What post-op care and signs of complications to watch for after penile prosthesis before resuming sexual activity?

1. Immediate post‑op rules and daily care to protect healing tissue

Patients are typically advised to rest, wear supportive underwear, elevate the scrotum, use ice (without direct skin contact) to reduce swelling, avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity, and refrain from driving while taking narcotic analgesics — these measures limit strain on the incision and help prevent pouching or hematoma formation ^{[5] [1] [6] [7]}.

2. Wound, drain, and medication management in the first days and weeks

Expect dissolvable stitches and possible Jackson‑Pratt drain use to remove early blood and fluid; small blood staining of dressings can persist for up to 72 hours, and many programs allow showering after 48–72 hours while cautioning not to scrub the incision ^{[2] [4]}. Antibiotic protocols vary, but many teams use intraoperative antibiotic strategies and sometimes a short postoperative course to reduce infection risk ^{[8] [9]}.

3. Pain control and gradual activity progression

Most patients have peak pain in the first week that improves with time; multimodal analgesia (acetaminophen, short NSAID course or prescribed NSAID alternatives, gabapentin, and limited narcotics) is commonly used, and providers recommend avoiding strenuous exertion for several weeks to protect the repair ^{[10] [11] [5]}.

4. Device cycling and the timing to resume sexual activity

Before resuming intercourse, inflatable devices are usually taught and gently cycled in clinic around four to six weeks so the device and surrounding tissue can adapt and to prevent pseudo‑capsule formation; many centers require a demonstration of pumping technique at the 4–6 week visit and then clear patients to resume sexual activity after adequate cycling and healing ^{[2] [10] [3] [4]}.

5. Early warning signs of infection to act on immediately

Persistent or worsening penile or scrotal pain, localized erythema or edema, fever or rigors, wound drainage (purulent or serous), or exposure of device parts through the skin are classic red flags for prosthesis infection and usually prompt urgent contact with the surgical team because infections often require device removal or targeted treatment ^{[8] [9]}.

6. Recognizing hematoma, malfunction, or extrusion

Postoperative hematoma can present as increasing swelling, bruising, or new severe pain and is mitigated by meticulous hemostasis, compressive dressings, and drains at surgery; inability to operate the pump as expected, new deformity, scrotal pump migration/pouching, or visible device extrusion are mechanical problems that require prompt evaluation and sometimes return to the operating room ^{[8] [9] [5]}.

7. What counts as “normal” sensations after surgery and limits of available data

Intermittent twinges of pain or soreness with inflation can continue for months and up to a year as the body adapts to the implant, and many patients report return to function and satisfaction after the prescribed waiting period; however, overall short‑term complication rates vary in the literature (for example a 30‑day complication rate reported at ~11.3% in one multi‑institution study, with infections comprising a plurality of early events), underscoring the importance of surgeon experience and institutional protocols ^{[1] [5] [12]}.

8. Practical next steps and when to contact the team

Follow the surgical center’s timeline for drain removal and the 4–6 week clinic visit, begin instructed device cycling only when advised, avoid any sexual activity until cleared, and call the surgeon immediately for fever, spreading redness, persistent or worsening pain beyond the expected course, wound drainage, inability to use the pump properly, or if parts of the device become visible beneath the skin—these are the usual triggers for expedited assessment ^{[2] [8] [7]}.