Implants Imitate Nature

Inflatable penile implants are popular because they produce the most natural erection. But they are also the most mechanically complicated and are subject to problems.

With one popular device, the surgeon implants a fluid-filled reservoir in a man’s lower abdomen. The reservoir is connected to a pump inserted in the scrotum and tubes in the penis. To obtain an erection, the scrotum is squeezed and fluid moves from the reservoir to the penis. Squeezing the pump again reverses the flow.

A more recent device is technologically simpler and features liquid-filled tubes inserted only in the penis which are squeezed to produce an erection.

Older implants consisted of simple rigid or malleable rods that were inserted in the penis.