A penis prosthetic is a form of surgical treatment for men who suffer from erectile dysfunction. Men who suffer from erectile dysfunction usually resort to medications as the first option. When medical therapy no longer works, a surgical procedure can be performed to insert a penis prosthetic that allows the man to remain sexually active.
Erectile dysfunction used to be considered a mental disorder, and treatment was rare. By the early 1970s, erectile dysfunction surgery began when an inflatable penis prosthetic was developed by two men, F. B. Scott and W. E. Bradley. Early surgeries were plagued with failure, necessitating more surgeries to correct the problems. Urologists later discovered they had the ability to implant semi-rigid rods into the penis, and so further research and development continued.
Men can now choose between two penis prosthetics, an inflatable prosthetic or a malleable prosthetic. Both procedures have to be performed surgically. The malleable prosthetic consists of two flexible rods that are inserted in the penile erectile chambers. This sort of penis prosthetic causes the penis to remain semi-rigid at all times. The penis simply should be adjusted or lifted, and put into place to perform sexual intercourse.
The inflatable prosthetic is more commonly chosen by men. With this procedure, two cylinders are placed inside the penis. Tubing is then connected to a fluid reservoir that is implanted under the groin muscles. A pump is placed under the scrotal tissue and connected to the tubing.
This type of penis prosthetic allows a man to feel more natural by being able to control when and where he wants his penis erect. By pressing the pump, fluid is transferred into the cylinders inside the penis, producing an erection. Once the erect penis is no longer needed, the man then presses a different valve on the pump. Fluid is thereby moved back to the holding chamber, and the penis returns to its normal state.
There is usually no visible scarring to the penis after an implantation procedure has been done, other than a single tiny incision. The ability to orgasm is not affected and ejaculation remains normal. The feelings in and around the penis usually stays the same as well. However, once a penis prosthetic has been implanted, the man is no longer able to achieve an erection naturally.