PREPARING FOR YOUR SURGERY
You will be given specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medicines.
If you smoke, plan to quit at least two weeks prior to the surgery and not resume smoking for at least two weeks after your surgery. Avoid overexposure to the sun before the surgery, especially on the abdomen, and do not go on astringent diet, as both can inhibit your ability to heal. If you develop a cold or infection of any kind, it is important to inform the surgeon, as your surgery may need to be postponed.
You will need to arrange for someone to collect you after your surgery, as you will be unable to drive. It is also advisable to have someone to stay with you for a few days to help you out, if needed.
BEFORE YOUR SURGERY
In the week before, you should not take any medications containing aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), since these products affect the blood clotting mechanism and therefore may lead to excessive bleeding during and after surgery, hence resulting in increased bruising. Taking high doses of vitamin E preparations, eating large amounts of garlic and consuming alcohol can also produce the same result and should be avoided. If pain medication is necessary, we recommend you take ibuprofen/paracetamol.
It is in your own best interests to quit smoking, at least two weeks before and until 2 weeks after surgery. It is well known that smoking causes narrowing of the blood vessels, which leads to a decreased blood supply to the skin, thus slowing and interfering with the healing process.
Be sure to inform your surgeon of any medications you take, as well as possible allergies including (drug, latex, plasters and so on).
Your surgeon will decide whether preliminary examinations are necessary, such as blood tests, an electrocardiogram, or x-rays of the lungs. If this is the case, these tests should be performed several weeks before the surgery.
If you are having lengthening of the shaft, it is best to shave your pubic area before your operation.
THE PROCEDURE
Penoplasty can increase the size of the shaft by increasing either length or girth/width or both. To increase the length, an incision will be made above the base of the shaft. Through this we can release the penile suspensory ligament, thus allowing the shaft to be brought forward, thereby lengthening it externally by typically 1-2 inches. Men with prominent pubic fat pads will gain more length; if for example they have a 2-inch fat pad, and 1.5 inches is removed, the additional 1.5 inch gain will be supplemental to the extension gained by releasing the suspensory ligament. This increase in length is in the flaccid position only and some men may find that the angle of the erection may be slightly lower.
The increase in girth involves a small amount of liposuction of the stomach or thigh areas to collect fat, followed by re-introduction of the fat by injection along the shaft. The usual increase in girth (circumference) is between 1 to 2 inches. The fat injection procedure avoids incision scars and because it is a simpler technique, the recovery time is shorter. Furthermore, the benefits of abdominal liposuction will enhance the patient’s appearance. Possible post-operative fat re-absorption and nodule formation can be minimised by limiting the amount of fat injected at one time. The girth enlargement is restricted to be slightly bigger than the tip. The enlargement of the shaft will be evident in both the flaccid and erect states.
To ensure a natural appearance, we increase both the length and girth at the same time, although it is possible to have either only the lengthening or enlargement (girth). The functioning will be completely normal both in terms of erection and urination.
Penoplasty is a day case procedure and will be performed under local anaesthetic with IV sedation (this is not a General Anaesthetic). You will completely pain-free, and will not remember anything about the procedure. The operation usually takes between 45 minutes and 1 1/2 hours, depending on whether you have enlargement, lengthening or both.