Muhammed A. Moukhtar Hammad, MBBCh, on a machine learning model to predict IPP complications

In an interview at the26th Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) in Grapevine, Texas, Muhammed A. Moukhtar Hammad, MBBCh, shared details about ongoing work to develop a machine learning model to predict inflatable penile prothesis complications.

The project, which is being conducted across research sites internationally, was awarded the SMSNA Scholars in Sexuality Research Grant.¹ Hammad is a research fellow at the University of California, Irvine.

The goal, according to Hammad, is to develop a risk calculator that can be used by physicians in clinical practice. The test would be able to provide actionable insights on patients’ individual risk for complications based on their baseline characteristics, comparable to what can be seen in other fields such as internal medicine.

Hammad also noted that the risk calculator could be helpful in setting realistic expectations with patients about what they can expect after a given procedure.

“Sometimes the patient comes in, and after the procedure the patient is not satisfied. It's not the physician's fault, not that the physician gave an unrealistic expectation, but sometimes the patient has [an idea that] ‘I’m going to be back to normal. I’m going to be even better than normal.’ This is not the way that it works,” Hammad explained. “You’re trying to make the patient better, but not necessarily super optimal. So, the patient can also have some insight from the machine.”

REFERENCE

1. SMSNA Scholars in Sexuality Research Grants Program. SMSNA. Accessed November 24, 2025. https://www.smsna.org/grants/grants-available/smsna-scholars-in-sexuality-research-grants-program