David & Pam’s Story

At the age of 51 David suffered from erectile dysfunction after undergoing a radical prostatectomy (removal of the prostate). To treat this David was using penile injection therapy (a self-administered injection to the penis to induce an erection) but found this to be an unsatisfactory solution.

After we began our love making I would have to get out of bed, go into the wardrobe in front of a full-length mirror, and inject myself. “It wasn’t very romantic but it worked.”

He went on to try oral medications and when these failed, an external vacuum device. While this worked, his wife Pam, found the vacuum made David’s penis cold.

Eventually, 10 years later, David opted for a penile implant. He had originally not considered this a viable option as was reluctant to have further surgery after his radical prostatectomy but concedes his biggest regret is waiting so long. The past ten years’ worth of using needles and the vacuum device had left him with some scarring in his penis which made the penile implant surgery more difficult.

“I was very tender after the operation but seven weeks later, once I was taught how to use the device, I was into it very quickly. It’s more spontaneous; I can stay in bed close to Pam and pump up. We can make love for as long as we want to and when it’s all over I just push the button to deflate the penis. It’s very satisfying to know that I can have a full erection so easily. Now I’m quite blasé about it. It’s become part of my body and I don’t know it’s there. Just like my pacemaker, I just don’t think about it.”

Pam’s happy too. After 44 years of marriage she sees the prosthesis as the best solution they’ve come across. Both Pam and David are so impressed by the results of the surgery they speak regularly at public meetings across Australia about their experience.