4th surgery in less than 12 months

[Jsmith194589]

I'm not entirely sure what the point of this post is, but I wanted to share my experience as a 24-year-old who has been through three implant surgeries and and is now scheduled for a fourth on 25 May 2026.

I've dealt with ED my whole life, and in July last year I had a Rigicon X (22.5cm) implanted by the highest-volume implant surgeon in my country. In the months following surgery, I noticed noticeable size loss which, as a young man, caused me significant stress and had me looking into options.

One of those options was a revision to the AX model, which is length-expanding and something my original implant was not. After discussing this with my surgeon, he was happy to proceed but noted he thought it was unlikely I'd see any size gains, as there's no evidence the length-expanding models actually achieve this. I went ahead anyway and was implanted with a 23.5cm Rigicon AX via the penoscrotal approach.

With the original X model, which had been placed via the infrapubic approach, the tubing couldn't be felt at all and it was installed really well. A few months after the revision, however, the tubing at the base of my penis became very prominent, which was again causing me stress as a young man. I'll also note that despite upgrading to the length-expanding model, my size was actually smaller than it had been after the initial implant.

I raised the tubing issue with my surgeon and he was again happy to operate. In December last year he attempted to relocate the tubing, but in my opinion this wasn't fully successful as it was still quite prominent. I didn't want to go through another revision, so I considered just living with it.

Unfortunately, around a month after that second revision, my pump started collapsing when I tried to inflate the device. I had an ultrasound and it was confirmed as a slow leak. That means another revision if I want a functional device.

I'm scheduled for surgery next week. I've decided to switch from Rigicon to Coloplast, as they've been around longer, and I know I'm not the only one on this forum who has had issues with Rigicon.

Thankfully, my surgeon has been excellent throughout and outside of my initial surgery, I've only had to pay the anaesthetist fee.

i'm not sharing this to put anyone off getting an implant, and I know my case isn't typical. But I do hope anyone considering one goes in with eyes open as complications can happen.

Given everything that has gone wrong and the size changes involved, I've reached a point mentally where I'm not sure I'll ever feel fully comfortable using it again. But if this surgery is a success and I can work on my mindset, that may change.

I'm happy to check back in after surgery with an update if anyone would find that useful.

[Jsmith194589]

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[Chris1967]

Hi, I hope you'll be happy with your new implant now. However, your experience has nothing to do with the quality of Rigicon. Your surgeon should have done a good job early on, instead of constantly making adjustments until the last time the implant, pump, or tubing was even damaged. The Rigicon models installed since 2025 are considered particularly robust and durable. The tubing and pump were even redesigned for these models. I know many users who have had a Rigicon for over three years without any problems. I've had an X model myself since February 2026 and haven't lost any size. A 22 cm plus 2 cm implant was used. My erection length is about 16.5 cm. My Rigicon works very well, and I don't have any visible tubing problems.

[sambalamba]

Have you also considered a AMS CX and ruled it out? The Titan material will be significantly stiffer than the Infla.

[Chris1967]

What is your problem? Why are you here? We don't need agitators here. Problems are bound to arise occasionally with any mechanical device, but there are plenty of examples here in the forum showing that—provided you have a good surgeon—such issues are generally quite rare.

[staphylococcusecoli]

Hi, I hope you'll be happy with your new implant now. However, your experience has nothing to do with the quality of Rigicon. Your surgeon should have done a good job early on, instead of constantly making adjustments until the last time the implant, pump, or tubing was even damaged. The Rigicon models installed since 2025 are considered particularly robust and durable. The tubing and pump were even redesigned for these models. I know many users who have had a Rigicon for over three years without any problems. I've had an X model myself since February 2026 and haven't lost any size. A 22 cm plus 2 cm implant was used. My erection length is about 16.5 cm. My Rigicon works very well, and I don't have any visible tubing problems.

True. I have the pleasure of knowing one buddy who has had Rigicon for two years, and it has been completely problem-free. Once you have a competent surgeon, all potential issues are already resolved.

[staphylococcusecoli]

I'm not entirely sure what the point of this post is, but I wanted to share my experience as a 24-year-old who has been through three implant surgeries and and is now scheduled for a fourth on 25 May 2026.

I've dealt with ED my whole life, and in July last year I had a Rigicon X (22.5cm) implanted by the highest-volume implant surgeon in my country. In the months following surgery, I noticed noticeable size loss which, as a young man, caused me significant stress and had me looking into options.

One of those options was a revision to the AX model, which is length-expanding and something my original implant was not. After discussing this with my surgeon, he was happy to proceed but noted he thought it was unlikely I'd see any size gains, as there's no evidence the length-expanding models actually achieve this. I went ahead anyway and was implanted with a 23.5cm Rigicon AX via the penoscrotal approach.

With the original X model, which had been placed via the infrapubic approach, the tubing couldn't be felt at all and it was installed really well. A few months after the revision, however, the tubing at the base of my penis became very prominent, which was again causing me stress as a young man. I'll also note that despite upgrading to the length-expanding model, my size was actually smaller than it had been after the initial implant.

I raised the tubing issue with my surgeon and he was again happy to operate. In December last year he attempted to relocate the tubing, but in my opinion this wasn't fully successful as it was still quite prominent. I didn't want to go through another revision, so I considered just living with it.

Unfortunately, around a month after that second revision, my pump started collapsing when I tried to inflate the device. I had an ultrasound and it was confirmed as a slow leak. That means another revision if I want a functional device.

I'm scheduled for surgery next week. I've decided to switch from Rigicon to Coloplast, as they've been around longer, and I know I'm not the only one on this forum who has had issues with Rigicon.

Thankfully, my surgeon has been excellent throughout and outside of my initial surgery, I've only had to pay the anaesthetist fee.

i'm not sharing this to put anyone off getting an implant, and I know my case isn't typical. But I do hope anyone considering one goes in with eyes open as complications can happen.

Given everything that has gone wrong and the size changes involved, I've reached a point mentally where I'm not sure I'll ever feel fully comfortable using it again. But if this surgery is a success and I can work on my mindset, that may change.

I'm happy to check back in after surgery with an update if anyone would find that useful.

Good luck, dude. I’m rooting for your success. Coloplast has a much longer and proven track record! Keep your updates coming!

[torless50]

Who was the surgeon? If you dont mind to tell us

[ElbowRoom]

This reminds me of the fact that “surgeons like to cut”. You mentioned several time that the surgeon was happy to do more surgeries. That’s what they do, it’s how they perfect their craft and get paid. Not saying your surgeon is a bad person or doctor, just the reality of the situation with most surgeons. I’m also not saying you did anything wrong really, but some more patience might have saved you some hassle and worry.

Personally I think you should have waited at least a year before having the first revision. It looks like you waited less than six months, and it’s often the case that significant length is restored in the 6-12 month timeframe after surgery. I know you were anxious, we all are after surgery and see the usual immediate shrinkage of our members, regardless of our age. But every surgery entails significant risk, and now you’re on your fourth implant and your odds of infection are continuing to rise.

Following my implant surgery I had a seroma (fluid accumulation) below the incision site. The surgeon drained it with a needle, but warned if it returned he’d want to clear it out surgically, which could have led to a full revision. The seroma returned, and I requested he drain it again before proceeding to surgery. He reluctantly agreed, and I agreed to surgery if the second drainage failed. It’s now 4 months since the second drainage and the seroma is gone. I avoided surgery because I was patient and insistent that we try everything else first, since otherwise everything was stable and the implant was working well.

Surgery is a big deal, and I know we all get scared and impatient afterwards. But sometimes we have to be careful to not box ourselves into a corner where surgery is the only option and get a potentially worse outcome than if we’d just waited and tried other options.