The Transgender Dictionary

DIRECTORY DONATE W.I.P.!!! # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z RESOURCES BY COUNTRY MISCELLANEOUS

Phalloplasty

(also: bottom surgery, lower surgery, penis enlargement, phallo)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Sometimes referred to as "penis enlargement surgery" (or variations thereupon) - phalloplasty is a surgical procedure sometimes performed on people with micropenises or masculinized vulvas. Phalloplasty may also be performed in the case of people who have suffered from personal damage or loss of the penis. The primary focus of this page is regarding phalloplasty in the context of transgender men for simplicity's sake. Please keep in mind that there are people with other gender identities who may choose to undergo phalloplasty.

Having a penis is something that is traditionally associated with being a man. That being said, not being born with a penis causes many transgender men to experience gender dysphoria. For this reason, many transgender men seek out surgeries such as metoidioplasty and phalloplasty in an effort to obtain gender euphoria. Some transgender men pack prior to having surgery in an effort to see if they would like to have surgery in the future.

Additionally, this surgery has been around longer than some people may realize. The first phalloplasty procedure for a transgender man was performed in 1946 by Sir Harold Gillies on Michael Dillon.

This website is not a subsitute for a consultation with a doctor. The information on this page is not from a medical professional, it is simply a collection of basic research and summaries to help explain these concepts in a simple way. If you plan on getting phalloplasty, please do as much research as you possibly can prior to undergoing surgery. Find as many reviews (and especially photos of healed work) of your planned surgeon prior to undergoing surgery.

Clicking on underlined terms/words/phrases/etc throughout this page will lead you to a relevant definition, page, topic, etc. If you come across a term that is not underlined, but you are still unfamiliar with it, please attempt to navigate your way to a definition using the alphabet menu buttons at the top or bottom of this page. If you still can't figure out what the word or phrase means, look it up in a different dictionary. If you still don't understand, let me know.

General Information

This surgery is used for the creation of a penis using a skin graft. A skin graft is a procedure in which the skin and nerves from one part of the body are removed, and used for another purpose. In this case, the purpose is to create a penis. This surgery can take place before or without another surgery known as meta.

Glanplasty (formation of glands at the tip of the phallus) is often performed alongside the rest of the surgery.

Medical tattooing is often performed after healing from surgery, to make results look more natural.

This surgery is performed by a urologist while the patient is under general anesthesia.

Variables Which Can Affect Results

Types of Phalloplasty

Abdominal Phalloplasty/Supra-Public Phalloplasty

The donor site is the abdominal area. Abdominal Phalloplasty has less scarring than other procedures.

Anterolateral Thigh/ALT

ALT is a form of phalloplasty which uses the thigh as a donor site. The donor site may require additional procedures to be aesthetically pleasing after this surgery.

Musculocutaneous Latissimus Dorsi/MLD

MLD Flap Phalloplasty uses the back as a donor site.

Radial Forearm Flap/RFF

RFF is a form of phalloplasty which uses the arm as a donor site. RFF is the most common form of phalloplasty. Due to the nature of the forearm (general lack of hair), it is easier for this donor site to be worked with.

Single Scar Phalloplasty/SSP

SSP is a variation of ALT with less scarring.

Please read as many resources as possible prior to undergoing surgery if you plan on undergoing surgery. Seek out information in places other than what is linked below. Prior to picking a surgeon, seek out as many reviews and photos regarding said surgeons work prior to undergoing surgery. Inclusion of a link on this website for informational purposes is not an endorsement of any particular medical professionals those links may lead to. Links are included to encourage further research. None are sponsered nor endorsed.

See also the pages for; meta, masculinized vulva, and vaginectomy.

DIRECTORY DONATE W.I.P.!!! # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z RESOURCES BY COUNTRY MISCELLANEOUS