penile implants

I visited my Urologist yesterday (Dr Weinstine) to discuss being implanted with a penile prosthesis. A little bit about me. I'm 52 years young, a juvenile diabetic since age 31 and have been been diagnosed as having erectile dysfunction for the past 13 years. I've also been married for 26 years to a very understanding and wonderful wife who just had open heart surgery March 30th of this year. I've tried vacuum pumps (hated them), viagra and cialis and have used injections for thirteen years with pretty good success. My wife loves the erections I had from bimix or trimix in that even after ejaculation, I remained hard for about two hours. Why am I considering an implant at this time? My penis is showing signs of fibrosis or scarring from the shots and the shots are loosing their effectiveness. The implants are considered the last resort in that there is no going back to anything else. The implants destroy the tissue in the Corpora Cavernosa which is what fills with blood. I've done a ton of research and have worked previously in PATHOLOGY and have examined numerous explanted devices that failed in patients for one reason or another. But I'm still a little undecided on which implant I want to have implanted. I thought I wanted the AMS 700 Ultrex which is a 3 piece device that expands to increase length and girth somewhat, but there is a 4 % failure or infection rate that requires removal of the device in the first 48 months. My urologist also showed me the AMS Ambicor two piece device and also told me about an article in the January issue of the Journal of Urology. This devise has less than a 2 % failure or infection rate over 48 months as well as a high satisfaction rate among users and their spouses or partners. I need to make up my mind by Monday which is two days away. I also am hoping to have the surgery on May 29th. I plan to keep this blog over the next six month to a year so that others can read about my experiences and can email me with questions. Having this surgery is a scarry situation. I know that I will have significantly more pain following this surgery than I had with my vasectomy. The same surgeon\urologist who did my vasectomy 20 years ago will do my implant as well. A very skilled doctor at University Hospital in Columbia, Mo. Some of my concerns are the same as other men have. Size and width following the surgery. I have a 5.5 inch erection with a 5.5 inch circumference when erect which fits my wife like a glove. So we are very compatible sexually. These devices don't last a lifetime and do fail after time. They have an estimated 10 year lifespan. The Ambicor device is very easy to pump up, has a smaller pump placed in the scotum, and is easier to implant for the surgeon. The satisfaction level with this device is very high and it is simple to use. it only requires 3 to 5 pumps to obtain a satisfactory erection and is very durable. On the other hand, a significant number of men report a loss in size with implants, especially men who have had prostate removal. The Ultrex allows for expansion in girth and length. Some men reported thicker erections and longer erections with the Ultrex. The Pump in the scrotum is larger and a little more complex to use. Also, the reservoir is implanted within the body in the lower abdomen. And the reservoir has to be connected to the pump and filled with saline which increases the risk of infection. AMS has coated the Ultrex with antibiotic to reduce the infection rate. The Ambicor comes from AMS presealed with a saline supply and is simpler and easier to implant so that is an important consideration. Guess I had better get back to my research.