Surgery Financial Costs and Risks

Potential Health Risks of Phalloplasty

A man who wishes to have enlargement of his penis must be aware of the many problems that can occur with this surgery. Many men do get a satisfactory, or even excellent result from this surgery. But the percentage of men who have less than ideal results is very high and one should expect that the surgical procedures employed to enlarge the penis must be complimented with post operative care to include some means of penile lengthening or stretching and in many cases repeat procedures to correct some of the problems that may occur in the initial surgery.

In addition to the technical pitfalls, of course the usual risks of surgery apply here as in any surgery where a foreign material is placed in the body. There is a definite risk of infection which can result in unequal absorption of the grafted material and excessive scar formation in the deeper tissues. This can necessitate a second delayed procedure to remove the scar tissue to allow normal penile length. Finally, the incisions used to enhance the penis,if they become infected may have to heal thru secondary intention, that is the may not heal in a fine line but rather in a broader scar. Of course the scar can be revised and made to be a very fine line but this again would require a secondary procedure. It is essential that any candidate for penile surgery not engage in any habits such as smoking excessive alcohol, any drug or steroid use. In addition, ideally, the candidate should be aware that some medical conditions may impair healing and be relative contradictions to this type of surgery. Examples are diabetes, or other diseases that would impair the bodies mechanism of fighting infection.

Risks with Lengthening the Penis

Surgical lengthening of the penis is achieved by cutting the ligament that supports the erections. By cutting the suspensory ligament, the arched course of the penis is straightened, which causes more of the penis to be exposed.

Cutting ligaments requires an exact division. If the cut in the penis is too shallow, the penis will not "drop" and no length increases will be noticeable. If the division or cut is too deep, then penis will become more unstable, and will be extremely loose in function and "hang". Cutting the suspensory ligament also changes the angle of an erection, causing it to point downward instead of upward when experiencing an erection. This obviously makes having sex a more difficult task. And finally, if the division or cut is too deep, nerves come into play. Damaging the nerves will make the man impotent.

Risks Associated with Width Procedures

Depending on the procedure which is performed, different risks come into play with each operation.

1. Fat Injections:
   The surgeon perfoms a liposuction from another area of the body, and inject it into the penis. Risks involve creating a "football". The fat injected in the penis can lump together or migrate to the middle, which creates a penis which is narrow at the base and tip, and wide in the middle. During sex, the fat can also be pushed towards the base of the shaft.
2. Dermal Augmentation:
   The surgeon removes two tissue strips from the fold of the buttocks and attaches these strips underneath the skin of the penis. This process relies upon the tissue amalgamating to the penis, and if it does not, health issues can occur. Additionally, this requires incisions in the penis, which can leave thick, painful scars on your penis that will always be visible.
3. Dermal Fat Grafts (Alloderm):
   The surgeon uses tissue generated from cadavers, and is inserted into the penis. This again requires incisions on the penis, and creates scarring. Many surgeons also feel that this insert is like a "piece of leather" and "dead, real dead", assuming that the tissue will never fully adapt to the penis.

Costs of the Phalloplasty, Penis Enlargement Surgery

Depending on the procedure which is performed, costs range from $3,000 to $15,000 for Phalloplasty. The table below repesents a range of prices found at different clinics.

Additionally, costs are included after the procedure for associated equipment, tasks, and chemicals used during surgery. These typically include liposuction, fat transfers, Anesthesia, and other services such as assistant, operating room, recovery room, and lab fees.