Phalloplasty Procedures
Phalloplasty is a cosmetic procedure for enhancing the penis. Phalloplasty began in the early 1990s, however many plastic surgery medical boards do not widely approve of the procedure due to it putting a normally functioning organ at risk. The most ideal candidate for phalloplasty are men who do not take blood thinners, no heart problems, old enough to weigh the risks and benefits, and ow risk of scarring.
Widening
The widening of a penis is in an effort to acquire more girth. Girth can be obtained by one of two ways during the phalloplasty. First off, fat injections into the penis will give the look and feel of more girth. This will make the penis thicker and thus, wider. For this option, it is always possible that the body will eventually absorb the fat injection--bringing you right back to where you began. The second option is a bit more invasive. Option No. 2 involves donated tissue--your own tissue or from a donor--that is grafted into the penis through incisions.
Lengthening
A penis is partially held in place by the suspensory ligament at the base of the penis. When a patient wants to lengthen the penis, the surgeon will cut the suspensory ligament, thus allowing the penis to extend further away from the body. Tissue expanders may also be added to prevent the ligament from tightening back in the future.
Glanular
An increase in the penile glan (the tip of the penis) can be obtained during the phalloplasty by two ways. Just like the widening process, a glanular increase in size is obtained by fat injections of a tissue graft. And just like the widening procedure, fat injections may be absorbed by the body in the future and tissue grafts tend to be more invasive and require more aftercare.
Cost
Phalloplasty is an elective cosmetic surgery. Therefore, the expense of this procedure most likely not be covered by your insurance company. You will be required to pay the entire amount in full, or have the total amount financed. The cost of a phalloplasty is between $9,000 and $13,000, depending upon the procedure you choose and the amount of enhancement your surgeon performs.
Recovery
The phalloplasty procedure generally takes one to three hours to perform. It is done in a hospital, and then after a few hours the patient is moved to an outpatient facility. The patient stays under outpatient care for one to three days before finally being released. Pain can be managed with medication. During the first two to three weeks patients should abstain from smoking and strenuous activity. No showers are allowed for at least one week. Sexual intercourse can resume in four to eight weeks after the phalloplasty.
