Pain After Implant

[Texas75008]

I just had my implant (AMS 700 LGX) a week ago today on November 11, 2019. While I have had worse pain from orthopedic surgeries, the pain and discomfort from this surgery seems to have lasted longer than prior surgeries, and I am wondering if there is an end in sight. The source of the pain is twofold: (1) from the implants inflated at roughly 60% in my penis which is uncomfortable (feels stretched), slightly bruised and tender; and (2) from the pump implanted within my scrottal sac. The pain is less if I lounge in bed, and worst when sitting. If I walk around, I feel increased pain from the pump area. Thus, I tend to lounge in bed quite a bit. I don’t see any swelling anywhere, and there have been zero discharges from the surgical site. The pain is not helped much, if at all, by the pain meds. I have been taking them to help with sleep, and they don’t seem to do much. I am using briefs vs boxers; the doctor suggested I keep a clean wash cloth in my underwear to keep the penis pointed to the belly button - I find the cloth irritating, and not necessary to achieve that objective. The only thing that seems to help is ice, and time.

I like my surgeon, and he does these regularly (2 or so a week). But, he didn’t do a great job of setting my expectations on the recovery process, and I am wondering how long this pain and discomfort will last. And I can’t imagine operating the pump without excruciating pain. I will see the doctor next week for surgical follow-up.

I am 65, have had bad ED for years, and progressed through all the typical treatments before settling on moving forward with the penile implant.

Please let me know what your recovery experiences have been, and any thoughts on how to cope with pain and discomfort.

Thanks!

[BmorePaul]

I had some discomfort in my scrotum for about 10 days. My penis wasn't filled to that level, so didn't have much stretch feeling. I needed to use a jock to keep things tucked away while in dresspants for work and it gets pretty uncomfortable then. I am 4 weeks out and still can't really cross my legs...it's not really pain, but just uncomfortable. Advil and ice were my best friends for about 10 days.

[oneperson]

I had pain in the scrotum for 5 weeks. First 3 weeks, was affordable by:

Meds.
Lying in bed and walking as less as possible.
Wear a sustainer (I don't know the exact word in english, a kind of underwear with a hole for the pennis that sustain the scrotum.

After third week, I stopped meds, just the sustainer was enough to have pain under control, even walking.

I am 8 weeks and I have some disconfort in scrotum. I would say you are in the normal way.

Let time pass. Thought you don't see swelling, it is there.

[WhiteCane]

Tomorrow marks for weeks and I am going to get activated! The first 10/12 days really sucked… make sure you are standing up and walking around a little bit and definitely take a vantage of those hot showers! really soon, you won’t really feel the pain at all… my surgeon didn’t leave me very inflated so you may be different a little bit but I promise it gets better! I literally woke up one day feeling 10 times better than the day before… Happy pumping!

[Wornoutdon]

I'm at week 7 and would say nutsack still a little tender. Week 3 was the turning point for sitting comfortable and driving. I would say I was not prepared for the recovery during the first 2 weeks.

[DaveKell]

An implant is trauma to a very sensitive part of the anatomy. A full couple of months is the norm for everything to settle and your new normal to take place. Believe me, once you start using it the issues evaporate quickly. Be patient.

[Texas75008]

Thanks for the advice. I willed myself to move around the house just a bit more yesterday, and it was as a bit better, although I was sore by the end of the day. The unrelenting pain from the penis is driving me nuts! I hope the doctor is going to deflate this thing after two weeks, but I am not sure. And, I read that deflation is painful as well?

I have been icing, and the hot shower is something I do enjoy. The doctor changed pain meds yesterday (long story) and I think the replacement hydrocodone is better; I will have a better sense of that when I take some later this morning. The doctor emphasized that it takes the body a while to adjust to having a foreign object implanted.

I appreciate this forum and hearing from real patients rather than actors in an AMS advertisement.

[Skier123]

Texas, may I ask what the first painkiller was that your Dr. gave you before the hydrocodone?

[Texas75008]

Yes, he switched me from hydrocodeine to hydrocodone, each was blended with acetaminophen. Longer story; they were giving me the hydrocodone in the hospital but called in the hydrocodeine when I was discharged, and then switched it back. skier123, do you have any knowledge of which drug is more effective?

I generally avoid codeine by the way, and have had surgeries of various types over the years. I generally would be well off of the pain meds one week after surgery. The only exception was a rotator cuff surgery about 10 years ago where the shoulder froze and I took hydrocodone for about 60 days, at which point therapy broke down the scar tissue and the pain had subsided. I seek to avoid these pain meds given they can become addictive, yet, I never had a desire to continue to use them once the pain had cleared. I haven’t determined for the implant whether the hydrocodone addresses the pain or just enhances rest and sleep.

Thanks

[Skier123]

So I have had both in the past or pain control. I believe the hydrocodein is noticably less effective than the hydrocodone. I am not sure if the hydrocodein is even categorized as a narcotic (which may be why you got it).

I can tell you the last time they sent me home with the hydrocodein for a serious finger injury ... I was on the phone the next morning asking for something stronger. They prescibed hydrocodone which did the trick.

I am sensitive to the notion that the hydrocodone is considered to have a higher risk of addiction. But I don't like pain and I have never had any problem discontinuing its use after a few days of use. I am surprised they would only give you the weaker stuff after serious surgery.