A young man in Costa Rica who suffered from a malignant tumor in his spinal cord is recovering after a successful surgical procedure that involved the implantation of a penile prosthesis. The surgery was performed at the Saint Vincent of Paul Hospital, a public health facility that serves the community of Heredia. This was the first time a penile implant procedure was performed by La Caja, Costa Rica’s treasured, yet embattled, public health system.

 

According to a report filed by Lady Rojas of online news daily CRHoy.com, the implant recipient is 19 years old and a newlywed. As a result of his cancerous spinal tumor, the patient now lives with a paralytic disability that rendered him infertile and unable to achieve an erection.

 

A Quality of Life Matter

 

Although the patient has lost his reproductive abilities, he has a little daughter who was conceived well before cancer disabled him. That little girl is one and a half years old today. Dr. Alberto Fuentes explained that the procedure is part of a comprehensive treatment strategy to improve quality of life of this young man and his family:

 

He is a young newlywed whose wife is of the same age. This prosthetic device will help him to have an intimate life that is very similar to being normal, for him as well as for his spouse. The prosthesis we implanted is an AMS-700, which has various mechanisms; one is a reservoir filled with fluid of physiologic origin, which fills up two chambers located near the base of the penis.

 

The prosthesis is activated and deactivated manually with a button. La Caja is treating the young patient holistically; he has received rehabilitation, psychological counseling and comprehensive urological care to help him urinate via an advanced catheterization system, The prosthesis, which cost $20,000, was donated, and the surgery was supervised by Dr. Rafael Carrion of Miami.

 

Although this procedure marked a surgical milestone for La Caja, private health care centers in Costa Rica routinely perform advanced urological treatments that include implantation, renal transplants, laparoscopy, and many others. In fact, urology procedures are a major draw for medical tourists in Costa Rica.