When a testicle is removed or lost due to testicular torsion, testicular cancer, or another reason, most health insurance plans reimburse the cost of testicular implants if they are medically necessary.
How much does it cost to get a testicular implant?
The surgeon makes a small incision in an inconspicuous location and inserts the saline-filled implants into the scrotum. The transplanted testicle has a natural appearance and has a realistic appearance. With minimal anesthetic, the operation can be performed as an outpatient or in a hospital setting.
The amount of the operation covered by insurance is determined by a man’s medical insurance policy as well as the reason for the surgery. The average cost of testicular implants is roughly $3,000 (2,560).
What to expect before the surgery
Before performing the operation, a urologist or plastic surgeon will need to assess many health factors. The overall health of a man, his recovery capacities (which can be influenced by smoking, drinking, and drugs), and any previous scrotal procedures must all be considered. Along with a routine physical exam, other tests will be performed.
How long does a testicle implant last?
A testicular prosthesis, like any other prosthetic device, has the potential to endure a lifetime. However, you may require more surgery to alter the outcome. It’s also possible to experience pain in the scrotum at the implant’s location. Even if the gadget is removed, the pain may persist in rare circumstances.
Can I get a fake testicle?
A testicular prosthesis is a man-made implant that is implanted in the scrotum when it is empty. Men who are born without a testicle or who have lost a testicle due to injury or disease can benefit from a testicular implant.
Can you get an erection without testes?
The removal of one or both testicles can alter your perception of your physique. Surgery can change how you look, how fertile you are, and how interested you are in sex.
You can be self-conscious about how you appear in front of a spouse or in a locker room. You can have surgery to implant a prosthetic testicle if it is an issue. It’s meant to look like the actual thing and is packed with saline. There will be a minor scar, but it will be hidden by your pubic hair.
You should still be able to have an erection and have sex if you just have one testicle. Your body will be unable to produce sperm if both are eliminated. If you wish to start a family, you should consider storing sperm before the surgery. Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your options.
Your body won’t be able to produce as much testosterone if you don’t have both testicles. It’s possible that this will reduce your sex drive and make erections more difficult. You may experience heat flushes, muscle loss, and feel more exhausted than usual. Consult your doctor about using a testosterone gel, patch, or injection to help with these symptoms.
Does one testicle produce more sperm?
Improve your fertility and conceive more quickly What effect would having one testicle instead of two, or being born with only one testicle have on fertility? The answer is that a man with one testicle produces around the same amount of sperm as a man with two.
Can a man without testicle have babies?
The scenario changes if both testicles are removed. A man’s body is unable to create testosterone without both testicles. He may become less interested in sex and have erection problems, among other symptoms. There will be a need for testosterone replacement therapy for these men.
Men who have both testicles removed are unable to make sperm and so are unable to have biological children. Before surgery, some men are able to bank their sperm. After that, the sperm cells are frozen and stored for later in vitro fertilization.
Do testicular implants need to be changed?
- The majority of individuals who receive a testicle implant claim it improves their self-esteem.
- The implant comes in sizes ranging from exceptionally small to extra large, allowing it to be matched to the opposite testicle.
- The testicle implant surgery can be completed in an outpatient environment in about an hour, and the patient can usually return home the same day. It only takes a few days to recover.
- While the outer appearance of the contemporary, saline-filled implant may be similar to that of a natural testicle, the actual feel of the implant is typically firmer and less pliable.
- It’s possible that you won’t like how the implant appears. In one study, 23% of patients were unhappy with the position or shape of their testicle implant.
- Because the testicle implant is only for aesthetic purposes, it will not produce sperm or testosterone (the male hormone).
- If a growing adolescent receives an implant, he may need it replaced with a larger prosthesis at some point, necessitating another surgery.
- There are a few issues. On both the outside and inside, the implant could protrude, move around, pain, enlarge, bleed, or scar.
- Anesthesia, like any other operation, carries risks that should be thoroughly reviewed prior to the procedure.
- Your insurer may or may not compensate you for the operation. It will cost around $3,000 to complete the project.
If you decide that a testicle implant is right for you, the procedure can be done at the same time as the testicle removal or at a later time.
According to Stephen Boorjian, MD, a surgeon and assistant professor of urologic oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, the implant might be placed by two incisions: one in the scrotum and one in the lower groin area. In the former, an incision is created, and the prosthetic is inserted and stitched in place. The prosthesis is inserted in the lower groin in the latter, known as an inguinal incision, eliminating the risk of the implant sticking out of the scrotal sac.
An inflating balloon is usually used to create the space where the testicle implant will stay. A tiny loop at the end of the implant helps it stay in place in the bottom region of the scrotum.
At the age of 26, Jonny Imerman, the founder of the non-profit cancer support organization Imerman Angels, was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He chose not to have his testicles implanted.
“Imerman explains, “I was asked whether I wanted one, but I realized it wasn’t for me.” “My one testicle is identical to the other.” He claims that the only way to know the difference is to hold it.
However, some men feel compelled to obtain testicle implants because they are concerned that their girlfriend will reject them, according to Imerman. Many guys get them as a result of “He continues, “They want to look the same and are more concerned with aesthetics.”
Younger guys and males who are not in serious partnerships are more likely to undergo testicle implants. “If you’re a little older and have had previous relationships, you’re usually more comfortable with your body,” Imerman says. In general, he claims “A female partner is simply uninterested in that area of the body, and it isn’t a huge concern to them.”
According to Imerman, gay men are more likely than heterosexual guys to receive testicle implants since their lover is more likely to detect a change in their testicles and it is more significant to them.
Imerman had a different motive for not getting an implant. “I’ve been afflicted with an unclean disease known as cancer. “Why would I put anything plastic in there that isn’t going to benefit me?” he wonders.
It is a personal choice whether or not to have a testicle implant. It could or might not be appropriate for you. Before making a decision, carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages. And if you’re not sure, just wait. You can always acquire another one at a later time.
What are the disadvantages of having one testicle?
Having only one testicle is rarely a cause of other health problems. It can, however, cause some health problems.
- Testicular carcinoma is a malignancy of the testicles. This type of cancer is more likely in people who have an undescended testicle. Cancer can develop in either the undescended or descended testicle.
- Subfertility. Having only one testicle can impair your fertility in some circumstances. However, this does not rule out the possibility of having children. You may simply need to be more strategic in your approach.
- Hernias. If you don’t have an undescended testicle removed, it can cause a hernia in the tissue around your groin, which requires surgery.
Are testicular implants safe?
A novel saline-filled testicular implant is safe and enhances quality of life, according to the findings of a national clinical trial. The study, which included patients from 18 different locations, was headed by a team from UCSF.
“Our findings suggest that a testis implant can give patients with a sense of well-being that is more than just cosmetic,” said principal investigator Paul Turek, MD, associate professor of urology at UCSF. The findings are reported in The Journal of Urology’s current issue (October).
The FDA authorized the saline-filled implant used in the research as an investigational device. This implant is used to restore normal look and quality of life in patients who have missing or lost testes.
According to Turek, interest in a new form of implant sparked in the mid-90s when a testicular prosthesis filled with silicone gel was withdrawn from the market in the United States due to worries about the possibility of connective tissue disease associated with silicone breast implants. Since its invention in 1973, the silicone testicular implant has been in use.
The saline-filled implant’s safety was investigated in a multi-site trial, which included signs and symptoms of connective tissue condition. The study is also the first to formally and prospectively analyze the benefit of a testis prosthesis in terms of quality of life.
149 participants were included in the five-year study, which ran from 1998 to 2003, and were followed for at least one year. Men and boys who were missing one or both testicles and had no active malignancy or rheumatologic disease were eligible. A silicone composite shell is filled with injectable grade normal saline in the prosthesis.
Adults had been without a testicle for a median of two years, whereas boys had been without a testicle for a median of nine years. Adults were on average 31 years old, while boys were 13 years old.
According to Turek, while some participants experienced post-operative discomfort after receiving the implant, nearly all patient complications98 percentwere judged minimal. Three implants extruded and one migrated, resulting in a two percent overall re-operation rate. When measured at three-month intervals, all implants remained the same size.
Before and after testis prosthesis placement, standard psychological questionnaires were employed to assess self-esteem and body image evaluations. Self-esteem and body image scores improved significantly in both adults and boys, with the latter group showing the most improvement.
“This study demonstrated quantitative increases in various areas of well-being in suitable age groups, including better self-satisfaction and self-esteem, physical attractiveness, and behaviors and feelings during sexual activity,” Turek stated.
“The findings of the study are especially important for males with testicular cancer,” he stated. Orchiectomy, which is the surgical removal of a testicle to cure a patient of cancer, resulted in the loss of a testicle in more than half of the study participants. Orchiectomy may not alter sexual function, but it frequently affects body image and self-esteem, he said. Cancer and infection are the leading causes of testicular loss in males in the United States, with about 5000 men losing a testicle each year.
Boys suffering from cryptorchidism (undescended testes), torsion injury, or newborn testis tumors, according to Turek, may benefit from a prosthesis. A percentage of prepubertal loss is caused by trauma and orchitis, an inflammation of the testis that is sometimes accompanied with mumps.
Viraj Master, MD, UCSF clinical instructor in urology, and members of the Testicular Prosthesis Study Group were study co-investigators.
Martin K. Dineen, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Lawrence M. Goldstone and Hal Scherz, Atlanta; David; David A. Hatch, Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago; Gerald Jorda, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Va.; Joel Kaufman, Aurora and Martin Koyle, Children’s Hospital, Denver; Stanley Kogan, New York Medical College, White Plains; and Steven Tennenbaum, Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City
Also included are Stephen Kramer, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.; David G. McLeod, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; Michael O’Leary, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Alan Retik, Children’s Hospital, Boston; Joseph Ortenberg, Children’s Hospital, New Orleans; Juan Palomar, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio; Mark Sigman, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, R.I.; and George Stein