Here's one guy's perspective on what a provider might like to know about a guy with a penile implant.
1) The purpose of the implant is to allow a guy with severe ED to have an erection. Most men report a loss of length after the implant, but some no loss. No one reports a gain, except sometimes in girth. This is definitely not male enhancement. An implant is always the last resort after everything else has been tried, and just about everyone who has one has been through years and sometimes decades of frustration.
2) Everything is supposed to look and feel pretty normal for the partner, both flaccid and erect. Flaccid is usually bigger than before surgery, with less difference in size between flaccid and erect. Single men with implants sometimes do not tell their partners, and 90% of the time they never know. An experienced and observant provider would be more likely to notice, I would guess.
3) An erection is achieved by squeezing a pump several times. The pump is like a 3rd testicle, though ideally its placed discreetly. The erection only goes away by pushing a release valve on the pump. When an uninformed partner notices, they usually feel the pump. Of course, the pumping itself is noticeable if done in front of the partner. Guys who don't tell usually try to pump at a moment where it won't be noticed. Pumping does not all have to be done at once either.
4) The hardness and rigidity of the erection can be controlled by how many times the pump is squeezed. Most men, at maximum hardness, are as hard or harder than they have ever been in their lives. Most partners prefer less than the maximum, and there is a choice that can be made.
5) Many men, but not all, report reduced sensitivity and increased difficulty with orgasm, especially with intercourse.
6) Obvious perhaps, but worth emphasizing, is that the state of a guy's erection is not necessarily an indicator of his state of arousal. He can be erect and not aroused, aroused and not erect, and all combinations in between. If you want to know what the guy's state is, you need to look to other cues, or have him tell you.
7) While a guy can maintain an erection for a long time, hours if desired (no worry about 4 hours), that doesn't mean a guy wants to. The cycle of desire and arousal is pretty normal apart from the possibly reduced sensitivity noted above. He can, however, get erect any time, on demand. There is no limit to how many times he deflates and goes flaccid, and gets erect again. Neither action is difficult or a big deal.
8) For some men, learning to have sex with an implant involves some relearning. Different sensations, learning the mechanical elements, etc. For others, little or no adjustment.
