What exactly is phalloplasty and how does it work?
Phalloplasty refers to the surgical process of creating a penis. Surgeons may remove one or more “flaps” of skin and other tissues from a donor site on your body (often your forearm) and then utilise those “flaps” to create a penis and urethra as part of this procedure.
Eligible patients for a gender affirmation procedure like Phaloplasty must be at least 18 years old and have been living full time in their identified gender for at least a year in order to be considered for the procedure. Our highly qualified staff comprises experts in plastic surgery, urology, gender management, and social work, all of whom collaborate to give transgender adolescents and young adults with a comprehensive range of treatment options.
A collection of surgical treatments known as gender affirmation surgeries are used by certain transgender and gender varied people in order to assist them in confirming their gender identification. Phalloplasty is a sort of “bottom surgery” (surgery on the genitals) that is an option for transgender males and people who identify as transmasculine. It is a medical procedure in which a penis is reconstructed using skin and other tissue taken from another part of the patient’s body.
Who is a candidate for phalloplasty and why?
In a successful gender change, surgery is never the initial step. It is something that takes place after you have already investigated your possibilities with regard to social and medical transition. When a person decides to have phalloplasty done, it is typically after they have already completed other steps in the gender affirmation process, such as taking supplemental hormones and having chest surgery. Candidates for phalloplasty must be at least 18 years old and must satisfy a number of requirements in order to be considered.
Phalloplasty Procedure
Phalloplasty requires the removal of one or more “flaps” of skin and other tissues from your forearm; however, the procedure can also be performed on other areas of the body, such as the thigh, which is one of several potential alternatives. A permanent hair removal procedure, such as electrolysis or laser hair removal, will need to be performed on your arm or another donor location before your surgery.
It is also extremely important that you give up smoking altogether at least three months before your operation is scheduled to take place. Patients need to have their uterus removed (which is referred to as a hysterectomy) prior to undergoing phalloplasty, and this procedure must be finished at least three months before the phalloplasty itself. Phalloplasty involves the removal of the flaps, which are subsequently repositioned and used by the surgeon to fashion a penis and urethra.
Your donor location will be covered with a skin graft taken from your thigh, and it will heal on its own after the procedure is complete. This operation is almost always performed as part of a single, extensive surgery that can last anywhere from eight to twelve hours. At this point, it is also possible to remove the vagina.
Phalloplasty Recovery
Phalloplasty is a complicated surgical technique that calls for a lengthy period of recovery as well as continual self-care. After your surgery, you should plan to stay in the hospital for around one week, and even after you’ve been released, you’ll need to go back for follow-up appointments. In the first six weeks following phalloplasty, you should avoid engaging in severe physical activity or moving heavy objects.
This is because the healing process can take some time. During the first three to four weeks after surgery, you will most likely be required to urinate through the use of a catheter. Your clinical team will provide you with extensive instructions on how to care for the catheter, as well as the surgical wounds on your donor site and graft site, and how to check for symptoms of infection, such as redness and swelling. These instructions will be provided to you by your clinical team.
After surgery, you will most likely be able to move around and perform mild activities within a week, and you will likely have recovered enough to return to all of your regular activities after approximately six weeks. This surgery has a relatively lengthy recovery period that might last anywhere from 12 to 18 months.
Does a phalloplasty get erect?
A urologist can implant a prosthetic erectile device into your penis as part of stage 3 phalloplasty, which will enable you to keep an erection for longer. As of September 2022, the Food and Drug Administration has not given its approval for the use of any implantable prosthetic devices in phalloplasty.
Within a week of having surgery, you should be able to go around on your own and do some mild activity. After around six weeks, you should be healed enough to return to all of your previous activities. The recovery from this surgery is a fairly lengthy process that might take between 12 and 18 months.
Can you feel pleasure with a phalloplasty?
After phalloplasty, the penis regains its full erogenous sensitivity, allowing it to once again acquire sexual pleasure and experience orgasm in a completely natural manner.
How big can a phalloplasty get?
Therefore, the maximum length of these phalluses is typically no more than 5.5 inches, which is the standard length of a phallus in North America. An ALT (leg) phalloplasty allows for the construction of a phallus that is up to 8.5 inches longer since there is more skin and the artery that supplies blood to the leg is longer.
How do people with phalloplasty pee?
Elimination of urine either through the skin of the lower abdomen or through a thin tube called a Foley catheter that has been inserted into the penis.
How much is a full phalloplasty?
In most cases, the cost of the surgical procedures ranges somewhere between $20,000 and $35,000. The cost of the surgery is not the only expenditure that must be considered. It is possible that you will be required to pay for the costs of your recuperation, including those associated with the anaesthesia, hospitalisation, and drugs.