Phalloplasty Enhancement

May 20, 2007
Complications

IS IT AN ACCEPTED PROCEDURE?

Enhancement phalloplasty is a cosmetic procedure.  It does not fall within the standard domain of the urologist.  It rarely corrects pathology or anatomic defects (most phalloplasty patients have normal-sized penises.)  By training and experience urologists are not equipped to deal with problems of “self-image,” “self-esteem,” and appearance.  Yet urologists have felt that since the penis is involved, this is their turf.  Early results with phalloplasty were often unfortunate and the unhappy recipients of these procedures went to see urologists who then formed what, for them, was their definitive and abiding unfavorable (and understandable) opinion of the procedure.  Despite the impressive advances in pre-operative, operative and post-operative care and the thousands of satisfied patients, these unfavorable opinions have not been altered.  Both the American Urological Association and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons have repeatedly issued position papers indicating that they have not seen long-term results showing phalloplasty to be either safe or effective over the long term.  In fairness, close to none of these physicians has ever performed a phalloplasty himself and it is probably safe to say that very few of these physicians has ever seen a phalloplasty patient himself.  Consequently, since only the unhappy patients have gone to their urologists for another opinion, these urologists haven’t seen any happy patients.

In 1994 the American Academy of Phalloplasty Surgeons was formed imposing stringent requirements for membership and comprised exclusively of surgeons with extensive hands-on experience in performing phalloplasties.  These surgeons, having performed phalloplasties probably numbering in the tens of thousands, have declared these procedures to be both safe and effective. The effectiveness of these procedures may be attested to by the increasing numbers of patients seeking this operation.

Body Builders, Weight Lifters, Actors, Models, Dancers:

The six-pack tummy crowd are probably not ideal candidates for LFT girth enhancement.  Such patients will do best if they gain at least fifteen pounds before undergoing surgery.  This usually means temporarily violating all your healthy habits, so rigorously acquired.  The easiest way to gain fat is to stop working out, become a couch potato, gorge on all the rich, fat, delicious, sinful foods you previously shunned, and eat a heavy meal before you go to sleep.

Experimental?
Unproven?

Some surgeons regard enhancement phalloplasty as experimental and questioned its safety and efficacy over the long term.  The Society for the Study of Impotence and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons have expressed these views.  On the other hand, the American Academy of Phalloplasty Surgeons, comprised exclusively of surgeons with personal experience with this procedure, believe it to be both safe and effective and not experimental.  We, ourselves, have performed over 2500 phalloplasties in the past twenty years and we believe the procedures are safe and, within the constraints set forth above, effective.  Enhancement phalloplasty should be undertaken with realistic expectations.  Your penis will not be three inches longer (except possibly with prolonged use of the penis stretcher). Nor will you double your penis girth (unless you repeat the girth enhancement).  The operation may not salvage a troubled relationship, nor ensure that a patient will emerge from deep depression.  Deep-seated feelings of inadequacy or poor self-image may not be assuaged.  But if you are realistic, stable, and well motivated, we believe you will be pleased with the results.