Living with an implant
Can a penile implant reduce length?
Perceived shortening is one of the commonest complaints after implant surgery, and it is largely predictable before you ever reach theatre.
5 minute read
- Written by
- Istanbul Penile Implant Centre editorial team
- Medically reviewed by
- Prof. Dr. Bülent AlıcıMD, Professor of Urology and Andrology
- Published
- Last updated
Some men report that the penis feels or looks shorter after an implant. This is worth understanding properly, because it is one of the main reasons a technically successful operation can leave a patient dissatisfied.
Where the perception comes from
- Shortening that was already present before surgery, from long-standing erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease or previous pelvic surgery, becomes more noticeable once a reliable erection exists to compare against.
- The implant is sized to the erectile bodies as measured, so scarred or contracted tissue yields a shorter cylinder.
- The glans does not become rigid with the implant, which can make the erect penis look different from what a man remembers.
- Memory of pre-illness erections is not a reliable baseline. Very few men have measured themselves.
Who is most likely to notice it
- Men with Peyronie’s disease or significant corporal fibrosis.
- Men having revision surgery, where scarring reduces the space available.
- Men who have waited a long time after radical prostatectomy before considering an implant.
What can be done
The most effective intervention happens before surgery: an explicit conversation about length, ideally with measurement documented, so that expectation and outcome are compared against the same thing. Surgically, cylinder sizing, careful dilation and specific manoeuvres at the time of implantation can influence the result, and devices designed to expand in length are one consideration among several. None of this makes an implant a lengthening operation.