Comparison of in-patient and out-patient penile prosthesis surgery

Between December 1996 and December 1998, 79 inflatable penile implant insertions have been performed at our institution by a single surgeon. The objective of this analysis was to compare our in-patient and out-patient experience with penile prosthesis insertion with respect to ease of performance and complication profiles. Data was collected in a prospective manner for both groups (in-patient, n = 33 and out-patient, n = 46). The two groups were compared with respect to intra-operative blood loss, operative time, time lost from work, narcotic use and complication rates. Both groups of patients experienced similar operative blood loss, essentially identical operative times, time lost from work and narcotic use. Most importantly, overall complication rates were 6% for the in-patient group and 4% for the out-patient group. Inflatable penile implant surgery is feasible in an ambulatory surgical setting. There is no difference in complication rates, loss of time from work, or intra-operative and post-operative course. Furthermore, there is a significant saving at our institution by performing the procedure in an out-patient fashion. In-patient prosthetic surgery is reserved for secondary procedures following a prior implant infection or primary implants in men with significant co-morbidities that require in-patient postoperative monitoring.