Living with an implant
Can you have an orgasm with a penile implant?
Orgasm depends on nerves, not rigidity — which is why an implant leaves it essentially unchanged.
4 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
Yes. Orgasm depends on nerve pathways rather than on erection, which is why many men with severe erectile dysfunction can still reach orgasm without a usable erection. An implant does not alter those pathways.
Why an implant does not change orgasm
The implant is placed inside the corpora cavernosa, the paired erectile chambers. The nerves responsible for sensation and for orgasm run outside those chambers and are not part of the operation. Rigidity is replaced; the sensory and orgasmic machinery is left alone.
Ejaculation
Also unchanged by the implant. This point matters most for men who have had a radical prostatectomy: the prostate and seminal vesicles have been removed, so there is no ejaculate, and an implant does not restore it. Orgasm is generally still possible in that situation — it is described as dry.
What can affect orgasm after surgery
- Pain or anxiety during the early period after activation, which usually settles as confidence builds.
- Pre-existing conditions such as diabetic neuropathy, spinal cord injury or nerve damage from previous surgery.
- Medication, particularly some antidepressants, which affects orgasm independently of the implant.
- Low testosterone, which affects libido rather than rigidity and is worth checking.