You can find the anatomy of the penis, the mechanism by which the erection occurs, the causes of erectile dysfunction, and types of treatment under the heading of ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION (ERECTION PROBLEMS) on our site. To prevent repetition, it is not stated here. This article will include in-depth information on penile implants.
What is the Penile Implant (Happiness Stick) for?
The penis, which is a male sexual organ, has a body, glans, and skin covering it. A thick, elastic membrane lies underneath the skin, shielding the internal structures. On the inside of the penis, there are 3 structures similar to pipes or long tubes. The lower part of them (the long line facing the testicles) is a spongy structure that serves as a canal for the discharge of urine and semen. This canal opens to the prostate and then to the bladder. Two more tubes are mounted side by side on top of this tube. These have a rich-blood vessel structure. During an erection (hard-on), the blood flow from these vessels increases rapidly and these tubes fill with blood. The mouths of the vessels carrying the blood back are closed at this moment, trapping the blood in these channels, which inflate like balloons with blood and therefore provide erection.
In patients with erectile dysfunction, regardless of the reason, sufficient blood cannot accumulate in these tubes and there is no hardness to have sexual intercourse. The working principle of the implant is to fill these tubes. Both a rigid body (one-piece implant) and an inflatable balloon are placed in these tubes, thus achieving the desired hardness in the penis.
Who is the Penile Implant (Happiness Stick) for?
- Patients with erectile dysfunction
- who do not have a psychological explanation for their erection issues
- Patients who do not benefit from drug or similar treatments
- Patients who do not want to use medication
- Patients with inability to use drugs (due to allergy, side effects, etc.)
- People who have cultural knowledge and manual skills to use the implant
- For patients who do not have a psychiatric illness that prevents them from using implant
- Which patients are not eligible for the Penile Implant (Happiness Stick)?
Implant surgery is not performed on patients who have a condition that prevents surgery and patients with one of the above conditions. Patients on blood thinners should be monitored by the doctor who prescribed them (Cardiology, Neurology, or Neurosurgery), and the implant can be inserted after the medications are stopped.
Are there types of Penile Implant (Happiness Stick)?
There are 3 types of penile implants and can be attached to patients.
- a) One-piece penile implant: These types of implants are called flexible implants. A rigid pair of sticks are inserted into the penis. Following the recovery, the patient straightens the penis while having intercourse, and after the intercourse, the penis can be bent and the underwear can be dressed.
- b) Two-piece penile implant: It is an inflatable penile implant. Two inflatable balloons are placed inside the tubes in the penis. There is a water pump attached to the end of these balloons. This pump is placed in the yolk sac next to the testicles in a way that is not visible from the outside. When the patient will have intercourse, he performs the penis erection by pressing this pump. At the end of the intercourse, it makes the penis normal with the help of the pump.
- c) Three-piece penile implant: This is also an inflatable implant type. The difference of this from the two-piece is that the water reservoir is placed next to the urinary bladder under the belly, not the yolk sac. Water is transported from this reservoir to the balloon inside the penis through a mechanism with a button located next to the testicles. Patient comfort is better because the mechanism located next to the testicle is smaller than the two-piece.
How to insert the Penile Implant (Happiness Stick) (how is the operation performed)?
The initial stage of penile implant surgery is the same for all three types of prosthesis. Incisions can be made in several different places; 1- An incision of approximately 5-6 cm from the junction of the penis and testicles, 2- an incision of 5-6 cm from the junction of the underbelly skin with the penis from the upper part of the penis facing the navel, 3- an incision of 3-4 cm from the face of the penis facing the testicle in the middle of the penis (for one-piece implant).
After this incision is made, the membrane on the two adjacent tubes (cavernous body) is exposed without damaging the urethra, which is the urinary canal. The membrane on both sides of the tube is cut to around 1.5 cm, and the inside of the tube is prepared for the implant to be inserted. At this stage, the structures (veins and curtains) inside the tube are cleaned using some expander tools and turned into an empty tube. If a one-piece implant is to be inserted, the implant is placed one in each tube. In a two-piece implant, inflatable rods are inserted into these tubes, and a pump connected to them is mounted next to the testicles. The patient starts and ends the erection using this pump. A separate reservoir of fluid-filled balloons inserted in the tubes inside the penis is used in the three-piece implant. This reservoir, which resembles a ball, is placed under the belly, just next to the bladder, behind the bone at the top of the penis. Again, the operating mechanism is placed in the yolk sac next to the testicles. After the procedure, the functioning of the implant is checked. The wounds are then stitched and dressed properly.
Care after Penis Implant (Happiness Stick) Surgery
At the end of the surgery, 2 and 3-piece implants are usually left inflated. For a day or two, the compressive (tight) dressing applied around it is not removed. Then the dressing is opened and the implant is deflated. After that, skin wound care is done. Patients are routinely given antibiotics and pain relievers. The patient can take a bath after 1 week. The patient would not have the stitches removed if the skin stitches are dissolvable, and the stitches that do not dissolve are removed after 10 days. After the first few days, the patient inflates and deflates the implant from time to time, and both exercises and heals the inside correctly.
When can I use it after the Penile Prosthesis (Happiness Stick) is inserted (when can I have sexual intercourse)?
Patients with an implant can have intercourse at least 6 weeks after surgery. However, the physician can extend this period according to the patient’s condition.
What kind of problems may arise in Penile Implant (Happiness Stick) surgery?
Most of the patients who undergo this surgery are diabetics. Wound healing is somewhat difficult in this patient group. Problems such as wound infection, bleeding, and wound opening may occur in this group and other patients outside of this group. Aside from that, the area of the implant may be infected, necessitating the implant’s removal. Especially in one-piece implants, urination may be difficult as a result of the implant oppressing the urinary canal. In patients with enlarged prostate or new prostate complaints, inflatable implants should be preferred.
Can the patient with a Penile Implant (Happiness Stick) be satisfied with the sexual intercourse or ejaculate?
In healthy individuals, erection starts with the thought of sexual intercourse or fantasies, and in patients with implants, the patient provides an erection whenever he wants. This difference reveals a false perception that patients with an implant cannot be satisfied with sexual intercourse. However, the pleasure received during sexual intercourse is transmitted through the nerves in the skin. The sense of pleasure or the semen canal has nothing to do with the place where the implant is inserted. In short, patients do not feel any difference from normal individuals in terms of pleasure, orgasm, ejaculation. In addition to providing a healthy and complete erection, the implants also have a satisfactory aspect for patients with premature ejaculation complaints. Because even if the patient is ejaculated early, he can continue to have intercourse unless he deflates the implant. This period can be determined easily by the female partner.
Are those who have a Penile Implant (Happiness Stick) satisfied?
As can be understood from the last sentences above, studies have shown that the satisfaction of the spouses (partners) of patients with implants is higher than the patient himself. While this rate is over 80% in patients, it is over 90% in partners. Most of the dissatisfied patients had difficulties in using the implant.
