Diabetes patients sometimes develop other health issues, from vision problems to skin conditions, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. In men, a common complication is erectile dysfunction. In his latest video, Dr. Andrew Kramer, urology specialist and penile implant surgeon, performs and discusses penile implant surgery in a diabetic patient.
The patient is a three-hour drive away from the clinic but decided nonetheless to work with Dr. Kramer as he is a well-respected and renowned urologist specializing in penile implants. The doctor, incidentally, performs about 10-15 penile implant surgeries per week.
Erectile dysfunction in a diabetic patient
Of the various health issues linked to diabetes, erectile dysfunction tops the list of primary concerns in male patients. Erectile dysfunction in a male diabetic develops for various reasons but in general, it could develop if the patient has been remiss in diabetic care, meaning they have been neglecting prescribed medication, have not been watching what they eat, and basically not taking better care of their physical health.
More serious health issues arising from diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, may also cause erectile dysfunction.
Penile implant surgery reveals medical symptoms
As Dr. Andrew Kramer, urology specialist, prepares to perform a penile implant surgery on the patient, he first injects the patient with a local anesthetic to help with the discomfort associated with surgeries. The needle causes a bit of hematoma on the penis, which could have been caused by diabetes as diabetics are usually more prone to bruising.
As the doctor makes an incision to expose the corpora, he notices thick tissue inside, which he surmises to be linked to diabetes. It is not scar tissue or plaque that is often a symptom of Peyronie’s disease but rather, thick tissue that feels like quicksand or something really dense, according to the doctor. This means he has to navigate slowly in order not to damage the corpora and reach the glans or tip of the penis without problem. To achieve this, he creates what he calls two up and two down, which simply means two spaces up to the tip of the penis and two spaces down to the pelvis. These will enable him to insert the cylinders easily and place the reservoir without problem.
Inserting the implant, Dr. Andrew Kramer noticed another thing, a bit of plaque and scar tissue toward the tip of the penis. Where it’s supposed to be nice, supple and spongy, it’s just thick and fibrotic. This time, the complication wasn’t caused by diabetes but another health issue, which Dr. Kramer deduced to be endothelial dysfunction, a non-obstructive coronary artery disease.
AMS CX implant
Dr. Andrew Kramer used the AMS CX inflatable implant device on the patient to provide the patient with more rigidity, and according to the doctor, “because you want to open that space that was scarred down, and he’s thick and long.”
Testing the implant, Dr. Kramer proceeds to squeeze the pump bulb inserted in the scrotum and immediately the penis starts to thicken and become erect.