Penis Traction Study

This particular study^† consisted of 10 male subjects, each of whom experienced drug refractory erectile dysfunction; drug refractory means drug-resistant – in other words, the use of ED drugs proved ineffective. Of these 10 subjects, 4 had previously undergone radical prostatectomy resulting in complaints of shortened penis, 4 had prior prosthesis explantation (removal) and 2 suffered from Peyronie's disease.

Treatment and Measures

Treatment consisted of the application of penile traction for 2-4 hours per day for a period of 2-4 months prior to prosthesis implantation. Overall effectiveness was determined by comparing pre-traction stretched penile length (SPL) with post-traction lengths calculated before and after the prosthesis was implanted.

Results

"No man had measured or perceived length loss after inflatable penile prosthesis placement. Seventy percent had measured erect length gain compared with baseline pre-traction SPL up to 1.5 cm."

Conclusion

"External traction therapy appears to result in a preservation of penile length, as no man had measured or perceived length loss following prosthesis placement, but in fact, a small length gain was noted in 70% of the subjects with no adverse events."

Source:^†Journal of Sexual Medicine / DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02285.x

Implications of Penis Traction Therapy

First and foremost, the results of this study should serve as good news for any man potentially requiring a prosthetic penile implant. One of the biggest drawbacks with implantation procedures is the possible loss in penis size. Traction therapy has shown that losing penis length is not only avoidable but in fact an actual increase in size may occur.

For those men with a normally functioning and healthy penis, and therefore not subject to penis shrinkage due to surgical procedure, these test results may prove even more significant. In fact, some men have reported an almost 2 inch gain in size through the use of products such as the SizeGenetics extender device.

Granted, wanting to have a bigger penis is usually associated with vanity and ego. But let's be honest, how many men out there wouldn't just kill for the possibility of being larger? If I had to guess I'd say most. Fortunately science is now making that possibility an actual reality.

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Post tags: penile implants, penile prosthesis, penis traction

Penis Surgery

The decision to undergo any form of penile surgical procedure is not one to be made lightly. It should involve consulting with a qualified medical practitioner who is able to diagnose your condition and explain all the advantages, disadvantages and possible complications. That said, penile surgery is sometimes the only option available when less invasive medical treatments have been exhausted.

Understanding Penile Prostheses

A penile prosthesis is a surgically implanted device sometimes used in the treatment of medical conditions such as erectile dysfunction, penile trauma (accidental or intentional) and Peyronie's disease. The purpose of these devices is to artificially simulate an erection sufficient for penetration and sexual intercourse in cases where this would not normally be possible.

Types of penile implants:

• Rigid Prosthesis – an implant that is permanently erect
• Malleable/Semi-Rigid – these implants can be manually adjusted and bent into position
• Inflatable/Hydraulic – prostheses that operate through cylinders inserted into the penis which can be inflated or deflated on demand

While mechanical failure and certain complications including infections, erosion and urethral injury have been noted in the past, newer penile prosthesis technology has helped to create a safer and more effective device. These advances, however, do not address one of the major complaints commonly associated with their usage, namely that of a loss in penis size.

Penile Implants and Penis Size

Even though penile implants work to effectively produce "erections", their use does not have an effect on the glans itself. During a normal erection, the glans (penis head) hardens and swells in size which aids in penetration. Intercourse is often made more difficult without the help of this natural process.

Another side effect of using a penile prosthesis is that artificial erection size is generally smaller than that of a normally functioning penis. In general, men lose approximately 1-2 cm (.25-.75 in) in length as the penis is unable to achieve the rigidity of a naturally occurring erection. The combination of these factors is what often leads to a lowered level of satisfaction among penile implant recipients.

The Use of Penile Augmentation Surgery

A study^† published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests that one way to counter the dissatisfaction experienced by penile prosthesis patients is by employing various augmentation techniques.

In a trial consisting of eighteen patients, eleven men underwent various surgical augmentation procedures (the remaining seven had their complaint relieved by counseling and the administration of PDE5 inhibitors). Of these eleven patients, two had elongation, girth augmentation, and glans injection; six had elongation and girth augmentation; and two had elongation and glans injection. With the exception of one patient who suffered graft loss, all patients indicated increased levels of satisfaction after the procedures were completed.

At the end of the study the researchers concluded:

"Implantation of a penile prosthesis may improve penile rigidity, yet may confound couple's satisfaction with penile size to variable degrees. Sex education may alleviate those concerns. In refractory cases, penile augmentation may enhance phallic size and increase patient/partner satisfaction."

Source:^†Journal of Sexual Medicine / DOI 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01723.x

For these men, surgical penis augmentation proved to be an effective means to remedy their displeasure with penis size. Their particular experience however should not be considered an endorsement of penis surgery for the singular use of increasing penis size.

In this case, specific circumstances precluded these men from employing any other means of natural penis enlargement. Undergoing penile augmentation surgery for the simple sake of vanity, where a man has an otherwise normally functioning penis, still remains a method in which the risks far outweigh the benefits.

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Post tags: penile augmentation, penile implants, penile prosthesis, penis size, penis surgery

This type of procedure involves the complete surgical removal of the lump of plaque that develops on the penis due to Peyronie's and is designed to help straighten the penis in order to bring it back to its original shape. This approach is often recommended to patients who have large plaque deposits and severely bent penises. In this procedure, a surgeon removes the affected part of the Tunica Albuginea and replaces the plaque with a graft material of some type.

There are several different types of grafts that can be used to replace lost tissue. The first type is autograft tissue, which is tissue taken from the patient's own body during surgery. This is done to minimize the immunologic response to the graft and to ensure that the patient's body does not reject it.

Surgeons can also use synthetic inert substances, such as Dacron mesh or GORE-TEX instead of living tissue. Unfortunately, these artificial compounds tend to cause more scarring and also fibrosis, which is the formation of excessive connective tissue on the penis.

In some cases, doctors can use xenografts, which are foreign tissues, of human or animal origin. While these are widely available in hospitals, they are also prone to rejection by the body's immune system.

One common problem associated with penile surgical procedures to correct Peyronie's disease is a post-operative contraction that leads to a shortening of penis length. Because of this, it is wise for potential recipients to weigh the pros and cons of these types of surgery before undergoing it.

Another type of treatment for men suffering from Peyronie's disease is penile implants. While penile implants were once a popular recommendation for those suffering from erectile dysfunction, the advent of drugs to treat this condition has made their use less frequent. Implants, however, are still recommended by some physicians to those suffering from extreme curvature and for whom drugs do not help.

Penile implants are plastic cylinders, either solid or inflatable, which are surgically embedded within the Corpora Cavernosa. These cylinders are biocompatible in order to avoid triggering a response of the immune system which causes the body to reject the implants. The surgeon can either place the implants inside the penis and let them do the work of straightening the organ, or they can try to bend the penis against the plaque in order to increase the implants chance of successfully correcting the curvature.

Patients considering these types of invasive procedures should always be cautious. Premature or inadequate surgery has a high rate of failure and recurrence of the disease is possible. While it is true that patients who have undergone successful surgery are usually satisfied with the results, it only takes a single mistake to botch an operation. With penis surgery, there is no going back.

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Post tags: nesbit procedure, penile curvature, penile implants, penile tissue grafts, penis surgery, peyronies disease, severely bent penis, shortening of penis length