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While semirigid implants do seem to work miracles for some men, they also have drawbacks. If the implant is too long for the penis, the penis can curve, with painful results. Left uncorrected, the implant can actually work its way out of the corpora cavernosa, damaging the penis. And implants that are too short cause problems too. The head of the penis may bend down because it isn’t getting proper support—the result is often termed an SST deformity, after the jet airplane that’s famous for its turned-down nose. Obviously, too short a prosthesis can make intercourse difficult.
On a person with a very stretchy penis, selecting the right size can be a judgment call. In such a situation, the surgeon may opt for a little too short vs. a little too long because complications from too long an implant are the riskiest.
Men who have extensive scarring in their penises may have corpora cavernosa which resist implants, because the space where the prosthesis fits is scarred partially shut. In this case, a smaller (especially in diameter) prosthesis may be required.
A man who has very poor tissue surrounding the prosthesis is at risk for a “traveling” implant. Rarely, the implant may move out of the end of the penis into the urethra or out the back of the corpora cavernosa. Pressure from the implant just wears a hole in the weak tissue. A reasonably healthy man with a correctly sized implant needn’t worry about this complication, and even men with diabetes or other problems which may cause weak tissue should take comfort from the fact that this problem is quite rare.
Another rare complication is when a man finds his penis is less sensitive to pleasure and to pain after surgery. If the nerves on top of his penis are scarred and must be stretched during surgery to implant the prosthesis, they may be damaged. Normal sensations may return to this area after several months or the numbness may be permanent.
On the other hand, after recovery, a few patients continue to experience pain without any obvious cause. In such rare cases, removal of the prosthesis may be the only alternative.
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