ around the shanty, watching movies and writing letters to friends, as I am doing now. Please give our best wishes to your wife.Beth (and Courtney – I read this to him before I hit the SEND button!)Beth Crosby & Courtney Hazelton
Bob Bacon <mailto:bbacon15@centurytel.net:
Beth &Court:I've been watching your posts and really feel your pain. To have your hopes demolished like you have is very difficult. I have been in contact withDan J and we've been corresponding back andforth. He to has lost several inches in length.Dan had a radical Prostatectomy last year and was rendered impotent as a result. I jumped my doctor about why where men who had a prostatectomy losing so much length with the implant. I understand about the loss in length that the prostate covers. Most prostates are like a large egg in shape and size, and the ureter passes through the prostate almost through the longest portion of the prostate. I worked 17 years in clinical pathology and I would receive the specimens from the operating room.weI would do a description of the specimen and then dissect the specimen for further study under the microscope after processing. So I asked my doctor if this was the reason for the loss and he told me no. He told me that doctors really don't know why one in three patients who have loss their prostate, experience significant loss in length. I told him about my blog and the Yahoo penile implants site and it seemed that people who had loss in length and were upset because no one had informed them exactly what to expect. That the doctors had toldthem to expect the best possible outcomes and just barely mentioned to them what the worst outcome would be. When I talked to him about what I should expect, he told me that I shouldn't expect to lose any length at all. That I may gain some length because I had been experiencing sexual relations up to my day of surgery. From what I have heard and read, just about everyone loses a little from the head of the penis because the head of the penis doesn't become engorged with blood,so that's at least a quarter to a half an inch of lose in length. I just started inflating my implant and I have gained a quarter inch in the girth but have lost almost a half inch in length. Dan has had significant loss of a couple inches.You folks have also lost significant length to the point of it having a significant effect on you both enjoying sexual relations. I really feel that my doctor would not have been up front with me either if I had lost my prostate and then opted for an implant. My doctor explained to me that they resect the bladder and reattach the bladder lower in the abdomen to regain the lost space where the prostate covered previously. After giving it much thought, I wonder if the internal organs don't push the bladder back up into the abdomen pulling back on the urethra and pulling the penis back into the body causing a lost of length that is in reality inside the man's body instead of outside. That is my best guestimate of the causer of Court's and Dan's lose of length. That lost length is somewhere. The penis doesn't just shortened or gain in length. It's fixed during puberty for the length a man will have forthe rest of his life. You and Court have something really special together just as my wife and I share. People have some really goofy ideas about what pleases a women. After a whole lot of study, the average length of a man's penis is 5.1inches. In playing around, my wife and I know that the depth of her vagina is 5 and a half inches deep. And yes, the vagina may stretch to accommodate something longer, each women is different just as we guys are different. When you both fit perfectly together, nothing can bebetter. Beth, did Court have his surgery at UniversityHospital in Iowa City? If not, you might want to set up an appointment there with a Urologist to see what options can be done for restoring Court's length. Like I said, Court's loss in length didn't disappear into thin air. It's hiding somewhere. I once applied there and was made an offer at the same time as the University ofMissouri and that was back when Iowa was being hit hard by the farm crisis and the state froze salaries across the board. I was given a tour ofthe hospital and it's an impressive hospital.. My wife and I are on vacation this week. We're just outside of Branson Missouri vacationing on Table Rock Lake and just enjoying each other. We're at the 5 week point in my recovery so we're just enjoying each other in other ways. Please stay in touch, and email Daniel at: (omitted) and you will find him to have a great outlook on life and very easy to correspond with.
Sincerely yours,Bob Baconmailto:BaconBbacon15@yahoo.com

Folks:

In August 2007, I introduced to you a gentlemen by the name of Court and his wife Beth. I copied his story at the bottom of this post. Court had implant surgery by Dr Perito in Coral Gables, Florida and had an awful result as a result. My opinion was that Dr Perito screwed up Court's surgery and mis-sized Court resulting in his losing over 20 % of his length. Dr Perito blew Court off and refused to help him. He implanted a Coloplast implant in Court. Folks, Court has contacted me and has had a new implant surgically implanted and the news looks much better than it did over a year ago. Please read Court's story because if you are a man who has a similae result like Court has, this story will give you hope. Folks, here is Court's story:



Dear Bob,
I don't know if you remember me or not, my Name is Courtney Hazelton and I used to post to your blog about a year or so ago with tales of woe about a botched implant that left me with a 3 1/2" erection, if you can call it that. The implanted rods only extended about 2/3 of what was left of my penis causing a hinging effect that made intercourse basically impossible for over a year. I was a Coloplast titan 3 piece done by a real cowboy of a surgeon down in Coral Gables, FL. His name was Paul Perito who prides himself in doing procedures in under 20 minutes and I was only one of 12 implants he did that morning. Repeated attempts to contact him for help with dealing with the unsatisfactory result only resulted in placating responses to be patient and just keep pulling and inflating and my length would return. I finally gave up and went into a deep depression listening to my beloved wife cry herself to sleep every night for months knowing that our sex life was over. Well, after about 8 months of not knowing where to turn I contacted AMS and they turned me onto a great surgeon down in Daytona Beach, Fl. Martin Dineen who works very closely with his ED specialist in developing a new, soon to be published protocol that incorporates the use of a vacuum pump device for a minimum of 2 months to bring the penis back to it's original length. Now this regimen only serves to re lengthen the penis and does not promise to give you back all I lost in the first surgery but greatly enhances the final outcome. This guy categorically stated that I was the worst case of misizeing he had ever seen and promised to bring me back substantially closer to what I had to begin with. Unfortunately we kind of had a falling out of sorts that resulted in his refusal to do the surgery because of insurance problems but I later found out that my case was a little beyond his comfort level. Don't get me wrong here, this guy has a great reputation but found it difficult to deal with me due to my emotional state and insurance problems so he did me the greatest favor by referring me to a Dr. Steven K Wilson out in Indio, CA who, through very thourough research turnes out to be the most highly respected and accomplished implant revision surgeon there is. He has been practicing for over 30 years and has implanted more devices than anybody else in the world. I went to him with all my pictures and showed him what I could accomplish with the vacuum device and he agreed to take my case and agreed to implant an AMS 700 EX (formerly known as the ULTREX). Best move I've made in my adult life. He gave me an implant that was almost 4cm longer than the implant Perito gave me. The new device is a little more difficult to operate than the Coloplast but the trade off is more than well worth it. I'm now almost 4 3/4" long and about 15% greater in girth. I have to inflate twice a day and use the vacuum device once a day but all that is worth it to have a more normal sex life than I've ever had in my life. If anyone is looking to have this procedure done, Wilson is THE go to guy. He is expensive as he doesn't take any insurance and you have to file your own claim and hope for the best from your insurance company but trust me when I say it is worth every penny. I'll include some pictures of before and after to show you what I mean. I would love it if you could post this to your blog, I can't figure out how to post, hence this email.

Kindest regards,
Courtney Hazelton







This is a message from Court H who had his implant procedure back in April 07. Court has his implant procedure performed by Dr Perito, a world renown implant surgeon who practices in Coral Gables, Florida. Dr Perito performs hundreds of implants a year. Court and his wife Beth have allowed me to include previous posts on my blog.

Well, it's been since April 26 th since I had my implant. My initial
reaction was not good. I was not prepared by my surgeon for the initial
loss of an inch of length and the loss of the rigidity of the glans. So,
effectively, I really lost an inch and a half of effective erectile tissue.
My initial reaction was great dismay at the loss of length and finding out
that the loss of the rigidity of the glans left my wife feeling like I
wasn't effectively making contact with the roof of her vagina and therefore
she couldn't feel me inside her anymore was depressing to say the least. I
sent several emails to my surgeon explaining the situation to him and he
assured me that, in time, some of my length would return did give me reason
for hope. He suggested daily genital massage, which my wife without fail,
performs nightly for about 10-15 minutes and a regimen of cycling the device
5-6 times a day, keeping the erection for about 2-3 minutes per cycle would
provide us with our maximum outcome. I have regained about a quarter of an
inch of length so some improvement has been seen. As far as the loss of
firmness of the glans is concerned, my wife came up with a fantastic idea.
We bought the smallest silicone beaded cock ring we could find and placing
it directly behind he ridge of the glans does give a little rigidity back to
the glans but most importantly gives back the sensation of ring of the glans
making contact with her G spot.
One thing I want to stress to anyone considering this procedure, discuss
with the surgeon who will be performing the procedure the potential loss of
length and have them perform a stretch test to see what you are actually
able to achieve. I have been in contact on other forums with others who
have had this procedure for a variety of reasons, prostatectomy, extreme
vascular degeneration and severe diabetes among other reasons and the
majority of them were not prepared adequately by their surgeons for the loss
of length and rigidity of the glans. Some have reported getting goodly
amounts of their length back, some have not. I'm not trying to pour cold
water on anyone considering this procedure I just want each of you who are
considering this procedure to make as informed a decision as possible.
My wife and I are learning how to make love to each other, to a degree, all
over again and we are having success and I do see a bright future ahead so
it was worth it even with the initial shocks and adjustments. I hope I have
made a positive contribution to this board and will continue to post as time
goes on.
Best wishes to all of you,
Court182

Peyronies, Perforation, and Determination

Dear Readers:

This next gentlemen that I would like to introduce to you is Jack, Jack has been through a lot to resotore his sexuality with his loving wife. More than most of us could imagine. Jack has been battleing Peyronies Desease within his penis. For those of you who are not familiar with Peyronies, its scar tissue formation within the corpora of a man's penis. It destroys the interworking of the penis to become engorged with blood. During Jack's first implant surgery, his surgeon, in trying to push a channel through his corpora spongeosum, perforated through his urethra. This surgeon had the good sense to stop the implant surgery. In between the 1st implant surgery and the second upcoming implant surgery, Jack undersent back surgery. Jack in the meantime, researched urological surgeons and surgical centers for a doctor who could complete this more difficult implant surgery. Jack is now ready to try again to have implant surgery. Here is Jacks story. Jack plans to add more of his experiences as they occur.

Vanderbilt 7.25.08

7/25/08 Vanderbilt Hospital, Nashville TN a 3.5 hour drive from home. Driving instructions put me right in the hospital. Checked in at the Urology Center was greeted promptly and finished filling out paper work.
In the exam room I met Todd Doran PA-C for Dr. Douglas Milam. We went over my history and he answered most of my questions before I could ask. He explained that they use the AMS 700 LGX and use the pubical approach. He did an exam of my penis and said everything looked good for surgery.
After the exam by Doran Dr. Milam came in and introduced himself. We talked about my history and what to expect and not to expect from the implant. I asked about the other models of the AMS 700 and he said they only use the AMS 700 LGX and are in the process of publishing a paper next year to get all doctors using the LGX. He explained that the surgery was 75 minutes and I would only be in the hospital over night.
Dr. Milam did a stretch test on my penis and showed me how much erection I would have. He explained that because of the Peronies Scar the penis would only stretch so far. I estimate I will end up with approximately 4 inches and normal girth. This is down from the 5.5 inches before Peronies. I told Dr. Milam that so long as I have a useable erection that is OK. He wanted me to know what to expect and that would be all I could get back. (Note: My wife and I already knew that I could not gain back the size before Peronies. She explained to me that women are more interested in girth than length and that most of the feeling during sex come from girth.). Dr. Milam also said to continue daily use of the VED for exercise and that it would help the outcome, but to be careful not to hurt or bruise my penis and to stop the day before surgery.
Dr. Milam explained that I would see Todd Doran PA-C most of the time but he would do the actual surgery and would be available if needed. Post op will be in two weeks 8/27/08 with Doran and again in six weeks. No sex for six weeks until Doran teaches me how to use the implant. The final Post Op will be with Dr. Milam in 3 months.
Dr. Milam said he had never punctured a urethra and had seen only one other. He assured me that he would take all precautions to make sure the urethra was not punctured and I would have a successful outcome. He said the only complication he could think of was if they could not get a Foley Catheter in because of the previous urethra puncture. I told Dr. Milam I had a catheter with back surgery in January and he said everything should be fine.
After the exam with Dr. Milam I had to empty my bladder for a bladder scan and then to the Nurses office to schedule my appointments and get pre op and post op instructions. Then down to the lab for blood work and anesthesia work up.
I arrived at the parking garage at 12:45 and was on my way home before 4:30. Wait time was a minimum from other experiences and the staff was all professional and I was generally impressed that these people know what they are doing and how to do it.

Dan's Story From Baltimore

Dear Readers

I'd like to introduce to you, a gentleman who hails from Baltimore and has generously submitted his story to share with everyone who reads this blog site. This guys name is Dan, and Dan is like many men who find this site. He was looking for answers to help with his decision of whether to have or not have penile implant surgery. Obviously, he opted for surgery and would like to tell you about his experiences. Folks here is Dan.

Hello Bob -

After reading your blog for about a year I finally decided to take the plunge. I'd like to share my experience if you think others might benefit. I have read alt.support.impotence for several years, but never found much information there that was helpful to me. If you want to use my story, please sign it "Dan from Baltimore" and omit my email address - I prefer to remain anonymous in these days of instant publicity via Internet.

I'm 64 and diabetic. I had a stroke 13 years ago, and my adventures with ED began shortly thereafter. I had satisfactory results with Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra for several years, but about five years ago they began to lose effect and I sought other solutions. I also developed a fairly severe case of Peyronie's about that time as well, and the combination of existing ED and Peyronies put an end to my sex life. We tried injections (Caverject, trimix) but they provided no effect at all; we also tried the pump, but I didn't like it much and my wife HATED it. She said that if that's the best we can do we might as well just give it up.

I was well aware of implant therapy all along, but the thought of surgery was daunting and the fact there is no turning back was frightening. That said, I missed intimacy so much that I finally decided to look into an implant. I got a referral from my PCP to Dr. Andrew Kramer at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He came highly recommended and has performed over a thousand implants. This is not the sort of thing you would want a beginner doing!

During the weeks leading up to my surgery I changed my mind about a dozen times, but in the end I took a deep breath, got in the car with my wife, and drove to UMMC. I was calmer about the procedure after I got there than I had been during any of the preceding days. We went to the Ambulatory Surgery Center where I was efficiently signed in. Before long I was wheeled into the operating room, and a short time later I woke up in recovery. Recovery from general anesthesia was not pleasant, but at least I didn't suffer any significant nausea. I was kept overnight and administered large doses of antibiotics. Between nurse visits and a neighbor in the next room who was flushing a very loud toilet literally every 15 minutes, I didn't get much sleep, but did not suffer too much discomfort - just some generalized aching in the pelvic region. The catheter was extremely annoying, however, and I was relieved to have it removed the next morning, when I was released.

So far, I have a fair amount of discomfort but am managing the best I can with Tylenol. Most of the stronger stuff makes me sick, and I'd much rather have a little pain than a lot of nausea. The catheter traumatized my urethra, so urinating is a little uncomfortable, but it's slowly getting better. I cannot sit in a chair, but have found that I can get fairly comfortable in my recliner - getting in and out is painful, but once settled I'm doing ok. I'm using an ice bag to cool the area, which is also helpful.

I developed a swelling on day two on the underside of my penis, near the head. I called the doctor, who believes it is a normal consequence of trauma, probably of no concern, and should clear up in a few days.

I have a follow-up appointment with my doc in two weeks, and we'll see how I'm doing then.

If you like, I'll send a couple of follow-up posts over the next month or so.

Your blog was key in my decision to go ahead with surgery - thanks for putting it up!

Cheers
"Dan from Baltimore"


Dan from Baltimore: Report from Week 2

My surgery was on June 11; today is June 26 and here's where I am now.

The past two weeks have been a blur of constant discomfort and not much sleep, but with gradual improvement daily. My airway remained irritated from the breathing tube for about 5 days, and then returned to normal. Urination remained painful for about the same period due to the catheter, but it returned to normal after a few days

I have not been able to get comfortable in bed, so have been sleeping and spending a lot of down time in my recliner, which allows me to distribute my weight away from the groin area, and also to keep an ice pack in place easily.

I also cannot drive comfortably, nor can I sit at a desk, so I have not been working. Because I don't tolerate narcotics and other strong pain killers very well I have been using 1000 mg Tylenol every 4-6 hours, plus an ice bag at every possible opportunity. I have taken off two weeks from work to recover - I plan to return on June 30 if I continue to heal at the current rate.

After 15 days the swelling is gone, and I experienced no bruising at all. I am more mobile: standing and walking are slightly painful, and sitting is still difficult, but all of this is getting better.

My doc left the implant inflated to about half-mast at the time of surgery, and I will be seeing him next week. The semi-erection is somewhat uncomfortable - bending my penis is a little painful, but as far as I can tell my sensitivity is no different than before the surgery. I am waiting to see what arousal is like with a mechanical rather than organic erection. Others tell me it is no different, but I'll have to see that to believe it.

As far as I can tell, I didn't lose much if any length as a result of the operation (a good thing, since I didn't have that much to work with in the first place), and the girth is a little greater. Time will tell...

My urologist elected to use the Coloplast (Mentor) 3-piece Titan implant. He has done hundreds of AMS and hundreds of Coloplast and believes Coloplast has a slight edge in material quality and pump reliability, but gave me the option of whichever I preferred. I deferred to his judgment, since my experience with these is precisely zero units, compared with his 1,000 +.

I remain optimistic - or at least hopeful - that, once healed, this all will have been worth the pain. Even so, I have had a few "what have I done?" moments.

Bottom line: expect a couple of weeks' healing time, with ups and downs along the way.

I will report back in a few more weeks when I am finally healed and able to embark on my shakedown cruise.

Cheers
Dan from Baltimore

Dan from Baltimore - report from week 3

Yesterday (7/3/08) marked the end of my third week of healing and my first post-op visit with my surgeon. He was very pleased with my progress and predicted great results when I'm fully healed, which he estimates at about another 3 weeks. I have no bruising, and my swelling is nearly gone - still some edema around the pump, which is apparently not unusual. I still have some aching in the scrotum due to the pump, but am managing with Tylenol and ice. It's getting better by the day: I can now sit and drive fairly comfortably (but with some squirming around) and was able to return to work half time on 6/30. I will resume full time work on 7/7.

Three pieces of good news from the appointment: 1) my implant had been at half-mast since the surgery and was becoming quite sensitive from rubbing against clothing and sore due to stiffness - he fully deflated me and I have been MUCH more comfortable; 2) the surgery and implant have corrected my Peyronies completely - hardly a hint of a bend (I had a severe bend near the glans, which together with ED made penetration impossible); and 3) he believes I will be able to put my rebuilt equipment to use after my next appointment on 7/24, a date I have marked prominently on my calendar!

I will post again at the end of the month. Cheers to all.

Dan from Baltimore

7/26/08

I had an appointment with my surgeon on 7/24, which marked week 6 since my surgery. He examined everything thoroughly and declared me to be almost fully healed*. He said (hooray!) I should expect to see up to 1" increase in length over the next year, as well as increased girth, resulting from stretching of the implant. He demonstrated how to inflate and deflate the device and verified that I could do it myself. It's pretty easy, but the deflation valve is much stiffer and harder to operate than I would have thought. The doc says it will become easier over time.

*Almost fully healed: all of the internal workings (pump, cylinders, reservoir) are completely healed and entirely comfortable - I no longer even notice that they are there. However, the incision in my scrotum, while healed internally, is being very slow to close externally. The margins of the wound keep separating and the incision oozes fluid constantly - I'm wearing panty liners in my Jockey shorts. My surgeon says there is no sign of infection, and that the incision "should" heal normally "in a little more time." I keep the area clean and dry, and keep a close eye on things, but I see no progress from day to day. On the theory that the scrotum is quite unstable and that the incision is subject to a lot of stretching, motion, and stress during normal movement (especially sitting), my wife (a nurse) and I applied some Steri-strips this morning to see if stabilizing the area would help. Time will tell.

In any case, even though my implant is fully healed and ready for use, I can't proceed until the incision heals. I'll post again when that day finally comes. I'll include a couple of before and after photos showing near perfect correction of the Peyronie's.

Cheers to all

Dan