Dubai : Concerned over the growing number of men suffering from sexual dysfunction in the UAE, a government hospital this month has begun offering inflatable implants enabling them to lead normal sex lives.
Dr Waleed Hassan, Chief of the Department of Urology at Al Tawam Hospital in Al Ain and Assistant Professor at John Hopkins University, told XPRESS on the sidelines of the Arab Health Congress, "The implant, a three-piece prosthetic penis, allows men who have failed other types of oral therapy to resume sexual function."
He said eight Emirati men underwent the procedure at the hospital last week. The men were in the age group of 40-70, he added. Dr Hassan said the procedure takes 60 to 90 minutes with the patient being discharged the same day.
The procedure
Typically, the prosthetic penis — Al Tawam Hospital uses the AMS Inhibizone — implanted in the penis comes with a reservoir with saline fluid in the abdomen and a pump under the scrotum, all of which remain concealed. When the skin above the scrotum is squeezed, fluid from the reservoir moves to the prosthetis enabling an erection during intercourse. Once the act is complete, a button on the pump is pressed to push the fluid back to the reservoir.
Dr Hassan said Al Tawam Hospital in an affiliation with the John Hopkins Medical Institution of the US had introduced the procedure for the first time to cater to the growing number of cases of sexual dysfunction in the UAE.
He said while over-the-counter drugs like Viagra, Cialis and Levi-tra were safe, men with sexual dysfunction must guard against using them without consulting a doctor as it is often a manifestation of associated problems like diabetes, cardiac or vascular diseases. Smoking too can be a contributing factor, he added.
Dr Hassan said, "Over 50 per cent of those visiting a urologist have some degree of sexual dysfunction." He added that in the UAE, 50-60 per cent of erectile dysfunction cases were diabetics.
He said men consider it taboo to discuss their impotence, which aggravates the problem. "There are treatments for all stages and they must be availed," he said.
FACT FILE
Three-piece implants use a fluid-filled reservoir implanted under the abdominal wall, a pump and a release valve placed inside the scrotum and two inflatable cylinders inside the penis.
Results
Implants cause an erection, but they don't increase sexual desire or sensation. The size of erect penis may be slightly shorter than it used to be. Some partners feel that sexual pleasure is diminished by their lack of involvement in creating an erection. This surgery is permanent. If implant is removed, one will not be able to get an erection.
Risks and Malfunction
Although new penile implant designs are very reliable and may last a lifetime, in rare cases they can malfunction. For example, in some semirigid devices, internal parts can break down over time.
Infection
Men with a spinal cord injury or diabetes have a higher risk of infection than others.
How it works
1 To inflate the device and achieve an erection, simply squeeze the pump bulb several times. This causes the saline solution to move from the reservoir, through the tubing and into the cylinders. Fluid moving into the cylinders replicates the body's natural process of blood flowing into the penis. This process creates full rigidity as the cylinders are inflated.
2 To deflate the device, you press and hold the release valve portion of the pump. This transfers saline solution back into the reservoir, making the penis flaccid.
Dubai Concerned over the growing number of men suffering from sexual dysfunction in the UAE, a government hospital this month has begun offering inflatable implants enabling them to lead normal sex lives.
Dr Waleed Hassan, Chief of the Department of Urology at Al Tawam Hospital in Al Ain and Assistant Professor at John Hopkins University, told XPRESS on the sidelines of the Arab Health Congress, "The implant, a three-piece prosthetic penis, allows men who have failed other types of oral therapy to resume sexual function."
He said eight Emirati men underwent the procedure at the hospital last week. The men were in the age group of 40-70, he added. Dr Hassan said the procedure takes 60 to 90 minutes with the patient being discharged the same day.
The procedure
Typically, the prosthetic penis — Al Tawam Hospital uses the AMS Inhibizone — implanted in the penis comes with a reservoir with saline fluid in the abdomen and a pump under the scrotum, all of which remain concealed. When the skin above the scrotum is squeezed, fluid from the reservoir moves to the prosthetis enabling an erection during intercourse. Once the act is complete, a button on the pump is pressed to push the fluid back to the reservoir.
Dr Hassan said Al Tawam Hospital in an affiliation with the John Hopkins Medical Institution of the US had introduced the procedure for the first time to cater to the growing number of cases of sexual dysfunction in the UAE.
He said while over-the-counter drugs like Viagra, Cialis and Levi-tra were safe, men with sexual dysfunction must guard against using them without consulting a doctor as it is often a manifestation of associated problems like diabetes, cardiac or vascular diseases. Smoking too can be a contributing factor, he added.
Dr Hassan said, "Over 50 per cent of those visiting a urologist have some degree of sexual dysfunction." He added that in the UAE, 50-60 per cent of erectile dysfunction cases were diabetics.
He said men consider it taboo to discuss their impotence, which aggravates the problem. "There are treatments for all stages and they must be availed," he said.