What is a Testicular Implant?
About the Device
The Coloplast saline-filled testicular implant is about the same weight, shape and softness of a normal testicle. It comes in four sizes — extra-small, small, medium and large. The implant is made of a molded silicone elastomer shell that is approximately 0.035 inches thick. It is not visible on x-ray.
How the Device Works
The Coloplast saline-filled testicular implant is filled by your doctor before surgery. It includes a self-sealing injection site at one end that allows the doctor to fill the device with a sterile saline solution. On the opposite end of the implant is a silicone elastomer tab that enables the doctor to suture and secure the implant into a set position, if this is desired. Once the implant has been filled and sutured into place, the doctor can add more saline for a better cosmetic appearance.
Considerations
You should know that testicular implants, like other medical implant devices, should not be considered lifetime devices. There is the chance, though minimal, that the body could have an adverse reaction to the implant, or that the implant may either rupture or leak (or both). These will require the implant to be removed (see “What are the potential risks and complications?”).
The long-term rates of deflation and resurgery are currently not known; however, a 5-year study is currently being done to assess these possible problems.
Based on the information from the clinical studies of the saline-filled testicular implant, approximately 1 in 30 patients require resurgery within the first year to either remove or adjust the implant. Testicular implants placed in a small child may need to be replaced by a larger implant as the child matures and grows, if the child or his parents wish to maintain a size that closely matches the child’s other healthy testicle. In addition, infection or extrusion (when the implant shifts and presses out through the skin) may also require additional surgery.
