Implantable Pump for Testosterone Replacement Therapy

[hornytoad]

I work for a company that manufactures implantable drug pumps and I wanted to know if anyone has heard of using such a pump for testosterone replacement therapy. The pumps we manufacture are implanted below the skin in the peritoneal cavity in the abdomen. The pump is either constant flow (meaning the pump is designed to only administer a constant amount of medication per day) or programmable (meaning there is a basal rate that can be modified to suit each person). These pumps are made of a titanium shell and have all the internal components (i.e. pump, battery, electronics, medication reservoir) to deliver an exact amount of medication needed. The medication reservoir has enough volume capacity to go several months between refills. Battery life on these pumps are around ten years.

Due to the frequency of injections for normal testosterone replacement therapy, this method could be an alternative. These pumps are currently used to treat chronic pain and diabetes. Any thoughts?
:banana: :elephant: :banana:

[scotty082865]

Due to the frequency of injections for normal testosterone replacement therapy, this method could be an alternative. These pumps are currently used to treat chronic pain and diabetes. Any thoughts?

What is the typical cost of this and how often does it need to be replaced? How do you load the testosterone in it?

I guess the real question on feasibility woudl be how it stacks up against the use of implantible pellets. Pellets provide constant levels of testosterone and are re-implanted every 3 to 4 months. Average cost monthly I have seen is as low as $100 per month to $200 per month depending on area of the US and type of doctor prescribing and inserting them.

[hornytoad]

What is the typical cost of this and how often does it need to be replaced? How do you load the testosterone in it?

I guess the real question on feasibility woudl be how it stacks up against the use of implantible pellets. Pellets provide constant levels of testosterone and are re-implanted every 3 to 4 months. Average cost monthly I have seen is as low as $100 per month to $200 per month depending on area of the US and type of doctor prescribing and inserting them.

The cost of this pump is generally around 10K but like most uses for this pump, insurance covers the cost.

As far as the pellets are concerned, having them implanted once every 3 to 4 months seems to be quite a lot. There is an incision associated with the implanted pellets and it seems scaring may be a problem over time. There would be a small scar where the pump was implanted as well but the pump has a 10 year life so it wont be coming out for a long time. The pump is refilled with medication using a small needle that is inserted through the skin (through the scar, scar tissue has no active nerves so there is no pain) and into the inlet septum of the pump. The syringe then fills the reservoir and you're good for another 90 days (90 days is for insulin but testosterone will last approx. 1 year because less needs to be used). One implant and ten refills over a ten year period. Not bad.
:banana:

[scotty082865]

The cost of this pump is generally around 10K but like most uses for this pump, insurance covers the cost.

As far as the pellets are concerned, having them implanted once every 3 to 4 months seems to be quite a lot. There is an incision associated with the implanted pellets and it seems scaring may be a problem over time. There would be a small scar where the pump was implanted as well but the pump has a 10 year life so it wont be coming out for a long time. The pump is refilled with medication using a small needle that is inserted through the skin (through the scar, scar tissue has no active nerves so there is no pain) and into the inlet septum of the pump. The syringe then fills the reservoir and you're good for another 90 days (90 days is for insulin but testosterone will last approx. 1 year because less needs to be used). One implant and ten refills over a ten year period. Not bad.
:banana:

I would seriously doubt that, with the availability of cheap alternative AND the general medical bias against andropause, that the average secondary hypogonadic would qualify to have insurance cover this. Possibly those suffering from primary hypogonadism, but even then, getting an insurance company to cover 10K when some won't even cover androgel is questionable.

As for your assertions on pellets, I can assure you that having them inserted every 3 months is not a big deal. Much less of a hassle then using gels or injections. And I have not had any scarring so, not sure what you are talking about there.

I would be interested in more information on your company's product. Do you have a link?