In his own words, Dr. Ryan E. Frankel discusses penile implant options for erectile dysfunction. (We've lightly edited the transcript for readability.) You can also watch the video—he discusses everything around two minutes in.

As with all content on Greater Boston Urology's blog, the following information is educational in nature, not medical advice. Always talk to your physician about your specific questions concerning penile implant devices and ED.  

[Editor's note: This article was reviewed and updated on 9/20/21.]

"As far as erectile dysfunction, it's a very common disease that all urologists manage frequently. There are a number of different treatment options available. Certainly, far and away, the most common one is the pills that are out there—medications like Viagra or Cialis. But you know, there are a lot of patients who really are not getting the results they're looking for from the pills.

The penile prosthesis is an outstanding alternative. It's done in the hospital under anesthesia. It involves cylinders that are filled with fluid and the cylinders are inside the penis. And then there's a pump in the scrotum. Basically, it's a day surgical procedure, although we frequently keep people overnight and they go home the following morning.

Patients who've had a prosthesis tend to be some of the happiest patients that I take care of ... The vast majority of my patients that have prostheses, it took them a long time to get there. They spent a lot of time with the medications, with the injections. They think it's psychologically driven. So there's a lot of guilt. They complain about problems with their relationships, and so when you've given them something that works so well, definitively treats their problem, and is very easy to use—it's very gratifying, and I really feel like I am making a difference in people's lives, which is very exciting to me."

Are you suffering from erectile dysfunction? Make the call to a urologist. You'll be glad you did. Schedule an appointment now.