Medical pre-operative considerations for patients undergoing penile implantation

Penile implants have become relatively common in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Although penile prosthetics date back to the 16th century, modern implants were first introduced in 1973 and 1974 when Dr. Scott and Drs. Small and Carrion described what are now referred to inflatable and semi rigid penile prosthesis respectively (1). Since then there have been significant design improvements, and today patients have the choice of semi rigid, 2-piece and 3-piece penile prosthetics. In the modern era, it is estimated that approximately 25,000 penile prosthesis are implanted in North America annually (2). One of the most significant complications of penile prosthetic surgery is infection, and the implant surgeon must be aware of potential sources of infection. The goal of penile prosthetic surgery is to provide the patient with a functional erection for sexual intercourse while keeping morbidity low. In this review we will discuss important aspects of the medical history and provide a simple and practical checklist for the implanter to reference when considering implantation of a penile prosthesis