Implant at NHS ( UK )

[malecdubrava]

Hi guys,

Hope you are all doing great!

Mainly, I do address this question for people living in the UK, who are using NHS system for a penile prothesys surgery.

Just want to ask a couple of questions related to the topic. Would really appreciate your replies guys as it will be super helpful for me right now.

Questions:

1. Is it a good idea to use NHS for that kind of surgey? I heard that it is super important to find an experienced surgeon who has a lot of experience in penile implants.
2. Do you know if it is possible to request an information of a specific NHS surgeon?
3. What kind of implants NHS normally offer to their patients?
4. Would you be able to recommend a good hospital in London, who are well known for penile implants treatments?

At the moment I am a bit confused and just want to choose the best and safe option.

Thank you guys for your time! Wish all the best to everyone

[Jonarr]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I had an implant on NHS in N Yorks on 10 August. This is just my experience it may be very different elsewhere.

1. Is it a good idea to use NHS for that kind of surgey? I heard that it is super important to find an experienced surgeon who has a lot of experience in penile implants.
Personally I wish with hindsight I’d gone private. I wasn’t very satisfied with the care and aftercare. It really depends on affordability but this is a big deal and you deserve the best.
2. Do you know if it is possible to request an information of a specific NHS surgeon? You are entitled to ask your surgeon questions such as his level of experience in this arena. If he doesn’t like that or is evasive I’d say that’s a massive red flag. Read the posts on here, the advice is make sure you go with a high volume implanter. You may not get that choice on NHS
3. What kind of implants NHS normally offer to their patients? I was given a model called the Zephyr. It is cheaper and newer than the main two products Titan and AMS. Definitely ask about that and if there is a choice. If I had gone private I would have paid the difference and had the AMS. I don’t know whether there is any difference really, but the Zephyr does not have much research history to back up its efficacy.
4. Would you be able to recommend a good hospital in London, who are well known for penile implants treatments? The name that keeps coming up in London is DR David Ralph. I don’t know if he does NHS work but he sounds like the best man, I’m sure you can find out on google. Good luck my friend and feel free to ask any other questions.

[malecdubrava]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I had an implant on NHS in N Yorks on 10 August. This is just my experience it may be very different elsewhere.

1. Is it a good idea to use NHS for that kind of surgey? I heard that it is super important to find an experienced surgeon who has a lot of experience in penile implants.
Personally I wish with hindsight I’d gone private. I wasn’t very satisfied with the care and aftercare. It really depends on affordability but this is a big deal and you deserve the best.
2. Do you know if it is possible to request an information of a specific NHS surgeon? You are entitled to ask your surgeon questions such as his level of experience in this arena. If he doesn’t like that or is evasive I’d say that’s a massive red flag. Read the posts on here, the advice is make sure you go with a high volume implanter. You may not get that choice on NHS
3. What kind of implants NHS normally offer to their patients? I was given a model called the Zephyr. It is cheaper and newer than the main two products Titan and AMS. Definitely ask about that and if there is a choice. If I had gone private I would have paid the difference and had the AMS. I don’t know whether there is any difference really, but the Zephyr does not have much research history to back up its efficacy.
4. Would you be able to recommend a good hospital in London, who are well known for penile implants treatments? The name that keeps coming up in London is DR David Ralph. I don’t know if he does NHS work but he sounds like the best man, I’m sure you can find out on google. Good luck my friend and feel free to ask any other questions.

Wow, thanks a lot for such a detailed and quick reply! I will definitely take everything you said into consideration!

May I just add a couple more questions?

1. Before they made a final diagnosis for you, have you been offered to do a doppler ultrasound scan with an injection that makes an erection to check the blood flow and veins?

2. And a personal question. After all of the above, are you personally happy with an implant and it's function? Because myself I am just 28 and it's slightly feels dramatic to have an implant at this age, however I believe I am probably ready for this

Also, huge thank you for spending YOUR time to answer my questions and help. It means a lot!

[Patrick123]

I had my implant done privately in the Uk so I cant comment on nhs Im afraid. However I did have it done in London, and it was under Prof David Ralph. I am very happy with how things worked out. Feel free to ask any questions I may be able to help you with.

I started my journey with Prof Ralph in my early 30s, both of us wanted to be sure an implant was the last resort available to me as I was also considered young for an implant. I had all the tests done , scans etc including 2 vein ligation surgeries. Finnaly I accepted the only solution for me would be an implant. I think it is vital to exhaust all avenues before commiting to an implant.

However, when I made my decision to go ahead with an implant , and 5months later now... my only regret is not doing it sooner. I would echo what most people say here- a good surgeon is the most important thing, and if I needed a revision in the morning I would be straight back to Prof Ralph and nobody else.

[malecdubrava]

I had my implant done privately in the Uk so I cant comment on nhs Im afraid. However I did have it done in London, and it was under Prof David Ralph. I am very happy with how things worked out. Feel free to ask any questions I may be able to help you with.

I started my journey with Prof Ralph in my early 30s, both of us wanted to be sure an implant was the last resort available to me as I was also considered young for an implant. I had all the tests done , scans etc including 2 vein ligation surgeries. Finnaly I accepted the only solution for me would be an implant. I think it is vital to exhaust all avenues before commiting to an implant.

However, when I made my decision to go ahead with an implant , and 5months later now... my only regret is not doing it sooner. I would echo what most people say here- a good surgeon is the most important thing, and if I needed a revision in the morning I would be straight back to Prof Ralph and nobody else.

Hey!

Thanks a lot for your reply! Yes, it looks that you are all right guys, private doctor is probably a safer option due to expereince and the follow ups.

[Benjohn]

Thanks for asking those questions, a really useful thread. In an ideal world it would be great if Dr Ralph offers implants on the NHS. I wonder if anyone knows this?
Either way, I've started saving money now knowing that one day I'll probably have to bite the bullet and go private.

[Jonarr]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I had an implant on NHS in N Yorks on 10 August. This is just my experience it may be very different elsewhere.

1. Is it a good idea to use NHS for that kind of surgey? I heard that it is super important to find an experienced surgeon who has a lot of experience in penile implants.
Personally I wish with hindsight I’d gone private. I wasn’t very satisfied with the care and aftercare. It really depends on affordability but this is a big deal and you deserve the best.
2. Do you know if it is possible to request an information of a specific NHS surgeon? You are entitled to ask your surgeon questions such as his level of experience in this arena. If he doesn’t like that or is evasive I’d say that’s a massive red flag. Read the posts on here, the advice is make sure you go with a high volume implanter. You may not get that choice on NHS
3. What kind of implants NHS normally offer to their patients? I was given a model called the Zephyr. It is cheaper and newer than the main two products Titan and AMS. Definitely ask about that and if there is a choice. If I had gone private I would have paid the difference and had the AMS. I don’t know whether there is any difference really, but the Zephyr does not have much research history to back up its efficacy.
4. Would you be able to recommend a good hospital in London, who are well known for penile implants treatments? The name that keeps coming up in London is DR David Ralph. I don’t know if he does NHS work but he sounds like the best man, I’m sure you can find out on google. Good luck my friend and feel free to ask any other questions.

Wow, thanks a lot for such a detailed and quick reply! I will definitely take everything you said into consideration!

May I just add a couple more questions?

1. Before they made a final diagnosis for you, have you been offered to do a doppler ultrasound scan with an injection that makes an erection to check the blood flow and veins?

2. And a personal question. After all of the above, are you personally happy with an implant and it's function? Because myself I am just 28 and it's slightly feels dramatic to have an implant at this age, however I believe I am probably ready for this

Also, huge thank you for spending YOUR time to answer my questions and help. It means a lot!

Hi there, you’re welcome. As for your questions

1. I never did. I wish I had done. I’m 56 now and had ED since I was 24. I have no idea of cause and now will never know.
2. Most of the guys on here are pro implant and it does have a very satisfaction rating in research literature. I have had a few problems with mine but I’ve made it worse through my own thinking and ruminating. If you are the sort of person who has issues with anxiety or excessive health worries the psychological impact of the procedure could be significant. Even though risk is low it is possible to get an infection which would mean more surgeries and expense. Also at your age you are almost certainly going to need revisions in your life at some point because these devices do not last forever. If you can still have a sex life using pills, VED, or injections it is generally better to exhaust those options before the implant route. That said, with all the issues I wish I had done this years ago myself. If the medications are not working at your age, I would definitely go for it. A lifetime of ED has affected the quality of my relationships and self esteem significantly and I would not wish that on you.

[LeRoastBeef]

a) It's all about the surgeon.
Go for the best you can get. If you can get him/her through the NHS then go for that. Although accept that the waiting time will be longer. Waiting times are worse still in Scotland because wee Krankie has stopped 'non essential' operations. El Cunto.

If you do manage to get set up with the right surgeon, the actualy experience of the operation and recovery wont be that different to private.
Most of the time anyway. That came from the surgeon I managed to get.

The problem with the NHS is that it is slow, and you have limited choice. Even with my surgeon of choice on side it took 3 and a half years of fighting for a referal. This is a long time without a full life. I was very lucky to have him, he did the work/had the power.

Try to get a referal to the best, or at least one who is very good, through the NHS. If they are not in the vicinity then you will have to justify why you should be refered out of region to another. They are good at saying no.

b) The implants used primarly are (I think) AMS CX and Titan coloplast. They do use the lgx on occasion, but this is more expensive and has to be justified by the surgeon.

c) Dr David Ralph is very popular, Suks Minhas is also elite. I'm sure there are many good surgeons in London of all places. The research is there for you do to.