Is this doctor good enough for implant surgery?

[Asdefxx]

Asdefxx, yes.
I have annual enrollment this week for 2026. I contacted the three plans offered at work, asked about these CPT codes, and enrolled in the one that said, ‘You’re covered with a $2,000 copay,’ without the complicated medical-necessity caveats. (Goodbye, to my old Aetna plan.). Of course, things can get highly subjective to an employer's specific commercial plan.

Thank you, I'll do the same then. Just in time for benefits enrollment season too.

Personally I'm cautious of friend referrals. You never know if he is a "friend" from golfing or church.

Be very careful about numbers that are thrown around casually. It is your only dick. Ask detailed questions. English can be spoken in a twisted manner.

I guess my point is that YOU have to be your own advocate. Words don't always mean what you think they do.

These are such great points. Wish the whole world thought like you.

Remember everyone, "there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

[Kodixx]

Asdefxx, that's one of my favorite sayings -- haven't heard it in years !

- Chuck

Remember everyone, "there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

[Asdefxx]

I would also contact the insurance company to check if these CPT codes are covered by your plan.

54405 (inflatable)
54400 (semirigid)
(CPT - Current Procedural Terminology)

Whelp, it's done. Both CPTs are NOT covered under my plan. Hooray. Better start preparing myself psychologically to drop $20k on this.

She said "the doctor can submit a predetermination request for further review" but I have no idea the success rate on that.

[ElbowRoom]

Sorry, can you elaborate on this? Do I literally just call up my insurance company and ask "hey may I ask if CPTs 54400 and 54405 are covered under my plan?"

That's what I did...I called and asked if the code was a covered procedure. They came back with "based on medical need" which is what you'll probably get if it's covered. That just means it's covered under the plan, but it's subject to approval by a review board to approve the procedure based on your medical history and information.

Once I had that information I told my surgeon's office and they submitted all of the information to the insurance company to get it approved, which it was. If it gets denied the first time through there's usually an appeals process that might involve more testing.

Good luck!

[lasthope2.0]

Hey Macoza, just FYI..... Dr. Leon Telis is a Coloplast Titan COE. He is not a COE for AMS 700. Just a FYI, when you have your brand selection conversations with him.

[LetoMan]

Can you clarify what you mean? I really dont understand what youre trying to say.

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Doctors who perform only a few implants per year have a greater risk of infection and need for revision. Once they perform about 25 or so per year, that increased risk goes away. There does not appear to be decreased risk because a doctor performs more than that, even many, many, many more.

[lasthope2.0]

Hey Macoza, just FYI..... Dr. Leon Telis is a Coloplast Titan COE. He is not a COE for AMS 700. Just a FYI, when you have your brand selection conversations with him.

He told me he does both devices. Does it really matter if he does more coloplast than AMS? He told me his patients have had great results and I haven't found negative reviews on his surgeries when researching him.

Let me know your thoughts.

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If he routinely uses both, I wouldn’t worry. He’ll recommend what best fits your anatomy and goals. It is just for your research. Some surgeons favor one over the other, often because of their or their hospital’s contracts and it can reflect their COE status.

[ElbowRoom]

He actually asked me which device I prefer. I told him In prefer AMS cuz of the length but to be honest I really dont know which to get. Maybe you can help me decide?

I assume you’re talking about the LGX from AMS, for the length expansion. Honestly, from my research and talking to implant surgeons, it seems like the length expansion feature is more marketing than game-changing feature. Yes, it expands lengthwise, but how much is limited by your anatomy. You’re not going to start with a 6” dick and end with 7”. You might see an extra 1/4” over a properly-sized CX or Titan.

But that comes at a price…the LGX has the poorest axial rigidity of all major implants. It can bend more easily even at full inflation than a CX or Titan. That can make a big difference when getting aggressive during sex. One surgeon went so far as to say to me he’d never install an LGX in even an average sized penis, because the longer it is the worse the rigidity problem becomes (long lever and all that). He said the LGX is only really suitable for short penises to try to eke out every last mm of size.

[lasthope2.0]

If he routinely uses both, I wouldn’t worry. He’ll recommend what best fits your anatomy and goals.

He actually asked me which device I prefer. I told him In prefer AMS cuz of the length but to be honest I really dont know which to get. Maybe you can help me decide?

Some surgeons favor one over the other, often because of their or their hospital’s contracts and it can reflect their COE status.

Would that be a problem? Does that mean that favoritism towards a device can be at the detriment to the patient?

Btw, I created a thread on my insurance covering the cost of the implant. Please take a look and I look forward to your replies on it. Thanks!!
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=27400

..

Will do. I posted videos by Dr. Hakky and Dr. Clavell about AMS and Coloplast products in your other thread. Both are good and they have their differences.

Favoritism can be positive, it can signal expertise, device familiarity, research experience, nuanced surgical experience including complex re-dos for specific brands.

[LGXDownunder]

He actually asked me which device I prefer. I told him In prefer AMS cuz of the length but to be honest I really dont know which to get. Maybe you can help me decide?

I assume you’re talking about the LGX from AMS, for the length expansion. Honestly, from my research and talking to implant surgeons, it seems like the length expansion feature is more marketing than game-changing feature. Yes, it expands lengthwise, but how much is limited by your anatomy. You’re not going to start with a 6” dick and end with 7”. You might see an extra 1/4” over a properly-sized CX or Titan.

But that comes at a price…the LGX has the poorest axial rigidity of all major implants. It can bend more easily even at full inflation than a CX or Titan. That can make a big difference when getting aggressive during sex. One surgeon went so far as to say to me he’d never install an LGX in even an average sized penis, because the longer it is the worse the rigidity problem becomes (long lever and all that). He said the LGX is only really suitable for short penises to try to eke out every last mm of size.

Much of that makes sense but is very different from my own experience to date. The LGX seems to be something of a workhorse for those of us with average sized dicks, especially those who have suffered some level of atrophy after PC/prostatectomy and consequent ED. I had a bit over 6 inches originally, as best as I can recall, and definitely lost some size after my RP. I addressed that to a degree with aggressive VED use.

Post implant I'm well above 6 inches after many months of cycling. Substantially bigger flaccid than I've ever been in my life. My aim was to get back my original size back. I seem to have done that, maybe very slightly more, and I knew that you can't expect more than that. I have the longest LGX cylinders at 21cm, albeit without any RTEs. Fully pumped it stands erect like an impenetrable Rock of Gibraltar. I cannot imagine anyone possibly wanting it harder.

Both my wife and I prefer aggressive PIV sex, and I thrust very hard and balls deep for extended periods. I've never had any issues with axial rigidity as some guys report. It literally does not move, and in fact I often deliberately change the angle rapidly while thrusting, because my wife gets off on it. Sometimes it actually becomes uncomfortably hard for me after a while, so I deflate then re-inflate to a lesser pressure. Maybe mine is somehow anchored better, or the lack of RTEs makes a difference, I don't know. I'm definitely happy with the functional results of the LGX.