Penile prosthesis saves the sex life of men whom erectile dysfunction drugs do not help

The occasion for this summary was the 47th Scientific Congress of the Polish Urological Association, which began on Monday and continues until Wednesday, attended by the best Poland and foreign experts in the field of urology.

The first implantation of the three-part hydraulic penile prosthesis penis was performed by a team of specialists from the Urology Clinic of the Medical University of Silesia in March 2013. The youngest of the 16 men who underwent the procedure to date was over 30 years old, the oldest - over 70.

"None of those patients who have had the surgery have any doubts that their lives have changed for the better" -told PAP Prof. Andrzej Paradysz.

The prosthesis consists of three parts: cylinders that are implanted into the erection chambers of the penis, a pump placed in the scrotum, and a reservoir placed in the abdomen which stores the fluid. After the surgery, only a barely visible scar on the scrotum remains.

"The principle of operation is that if a man wants to have an intercourse and his partner is also ready for it, he presses the pump several times in the scrotum through the skin and fluid from the reservoir in the abdomen flows to the cylinders in the erection chambers. An erection occurs that can last as long as the patient and his partner wish. There is a normal ejaculation and a normal orgasm" - explained Dr. Marcin Życzkowski.

"This is an effective solution, especially valuable for young people, for whom inability to have an intercourse is a tragedy. Of course, it is used after exhausting all other possibilities. It is a surgical procedure. As any such procedure, it may involve such problems as complications and damage to the mechanism itself, because it is a mechanical device that can fail" - said Prof. Paradysz.

In his opinion, the demand for such treatment in Poland is large. "There are a whole group of people with disabilities, people who have sustained an injury, who want to live normally, participate in all possible options, including sexual life. It is also an option for them, although a different type of prosthesis might be necessary" - he said.

Erectile dysfunction is a permanent inability to achieve or maintain penile erection, which would allow to have a satisfactory sexual intercourse. According to various estimates, erectile dysfunction may affect 2 to 4 million Poles.

Erectile dysfunction is often the first sign of a disease, such as atherosclerosis. Its possible causes also include urological disorders, hormonal disorders and very often - hypertension and diabetes. (PAP)

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