The Truth About Subcutaneous Silicone Penile Implants for Penis Enlargement: A Surgeon’s Perspective

Many men ask me about the subcutaneous silicone penile implant used for penis enlargement. It is commonly known as P***** or the E**** implant.  I am not permitted to use either of those names, having been threatened with litigation if I do. 

But I am creating a link to this article from Insider that explains my issues with the device.

My experience with these implants is that, much like breast implants, once the implant is placed, the normal anatomy of the organ is changed permanently.  So, a penile implant that is in place for more than a few weeks will alter the appearance of the penis permanently for several reasons.  First, the skin of the penis is stretched and won’t return to its preoperative state.  Second, the implant causes a response called a capsule.  A capsule is scar tissue that forms around any foreign body, whether it is a breast implant, a pacemaker or a penis implant.  It is the body’s response to a foreign material.  It is a normal biological response. I have seen several issues with the capsule.  It can distort the appearance of the penis.  It can compress the nerve to the head of the penis.  There are surgical solutions to each of these problems.  There are no non-surgical solutions that are reliable. In addition, these subcutaneous implants are attached to the penis with a material that is a synthetic mesh.  I always remove the mesh when I remove these implants. Some surgeons claim that the mesh is dangerous or too difficult to remove.  It is difficult to remove and it has risks of removal since it is placed directly on the nerve to the head of the penis. Careful surgery can be performed to remove the mesh.  In my experience, men who have sensation in the head of their penis before I remove the mesh have told me that they have sensation after it was removed.  In addition, some patients who have lost sensation get a return of sensation after removal of the mesh and the scar tissue around the nerve.

I do tell patients that while I don’t insert these implants for penis enlargement, I have a large experience in removing them and in treating the complications from the devices that patients have presented to me.  If you have questions after reading the article, please call the office.