Do Penis Pumps Work? September 21, 2011 by Deborah Mitchell Do Penis Pumps Work? Does size matter? For many men it does, and not only in the bedroom. You may wonder if your penis is a normal length or an average size, and if your penis size and length satisfy your sex partner. Your concerns may lead you to look for ways to increase the length and size of your penis, but you’re not sure you can believe the penis pump lengthening ads you’ve seen in magazines or on the Internet. You have good reason to question these ads. The old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” generally applies to claims of penis lengthening with a penis pump. One of the claims is that a penis pump can increase penis length and size, and to a certain extent it is true. Benefits of a Penis Pump Perhaps more important, however, are the benefits you can get from a penis pump, which include supporting penile tissue health and maintaining penis length and size after prostatectomy (prostate surgery). But use of a penis pump isn’t limited to men who have had a prostatectomy: Some men also find that using a penis pump helps them maintain penis size and length as their nighttime erections (nocturnal erections) decline in number or if they want to help improve their erections. If any of these scenarios describe you, then you could benefit from using a penis pump. Here’s how the penis pump (also known as a vacuum erection device [VED] or vacuum constriction device) works. What is a Penis Pump? A penis pump consists of a pump that is attached to a cylinder and is designed to help men who have erectile dysfunction achieve and maintain an erection. To use a penis pump, you place the transparent cylinder, which is fitted with an airtight seal at its base, over your penis. You then use the pump, which can be operated either electrically or manually, to pump the air out of the cylinder, which creates a partial vacuum around your penis. The vacuum forces blood to flow into the penis, which results in an immediate increase in both penis length and size. You then remove the cylinder and place a constriction ring at the base of your penis to maintain your erection for sexual intercourse. A penis pump can be an effective treatment if you have erectile dysfunction, especially if you have not responded to other treatments for erectile dysfunction, or the options caused unacceptable side effects. Most men who use a penis pump can achieve an erection sufficient for sex. The risk of side effects with a penis pump is low, the overall cost is less than other erectile dysfunction treatments, and a penis pump can be used along with other treatments, including medications for erectile dysfunction. Penis Pump after Prostate Surgery (Prostatectomy) One of the side effects of radical prostatectomy (prostate surgery) that men don’t hear much about is a reduction in penis length, which occurs in about half of men who have the surgery. The loss of penis length and size, along with erectile dysfunction, which is also common among men who have a prostatectomy, can be a real blow for men recovering from prostate cancer surgery. One effective way to maintain penis length and size after prostatectomy is to use a penis pump soon after surgery. The success of this approach has been demonstrated in a number of penis pump studies. One study involved 42 men who had good sexual function before they underwent nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. The day after the men had their catheters removed, they began daily use of a penis pump for 90 days. Thirty-six men used the penis pump more than 50 percent of the 90 days, and only one of those men had a decrease in penis length of 1.0 centimeter or more. When you compare these results with previous research, in which 48 percent of men had a significant reduction in penis length after prostatectomy, it appears that use of a penis pump soon after surgery is an effective way to preserve penis length. (Dalkin 2007) Similar positive results were also seen in another study. This one involved 28 men who were randomly assigned to use a penis pump at either one month (17 men, group 1) or six months (11 men, group 2) after undergoing nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. Men in group 1 used the penis pump 10 minutes daily for 5 months without a constriction ring. After three months, penis length had decreased by about 2 centimeters in men in group 2 but was preserved in group 1 in all men. At 12 months, only 2 of the 17 men in group 1 had a loss of penis length 2 centimeters or greater compared with 5 of 11 men in group 2. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that using a penis pump within one month after radical prostatectomy helps to preserve penis length. (Kohler 2007) At Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 141 men were offered various non-oral treatment options, including a penis pump, to prevent erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy. At 5 years, 62% of the men were sexually active, and nearly 60% of them had used a penis pump as early treatment after prostatectomy. (Raina 2010) Penis Pump plus Cialis after Prostatectomy Men who combined use of a penis pump and tadalafil (Cialis) after prostatectomy also found that the combination helped them preserve penis length and erection function. After undergoing nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy, seven men received tadalafil (20 mg three times weekly) only, while 13 men took tadalafil plus use of a penis pump (10 minutes daily for at least 5 days weekly). The men started treatments one month after surgery and had clinic visits at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Before each visit, the men were asked to attempt intercourse at least twice. Men who took tadalafil and used the penis pump had significantly greater scores for penile hardness and on the International Index of Erectile Function than did men in the tadalafil-only group. After 12 months, 92% of men in the penis pump group were able to achieve intercourse to orgasm compared with only 29% in the tadalafil-only group. (Engel 2011) Penis Pump for Better Erections Although a penis pump is proving itself to be an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction and for maintaining penis length after prostatectomy, it can also help men who want to have better erections and to preserve erectile function even among men who have not had prostate cancer treatment. The reason for this is simple: use of a penis pump improves oxygenation of penile tissues and enhances blood flow to the penis, and reduces the chance of formation of cavernosal fibrosis (abnormal fibrous tissue in the penis), all of which can increase the chances of preserving erectile function and penis length. (Yuan 2010) In fact, a lack or decline of nighttime erections can lead to cavernosal fibrosis. Therefore, if you have noticed a decline in nighttime erections and/or you want to help preserve penis length and erectile function, talk to your doctor about using a penis pump. Can A Penis Pump Increase Penis Length and Size? Do Penis Pumps Work? While the good news is that your penis will likely increase in length and size when using a penis pump, the gains are only temporary. Some men who use a penis pump regularly, about three to five times a week for at least 20 minutes per session, claim they can maintain greater penis length. However, if they stop using the penis pump for a few days, their penis returns to its previous size, as it was before the penis pump. Other Ways to Increase Penis Length and Size But if your penis length and size are still a concern and a temporary penis pump solution is not what you want, there are surgical techniques that can increase the length of your penis. One involves cutting the ligament that connects the penis to the pelvis, which may allow more of the penile shaft to be visible. After this surgery, you will need to use weights or stretching devices on your penis every day for about six months to prevent the ligament from reattaching. For all this effort, you may get an additional inch or two, depending on the size of your penis. Another surgical approach can add width to your penis and involves inserting donor human skin (processed to remove all the cells) under the skin of the penis shaft. If surgery is not what you had in mind, don’t count on a penis pump to make your penis longer or wider—at least not in the long-term. But a penis pump can increase penis length and size in the short-term and has been proven useful in studies for post prostate surgery restoration of erectile function. Dr John. Mulhall from Sloan Kettering Discusses Treatments for Increasing Penis Size and Length Sources Dalkin BL, Christopher BA. Preservation of penile length after radical prostatectomy: early intervention with a vacuum erection device. Int J Impot Res 2007 Sep-Oct; 19(5): 501-4 Engel JD. Effect on sexual function of a vacuum erection device post-prostatectomy. Can J Urol 2011 Jun; 18(3): 5721-25 Kohler TS et al. A pilot study on the early use of the vacuum erection device after radical retropubic prostatectomy. BJU Int 2007 Oct; 100(4): 858-62 Raina R et al. Long-term potency after early use of a vacuum erection device following radical prostatectomy. BJU Int 2010 Dec; 106(11): 1719-22 Yuan J et al Vacuum therapy in erectile dysfunction—science and clinical evidence. Int J Impot Res 2010 Jul-Aug; 22(4): 211-19 Filed Under: ED and Sexual Health, Erectile Dysfunction, Latest News and Articles Follow Me on Pinterest Decrease text size Increase text size 300x250b3jpg ADVERTISEMENT Latest Men’s Health News 7 ways to shrink your prostate 7 Ways to Shrink Your Prostate Screen Shot 2014-12-08 at 12.15.38 PM 12 Things All Men Should Know About Their Balls natural ways to boost testosterone 5 Natural Ways to Boost Energy and Vitality in Men ways to prevent prostate cancer 6 Ways to Prevent Prostate Cancer memory loss in men Dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease in Men See All Articles > 300x250bjpg ADVERTISEMENT Subscribe to Prostate.net Newsletters Yes, Please send me the Healthy Living for Men Newsletter I am also interested in: Prostate Cancer BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy) Sexual Health and ED Low Testosterone Prostatitis - See more at: http://www.prostate.net/2011/erectile-dysfunction-impotence/do-penis-pumps-work/#sthash.SgyMFGfe.dpuf