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Editorial
. 2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S244-S251.
doi: 10.21037/tau.2019.09.01.

The future of penile prostheses for the treatment of erectile dysfunction

John P Lindsey 2nd  1 , Tom F Lue  1 , Alan W Shindel  1
Affiliations
Editorial

The future of penile prostheses for the treatment of erectile dysfunction

John P Lindsey 2nd et al. Transl Androl Urol. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

Penile prostheses (both inflatable and malleable) are standard care in the management of erectile dysfunction (ED). Introduced over 45 years ago, modern penile implants have evolved greatly during that period of time and now represent the cutting edge in materials science and function. Despite the introduction of highly effective oral pharmacotherapy for ED, these devices have remained relevant and will almost certainly remain so for the foreseeable future. Despite their high degree of efficacy, there is always potential for further improvements in both implants themselves and the surgical techniques and processes used for their placement. In this manuscript we speculate on the future of penile implants, based in large part on the historical perspective and recent developments in the implant surgery space. We include recommendations on future technical innovations, post-operative management, and novel implant designs that may revolutionize the future management of ED.

Keywords: Erectile dysfunction (ED); material science; penile implant; prosthetics; sexual dysfunction.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The focused issue “Contemporary Issues and Controversies in Men’s Health” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. TFL serves as an unpaid Editorial-in-Chief of Translational Andrology and Urology. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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