Penile prosthesis – a viable solution for erectile dysfunction refractory to conservative therapy

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction(ED) is a serious condition which can affect men of all ages, with an important impact over the quality of life. When conservative therapy fails, a viable solution is the penile prosthesis implantation (PPI). Objective: The purpose of this paper is to present data from recent literature regarding the satisfaction rates of men who have undergone penile PPI and as well as the partners satisfaction rates, ease of use, informations regarding long term survival of these prosthesis, postoperative complications and long distance complications, the effectiveness and the way that penile prosthesis have influenced the quality of life of the men who have opted for this solution. Material and methods: We have analyzed recent long term studies concerning the outcomes of the PPI, studies which were made retrospectively, over a period of time of 10 to 15 years. Results: Compared with the conservative treatment for ED, the satisfaction rates achieved after penile prosthesis implantation are higher. According to these studies, the overall patient’s satisfaction is 70-90%. The difference between patient and their partners’ satisfaction rate is negligible, this difference ranging between 2 to 8%. The satisfaction rate regarding the adequate erection for sexual intercourse is 80-90%. The overall satisfaction rates for the malleable prostheses are lower compared with inflatable devices, 30-75%, respectively 75-90% for the inflatable prosthesis. The mechanical and overall survival rates for the malleable prosthesis range between 65-80% at 10 years, and 58-75% for the inflatable devices. Overall ease of use is rated as 78%. Complications after implantation can be encountered in less than 5% of cases and infections in less than 2%. The likelihood of continued use is higher in the group of the patients with the inflatable prosthesis compared with the malleable ones 70-80%, respectively 50-60%. Up to 85- 90% of patients with inflatable prosthesis would recommend them. Conclusions: PPI is a high effective treatment for erectile dysfunction, refractory to pharmacological treatment. The inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) provides more overall satisfaction than the malleable ones. The patients with IPP are more likely to continue using their devices than those with the malleable prosthesis. PPI improves significantly the quality of life for patients with erectile dysfunction.