Everything you need to know about Penis Surgery

The typical erect penis is usually 5 to 6 inches long with a circumference of 4 to 5 inches. There’s more variation in the size of flaccid penises.

Some guys are genuinely smaller than that. In rare cases, genetics and hormone problems cause a condition called micropenis – an erect penis of under 3 inches. Sometimes Peyronie’s disease or prostate cancer surgery can reduce a guy’s size.

But studies show that most of the guys seeking penis enlargement are average-sized. They just think they’re below average.

Part of it is perspective. It’s very hard to gauge the size of your own penis – looking down, you’ve got a bad angle.

Psychology plays a role too. Some average-sized guys become obsessed with the idea that they’re too small. There’s even a psychiatric diagnosis: penile dysmorphic disorder. It’s similar to the perceptual distortion of anorexics who think they’re fat no matter how thin they get.

According to one study, the majority of men who get penis enlargement surgery have this condition. They’re also the least satisfied with the result.

What works: Weight Loss

There is one safe and effective method for getting a larger-looking penis: weight loss.

Losing weight will reveal more of that hidden shaft that’s buried beneath belly fat. It doesn’t actually increase your size, but it will look that way.

For guys who would rather have a surgical procedure that eat less, liposuction of the fat pad around the penis can work. Still, the effects aren’t permanent – if you don’t change your eating habits, your penis will once again sink into your belly, like a pier at high tide.

Penis Enlargement: Pills, Creams, And Devices

Here’s a rundown of some unproven options to increase penis size.

• The vacuum pump: this is a cylinder that sucks out air. You stick your penis in and the resulting vacuum draws extra blood into it making it erect and a little bigger. You then clamp off the penis with a tight ring like a tourniquet- to keep the blood from leaking back into your body. The effect only lasts as long as you have the ring on. Using it for more than 20 to 30 minutes can cause tissue damage. This is sometimes used as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, but has not been proven to actually increase the size of the penis.
• Stretching with weights: Weights or stretching exercises won’t bulk up your penis. But hanging weights off your flaccid penis may stretch it a bit. The catch is that it requires a freakish degree of dedication and “you might have to wear a weight strapped to your penis eight hours a day for six months.” At the end of it, you could be lucky enough to gain about half an inch. Risks include tearing of the tissue burst blood vessels, and other problems.
• Pills, supplements, ointments and creams: they don’t work. None of them. “I think it’s safe to say that all of that stuff is complete nonsense.”

Penis Enlargement Surgery

There are two basic penis enlargement surgeries.

• Lengthening the penis: The most common procedure is to cut the ligament that connects the penis to the pelvic bone. This allows a little more of the shaft – on average less than an inch – to become visible outside the body. It’s not really lengthening the penis so much as revealing more of what’s usually hidden. To prevent the ligament from reattaching, a guy would need weights or stretching devices daily for about six months.
• Widening the penis: For men who think their penis is too thin, more controversial procedures can thicken it using implanted fat, silicone, or tissue grafts.

The American Urologic Association states that these procedures have not been shown to be safe or effective for increasing the thickness or length of the penis in an adult.

One newer and possibly lower risk procedure may work for certain men. In some cases, the scrotum attaches high up on the shaft of the penis. Partially disconnecting the scrotum can reveal more the shaft, making the penis look longer. The surgery takes 20 minutes and can be done on an outpatient basis.

Penis Enlargement Surgery Risks

Before you take out a penile improvement loan and unbuckle your pants, consider the risks of lengthening or widening surgery.

There are no well-studied approaches. No major medical organization approves of these surgeries. Some guys opt to travel to other countries for treatments that aren’t approved in the US.

The side effects of lengthening surgeries are numerous and include infections, nerve damage, reduced sensitivity, and difficulty getting an erection. Perhaps most disturbing, scarring can leave you with a penis that’s shorter than what you started with. Widening the penis is even more controversial. Side effects can be unsightly – a lumpy, bump, uneven penis.