Home > Encyclopedia of Surgery > Penile Prostheses

Definition

Penile prostheses are semi-rigid or inflatable devices that are implanted into penises to alleviate impotence.

Purpose

The penis is composed of one channel for urine and semen, and three compartments with tough, fibrous walls containing erectile tissue. With appropriate stimulation, the blood vessels that lead out of these compartments constrict, trapping blood. Blood pressure fills and hardens the compartments producing an erection of sufficient firmness to perform sexual intercourse. Additional stimulation leads to ejaculation, where semen is pumped out of the urethra. When this system fails, erectile dysfunction or impotence (failure to create and maintain an erection) occurs.

Impotence can be caused by a number of conditions, including diabetes, spinal cord injury,...