D

espite advances in oral, intracavernosal, topical pharmacotherapy, and even the use of vacuum mechanisms, there is a large group (approximately 15% of men seeking treatment for their erectile dysfunction) of patients refractory to all types of therapy who have severe and irreversible damage of their mechanism of erection and that requires a surgical treatment option.

Penile prostheses are mechanisms designed to produce a similar phenomenon to the tumescence produced by the influx of blood to the cavernous trabeculae and that in normal conditions are produced by various types of stimuli.

There is not an “ideal implant” to date, but one of the primary objectives is to be as close as possible to the normal penis in its erect and flaccid state; so it is relevant the information granted to the patients and their partners, as well as the selection of the patient and the most appropriate device type for the surgery.

It is important to emphasise that there are countless articles that try to approach the theme of satisfaction in patients receiving treatment for erectile dysfunction. Without a doubt, it is a condition that directly impairs the quality of life of the patients. Although there are many factors that influence the sexual environment of the individual and alter the results of many of these studies, it is clear that it is necessary to standardise specific evaluation parameters to objectify the results of these studies.

In conclusion, penile prostheses are mechanisms designed to produce a tumescence and enough penile stiffness for activity sexual and try to improve the quality of life of patients suffering from erectile dysfunction that do not respond to other treatments. The satisfaction rates reported in the literature exceed 75% in most studies, which makes them an excellent alternative for patients with a surgical indication.