CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE WITH 80 INFLATABLE PENILE PROSTHESES

Objectives: Prosthetic surgery for impotence has been transformed by t he use of inflatable prostheses, superseding the old semi-rigid design s. Our objective is to report the functional results and the complicat ions of this type of surgery. Methods: 80 inflatable prostheses were i mplanted between October 1987 and October 1994, The mean follow-up was 3 years and assessment of the objective (mechanical functioning of th e prosthesis and complications) and subjective results (sexuality of t he patients) was made in 68 patients, Results: There were: 54.5% funct ional disturbances, 7% infections, and 27.5% prosthesis removals. Most of the patients were satisfied, although only 65% returned to regular sexual activity, Conclusions: The choice between an inflatable and a semi-rigid prosthesis should be carefully discussed because of the fre quent mechanical complications that have been reported for the sophist icated designs. Inflatable penile prostheses nevertheless remain the d esign of choice. Their reliability has been increasing since the manuf acture of monobloc designs. Such a device is costly, and should be com pared with that of intracavernous injections.