RichardTheFrog wrote:If I get this done, which I probably will, it sounds like Dr. Kramer is a very good doctor to go with.
Can I hear from other patients of his?
Just had my surgery w/ Dr. Kramer on 12/7/16. I'm from a family of doctors, so I know "Old School" care/patient empathy when I see it...in addition to being a world class surgeon, Dr. Kramer is a truly caring individual who listened to/answered all my questions & concerns about the surgery. His surgical/anesthesia team is absolutely top notch as were the nurses in the recovery areas. I was mildly apprehensive about coming into Baltimore (simply because I had never been there nor did I have any knowledge as to the safety of various neighborhoods), but insofar as I'm from a Midwestern city whose reputation makes Baltimore pale by comparison, I wasn't worried. The University of Maryland hospital has an excellent shuttle service which will pick you up from your hotel and drop you off after you leave the recovery room...you'll feel completely safe. It's a world-class University hospital facility.
I had the surgery Wednesday...it's Friday and I have very little pain anywhere. Came back with a Percocet prescription but only took three...now I'm using Motrin occasionally. The biggest discomfort/pain I had to deal with was the Foley catheter/urine bag which you are supposed to keep connected until the next morning...that was a severe drag & odd to watch it fill up with urine...easy to drain, however & my recovery nurse gave me thorough instructions as to how to remove it...was expecting to scream but it was virtually painless pulling it out. Also had a problem w/ nausea due to anesthesia...felt like I was motion sick for about 4 hours...stayed in the recovery room until I felt well enough to move...nausea vanished by the time the shuttle dropped me off at the hotel.
Dr. Kramer measured me the day before during my office pre-op visit and was amazed at the amount of stretch I had. Told him I was amazed at my own stretch/girth back when Viagra worked. Said the AMS 700 LGX was what he recommended for maximum length/girth. Went with his recommendation. You leave with about 20% pumped in order to prevent scar tissue from impeding your full inflation/activation in a few weeks...it looks great now length-wise...can only imagine what it's gonna be like at liftoff. I have lost absolutely nothing in length & it's supposed to significantly increase when I start cycling it.
I had been considering the implant for several years...my insurance wouldn't cover it until late 2013. I did the research on both the infrapubic vs. scrotal incision method & decided that the scrotal method seemed to be the most logical way to proceed (seems as though most of the problematic operations I read about were done using the infrapubic method). I also lurked here on Frank Talk & found it to be extremely helpful in deciding which method/surgeon to choose. While my internist was of the belief that the operation was pretty simple and that there were excellent surgeons in my Midwest city who were well-qualified & would do a great job, the more I researched this operation & results obtained therefrom, it seemed that the degree of patient satisfaction correlated to whether in fact the doctor was a high-volume penile implant specialist. There appeared also to be a certain art to it as well which a surgeon would only gain/practice by doing thousands of the implants. Dr. Kramer had the absolute best patient satisfaction of any surgeon by far. Decided to go with him & I'm glad I did...will be coming back next month to have him activate the device...makes sense...he installed it!
Bottom line: go with experience, surgical skill/art and "Old School" doctor/patient/empathy...IMHO, Kramer deserves the accolades he receives on Frank Talk & elsewhere...one great guy who also happens to be a world-class surgeon with the experience of thousands of implant procedures to his credit. I'm sure there are plenty of excellent surgeons out there, but I'd consult w/ Kramer before you make a move. He's the current gold standard. At my age, I wanted to do this once, but the great thing about Dr. Kramer is that he's in his mid-40's & will hopefully be practicing when I need a revision/repair/new installation.