Erection disorders: third line treatment

Erection disorders can be treated in three different ways.

• First line treatment
• Second line treatment
• Third line treatment

This section discusses third line treatment.

Penile prosthesis

A penile prosthesis is a device that replaces the corpora cavernosa of the penis. The device consists of three parts: a reservoir (that is implanted in the lower abdomen), a pump (that is implanted in the scrotum), and a pair of inflatable cylinders (that are implanted in the penis). The entire system is hidden in the body and not visible from the outside. As the pump is pushed in the scrotum, the fluid moves out of the reservoir and into the inflatable cylinders that are in the penis. This causes an artificial erection. By pushing on a button, the hydraulic system reverses itself: fluid is moved out of the inflatable cylinders and back into the reservoir. This causes the erection to go away.

The biggest risk with a penile prosthesis is the risk of infection. If the device becomes infected, removal is unavoidable in almost all cases.

Latest publication date: 13/12/2023
Supervising author: Dr Ameye Filip