The idea here is to create suction using an airtight tube that is placed temporarily around the penis. An attached pump withdraws air, creating a reduced atmospheric pressure—a vacuum—around the penis, causing it to become engorged with blood. The penis becomes erect. Then a constricting ring, like a rubber band around the neck of a balloon, keeps the blood trapped in the penis, so the erection can be sustained. (This imitates the clamping action of the veins in normal erection.) It usually takes about five minutes to produce the erection, and this generally lasts for about half an hour. (The erection probably shouldn’t last much longer than that; leaving the constricting band on too long can cause distention or swelling due to fluid retention in the penis.)
This erection is not quite the same as a normal erection—it begins only above the constricting band. But it is sufficient for successful intercourse. Vacuum devices have few complications; these can include trouble with ejaculation, pain in the penis, and tiny, pinpoint-sized bruises. (Men taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medications may be more likely to experience such complications.) Some men are highly satisfied with the result of vacuum devices; others are not.
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