Preparation for Implant Surgery

Having implant surgery for incontinence with an artificial sphincter or undergo penile implant is an important decision.  Preparation in the days and weeks before surgery is also critical.  Achieving a good outcome starts before you arrive at the hospital and it is my primary goal for men.

• You will be notified if your urine culture or nose swab is positive for MRSA bacteria, in which case you will need to have this cleared before surgery.

• Skin care / preparation
  • Do not shave or clip the hairs in the groin or around the penis for 2 weeks prior to surgery;  I will do this at the time of the operation
  • Purchase the skin cleanser, Hibiclens.  
  • Starting 3-4 days before your surgery you will use the cleanser daily.  In the shower, lather up the soap from the naval / belly button to the top of the thighs and include the penis and scrotum.  Leave on the skin for 5 minutes then rinse.
  • If you develop open sores, rash or cuts in the skin leading up to surgery please let us know.  This will need to be examined.  Rarely, surgery is postponed until these things resolve.

• Please read all of the paperwork provided by the surgery scheduler.  This is where your surgery time, arrival time and preop information will be found.
  • You will be instructed to call the hospital preoperative program (or attend the appointment if it was required).  They will instruct you on which medications to take and which to stop.
  • If you have a pacemaker or defibrillator, take blood thinners or have a history of heart problems, it is best to get clearance from your cardiologist or primary doctor.  This is elective surgery and we want to ensure that you are healthy at the time of the operation.

• Good blood sugar control, for diabetics, facilitates better healing and less risk of infection after surgery.

• If you use a C-PAP device, bring this to the hospital on the day of surgery.

• Likely you will spend the night in hospital, and you may be sent home with a catheter.

• Please contact us for clarification or if you have further questions about the preparation.

Consider reading my blog post on Recovering from Penile Implant Surgery.

 

• Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash