Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi has performed a historic penile implant procedure to treat erectile dysfunction, becoming the first in East and Central Africa to do so.

The procedure was performed on a man in his 40s and had been suffering from erectile dysfunction for a number of years and had tried other treatment modalities to no avail.

“The procedure takes about an hour and involves implanting a prosthesis device in the penis. The advantage of this surgery is that the man can have intercourse anytime they like without using medication,” said Dr Ahmed Yousef, Consultant Urologist and lead surgeon for the procedure.

Dr Yousef said the tests, including a penile doppler ultrasound, showed he had severe venous leakage causing the problem and an implant was the ideal treatment for the patient.

Aga Khan University Hospital. PHOTO/AKUH

He added, “Through this procedure his erectile dysfunction condition has been treated. If he had an issues with premature ejaculation, it will also be treated by this procedure.”

This is the first time for the procedure to be conducted in Kenya and the entire region because it requires a rare specialized expertise, a sub-specialty in urology.

It is estimated that about 15-20 per cent of men suffer from erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation causing many to suffer in silence due to the nature of the problem.

Such patients can now access specialised care from urologists at the Nairobi-based hospital.