The Penis Project Podcast: Breaking Taboos in Men’s Sexual Health
The Penis Project Podcast: Breaking Taboos in Men’s Sexual Health
Sexologist Melissa Hadley Barrett
223: Penile Implants Explained: Your Questions Answered with Urologist Shane
57 minutes Posted Jun 30, 2026 at 10:01 pm.
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Watch the Webinar 
This episode was recorded live at one of Melissa’s free monthly webinars, held exclusively for our subscriber community. To watch the full video, including the implant demonstrations, head to: https://vimeo.com/1192108833?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci 
 If you’d like to be notified about upcoming webinars and other events from Restorative Health Clinic and Melissa, subscribe here: https://rshealth.com.au/#subscribe 
 
 In this special webinar episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa is joined by Shane, a highly experienced urological surgeon and founding partner of Perth Urology Clinic. Shane trained at the University of Western Australia, achieved his FRACS in urology in 1999 and completed an advanced surgical oncology fellowship at the Vancouver General Hospital/UBC Prostate Centre in Canada. His clinical expertise covers some of the most complex areas of urology, including bladder cancer management, Peyronie’s disease and penile implant surgery. 
The webinar begins with Shane discussing the basics: how a normal erection works, and how a three-piece inflatable implant simply replicates that process with two cylinders, a reservoir of saline and a pump tucked away in the scrotum. As he puts it, it is a bit like putting a new inner tube inside a flat tyre. Using actual demonstration models, Melissa and Shane show the difference between malleable (bendable rod) implants and inflatable hydraulic implants and explain who suits each type. (Don’t forget to watch the episode online at link above to see the demo). 
They then work through the practical questions that were sent prior to the webinar from Melissa’s subscriber community: Covering everything you ever wanted to know about penile implants but were too polite (or too nervous) to ask. Such as when to move on from tablets, injections and pumps; what surgery and recovery involve; what the implant feels like for the man and his partner; and what it all costs in Australia, both self-funded and with private health insurance.  
 
The conversation does not shy away from the trickier topics either, including sensation and orgasm after an implant, why the head of the penis may stay softer than the shaft, considerations for gay men, combining an implant with an artificial urinary sphincter after prostate cancer treatment, and the furure app-controlled implant (yes, really, and yes, the jokes write themselves). 
The overall message is a hopeful one: there is always a workaround for erectile dysfunction, satisfaction rates after implant surgery are very high in the research.   
 
Golden Tip: Shane says the thing he hears most often from his patients is that they wish they had not waited so long to take this step. 
Resources & Links 
Perth Urology Clinic: https://perthurologyclinic.com.au/  
Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic 
For more information check out our websites www.rshealth.com.au , www.makehardeasy.com.au and www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au  
Click here to watch Melissa’s YouTube video: Most Men Use the SOMA VED Wrong | Here’s the Correct Way 
 
Book a telehealth consultation with our sexual health nurse practitioners: 
Restorative Health Clinic 
 
For more information visit our websites: 
www.rshealth.com.au 
www.makehardeasy.com.au 
www.melissahadleybarrett.com 
 
Need Support? 
At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with: 
Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment 
Erectile dysfunction 
Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription 
Penile injection therapy 
Intimacy and sexual recovery 
Partner-inclusive support where appropriate 
Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function 
 
We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story s