Almost all males who are potential candidates for a penile implant procedure are eager to know the maximum time it will take to recover fully once the surgery is successfully performed. The recuperation happens faster than what most patients would like to believe, and the road to recovery is also less painful. Though the recovery period normally varies from patient to another, it generally takes a month and a half to completely convalesce.
You can start attending office or tend to your business 2-3 days after surgery and go back to engaging in sex from where you left off, within 4-5 weeks.
Recovering after penile implant surgery
You get better considerably within a couple of weeks following the surgical procedure. The incision area heals up to a great extent within a week of the surgery as does the discomfort and inflammation. You can also expedite the healing by following specific techniques like applying ice pack underneath the penis and scrotum.
However, you should be careful enough not to apply the pack directly on the penis or scrotum as it could lead to frostbite where the scar and fibrous tissues become injured or damaged permanently. For accessing the areas beneath the scrotum or penis, you’d have to raise them-it’d be best if you use a clean and dry towel positioned in between the thighs.
With the towel remaining where it is, take a brief or underwear, place it below the penis, and try to make it face your navel. Follow the same procedure for raising the scrotum. Now, you’re in a position to press the cold pack comfortably on the undersides of both the scrotum and penis.
Also, make sure you do not perform any physically demanding or strenuous activity for the first two weeks after you are discharged from the hospital.
Making the most of the penile implant
You should completely refrain from using the implant (i.e., activate or deactivate it) in the first couple of weeks post surgery. What you can do at the most is to mildly try to drag down the pump inside the scrotum to allow it to settle down comfortably. Once the pump is positioned firmly, you’ll be able to access it easily for compressing it when healing is complete, and you’re ready to resume sexual activity.
The implant is usually activated after 4-5 weeks of the surgery, and the activation is generally conducted in the surgeon’s chamber for the first time. The physician or his assistant will demonstrate how to turn on and deactivate the device. You could also receive a sample or model pump for honing your squeezing skills.
You should practice inflating and deflating the prosthesis at home at least once daily to gain self-confidence. Regularly practice also contributes towards increasing the penis’s size during an erection. You can always consult your surgeon or doctor if you don’t feel confident about using the device.
Common side effects
Usual complications of the implant surgery include blood clot formation around the scrotal area, discomfort, and inflammation that could linger for 2-3 weeks. Chances of infection are less than 2%. Most side effects fade away on their own. Taking painkillers and antibiotics will help assuage the pain and minimize the risks of infection.
Better/improved patient satisfaction rate following surgery
You’ll be able to take full advantage of your penile implant for enjoying a fulfilling sex life if you follow the post-surgical instructions mentioned above. You can schedule an appointment with our surgeon if you want to more about penile prosthetic surgery and recovery.
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FIFTH AVENUE UROLOGY
4 East 76th Street
New York, NY 10021
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