SAFETY AND EFFICACY OUTCOME OF MENTOR ALPHA-1 INFLATABLE PENILE PROSTHESIS IMPLANTATION FOR IMPOTENCE TREATMENT

Purpose: We investigated safety and efficacy outcome pertaining to the Mentor Alpha-1, 3-piece inflatable penile prosthesis for impotence t reatment. Materials and Methods: A 2-phase, multi-institutional, large scale retrospective study, with independently analyzed medical record (phase I) and questionnaire (phase II) data from consecutive eligible patients of 7 physician investigators was performed from March to Oct ober 1993. Results: In phase I there were no morbidities of any type i n 394 of the 434 patients (90.8%) (mean age 61 years, range 24 to 88) who underwent Alpha-1 implantation (mean followup 22.2 months, range 0 .67 to 44.5). The risk of prosthesis malfunction (fluid leak and auto- inflation) was 2.5%. No cylinder aneurysms were reported. A total of 9 3.1% of Alpha-1 devices was free from explantation (4.4%) or revision surgery (2.5%) for approximately 2 years from the original implant dat e. Kaplan-Meier actuarial analyses revealed that cumulative survival o f the Alpha-1 prostheses at 12, 24 and 36 months was 98 +/- 1%, 93 +/- 2% and 85 +/- 7% until device malfunction, and 91 +/- 2% 83 +/- 4% an d 75 +/- 7% until surgical intervention (revision or explantation). In phase II 89% of the men claimed fulfilled expectations with the Alpha -1 prosthesis as impotence treatment. Satisfaction responses 80% or gr eater were noted with regard to intercourse ability and confidence, an d device rigidity and function. Implantation did not result in greater than 80% satisfaction in partner relationships or feelings (as judged by the patient), social or work confidence, or intercourse frequency. Factors adversely affecting satisfaction included partner feelings of dissatisfaction (as judged by the patient), specific physician invest igators and need for explantation/revision surgery. Conclusions: In 1 of the largest multi-institutional implant outcome studies thus far pe rformed, safety and efficacy data concerning the Alpha-1 contemporary inflatable device were found markedly improved over earlier inflatable prostheses and now compare favorably with historical data from noninf latable rod type devices.