Turns Out, Making a Penis Bigger Has Some Wild Complications

Risks include things like "severe genital deformity," just FYI.

By Hannah Smothers
29 November, 2018
Turns Out, Making a Penis Bigger Has Some Wild Complications

In 2018, doctors have not one but several ways of taking a penis and making it permanently bigger for purely cosmetic reasons. Of course, like any other medical procedure, there are risks. But because of the newness of these enlarging methods, not many of them are known yet...

Which is why a team of researchers set out to determine just what could happen should things go awry. For their study, they took a look at 11 patients between the ages of 21 and 77 who had suffered complications following their pre-2016 D-enlarging procedures.

The findings, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, detail a slew of complications related to four penile enlargement methods that involve injectables and implants, and are "often promoted as safe surgeries with minimal risks," the researchers write. Among the problems experienced with these methods are things like "penile skin gangrene," "penile shaft swelling and deformity," and something called a "buried penis."

If you want to know what all of these look like, the study includes several disturbing, NSFW photos. And, after seeing them, "minimal risks" seems like a severe downplay. One patient who had silicone injections in his penis and scrotum developed "severe swelling of the scrotum," which led to the penis being buried beneath a layer of skin. Another patient who had an injection of soft tissue developed an infection so severe he eventually had one of his testicles surgically removed.

Every patient studied had corrective surgery to try and fix these unfortunate cosmetic and functional side affects. "However, none resulted in a completely normal penis, as was the appearance prior to initial enhancement surgery," the researchers write.

If you're thinking, Ok, but if a guy wants to make his dick bigger, the risks could be worth it!, consider this (heartbreaking) news: "Most patients who seek penile augmentation have normal penile length and anatomy," the study says. In fact, previous research has found that most men who want to cosmetically inflate their Ds overestimate normal penis length (which is less than six inches when erect, BTW). Meaning: They may have perfectly average-sized members, but are convinced they're clocking in short.

Perhaps that's why the researchers suggest that men who are interested in penis enlargement aides may benefit more (and stand less to lose) from psychotherapy for a condition called "penile dysmorphophobia," which is basically body dysmorphia, but for penis size.

Another thing they should probably consider? People who sleep with men have been screaming forever about how little size matters.

In any case, being aware of the risks and complications associated with these procedures is crucial. Would you rather have a perfectly functioning dick, or a slightly bigger one that risks gangrene infection, and whatever "buried penis" is?

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Credit: Cosmopolitan
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