According to World Health Organization (WHO), erectile dysfunction affects more than 50% of the male population at different levels of intensity above 50 years.
It is a disorder in which the man does not get a erection sufficient, which makes penetration difficult and therefore get a satisfactory sexual relationship.
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From the Spanish Association of Urology (AEU) point out that the most common causes of this pathology are vascular causes.
“The penis is an organ with a tremendous vascularization, not in vain the corpora cavernosa are two cylinders responsible for erection and are nothing more than two spaces that fill with blood to have an erection and then empty when it is lost”, the experts explain.
These vascular problems have their origin in different factors as pointed out from the AEU:
- Age.
- Associated diseases such as diabetes, hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases.
- Peyronie’s disease “causes the penis to curvature due to fibrous plaques that form in the albuginea of the corpus cavernosum, which causes it to curve when having an erection. At the same time, and in these plaques, there is a leak of blood from the penis that makes the erection not be able to be maintained ”, the urologists explain.
- Previous surgeries, mainly those derived from prostate cancer.
- Genetic factors.
- Other causes such as certain drugs, psychiatric illnesses or trauma.
There are different ways to treat this problem such as modifying lifestyle habits such as exercising, making changes to diet or taking drugs, either oral or injected medication into the penis.
And when all this fails, that’s when you can opt for the penile implants.
The penile or penile prostheses are devices placed inside the penis to allow men with erectile dysfunction to regain their sexual functionalityl, that is, have an erection.
There are two main types of implants, semi-rigid and inflatable. Although each type of penile implant works differently and has different characteristics, three-component hydraulic prostheses are the most common.
As explained by the doctor Enrique Lledó, urologist specializing in Andrology and Urethro-genital Reconstructive Surgery and head of the Urology Service of the Hospital Vithas Madrid La Milagrosa and Vithas Madrid Arturo Soria, this type of implant offers the best quality of rigidity, efficacy and comfort in sexual intercourse for the patient and the couple and allows them to regain autonomy to be able to maintain satisfactory sexual relations.
“In most of the studies, the ones that provide the highest degree of satisfaction are hydraulics or three-component inflatables,” says the specialist.
What is a hydraulic prosthesis?
As detailed by Dr. Lledó, in three-component hydraulic prosthesis surgery, two paired cylinders are inserted into the corpora cavernosa of the penis, a pump in the scrotum, and a fluid-filled reservoir in the abdomen.
“When the patient wants to have sexual intercourse, he proceeds to activate the device by intermittent pulsation of the pump. This draws fluid from the reservoir into the cylinders, stiffening the penis. A small button independent of the pump and easily located by the patient, when pressed makes the liquid flow in reverse, the liquid returns from the cylinders to the reservoir and the penis becomes flaccid. It is a hydraulic, positive pressure and negative pressure mechanism. It is always the same for both filling and emptying “, he concludes Enrique Lledo.
In addition to the implantation of the hydraulic device, the urologist emphasizes the importance of explanations to the patient and his partner before the intervention.
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Providing all the information on this mechanism is essential, so that the patient’s expectations are objective, and should be complemented with continuous postoperative care, to resolve the doubts and queries of the patient who has already been operated on.
This work system allows to obtain the best results.
«It is also very important to remind the patient and his partner that the sensitivity remains the same, as does the desire. All we do is continue to maintain the quality of sexual life in someone who has undergone surgery, has a disease or diabetes, which prevents him from having spontaneous erections “, the specialist details.
Finally, Dr. Lledó highlights another relevant issue to take into account and that is that the penile implant is not perceptible to the naked eye and the duration of the prosthesis is not infinite, “it has a half-life of between 12 and 14 years.”