Penis pumps, surgery and implants

If medications aren't effective or appropriate in your case, your doctor might recommend a different treatment. Other treatments include:

• Penis pumps. A penis pump (vacuum erection device) is a hollow tube with a hand-powered or battery-powered pump. The tube is placed over your penis, and then the pump is used to suck out the air inside the tube. This creates a vacuum that pulls blood into your penis.

  Once you get an erection, you slip a tension ring around the base of your penis to hold in the blood and keep it firm. You then remove the vacuum device.

  The erection typically lasts long enough for a couple to have sex. You remove the tension ring after intercourse. Bruising of the penis is a possible side effect, and ejaculation will be restricted by the band. Your penis might feel cold to the touch.

  If a penis pump is a good treatment choice for you, your doctor might recommend or prescribe a specific model.

• Penile implants. This treatment involves surgically placing devices into both sides of the penis. These implants consist of either inflatable or semirigid rods. Inflatable devices allow you to control when and how long you have an erection. The semirigid rods keep your penis firm but bendable.

  Penile implants are usually not recommended until other methods have been tried first. Implants have a high degree of satisfaction among men who have tried and failed more-conservative therapies. As with any surgery, there's a risk of complications, such as infection.

• Blood vessel surgery. Rarely, erectile dysfunction is treated by bypassing obstructed penile arteries. This is uncommon, however, and is only recommended in a small percentage of men.