Erectile dysfunction: Chill for six weeks after penile surgery

Dr Ahmed Yousef, the consultant urologist who led a team of specialists who conducted the region’s first erectile dysfunction procedure last year was fully booked for months on end.

Well, that is indicative of how severe erectile dysfunction is in Kenya where the condition can now be corrected by implanting a prosthesis device in the penis.

The problem is men who became adventurous after the penile prosthesis surgery.

“We advise them to have a normal sexual life and not to abuse it. The abuse can cause perforations and infections,” says Dr Yousef of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi.

Another problem is when the patient is impatient. Healing after the surgery takes about one week, “but the patient should wait for four to six weeks before engaging in sexual intercourse,” warns Dr Yousef.

The Dos include engaging in normal urination.

Erectile dysfunction is a common disorder in 10 per cent of men aged below 40 and 76 per cent among those aged between 50 and 70 years.

The causes of erectile dysfunction are stress, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiac problems and penile leakage, which affects 15 per cent of patients who experience “venous leakage, meaning circulation of the blood through the penis to have an erection is defective.”

Another surgery is penile enlargement for men who frown at and are frustrated by the volume and length of their penis. Others are those whose length is short for intercourse and even shorter for impregnating a woman.

"The surgery is mostly recommended for a patient with a micro penis, some with previous diseases on the penis,” says Dr Yousef.

The procedure entails removing part of the skin and muscle and fixing it on the penis. It is, however, not common as most men are comfortable with their volume and size.

Erectile dysfunction procedures are of two types; one requires injections.

"The other surgery is for severe erectile dysfunction for which we recommend implants to the penis through surgery and the patient regains a highly satisfying erection,” says Dr Yousef, adding that the patient maintains an erection even after ejaculation.

There are two types of the penile prosthesis; malleable (non-inflatable penile prosthesis) and inflatable prosthesis. In malleable prosthesis, the patient directs his member using his hand, it obeys the instructions to erection and directs it down when done.

The inflatable type is more natural as there’s a reservoir pushing blood to the penis to erection and the reversal happens when done.

But just what do medics put in one’s penis during surgery?

“It is a special type of material; alloy meaning materials mixed together, which would give rigidity,” explains Dr Yousef. “All the materials give extra rigidity that give a satisfaction of almost 95 per cent.”