Finding a surgeon : Penis enlargement

The most important factor in all of this is that of finding a reputable surgeon. A highly qualified and experienced surgeon will increase the chances of a successful result for you so it is vitally important that you find the right person for you.

So where do you start?

• Ask for advice from the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS) or the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).
• Speak to anyone else you know who has undergone penis enlargement surgery or cosmetic surgery in general.
• Look for clinics online and ask your GP for his/her advice. There are websites which contain databases of cosmetic surgeons. Two good examples of these are cosmetic surgery consultants and cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk. Their details can be found on our links page.

Do your homework: be prepared to spend time researching surgeons and clinics and only go ahead once you are satisfied that you have all the information you need. Make sure that you understand what the surgery involves and what you can expect.

It is a good idea to have a shortlist of three or four surgeons who you feel are suitable and then talk to each of them in turn. In effect, you are interviewing them. You will have a long list of questions to ask him/her so write these down beforehand so that you don’t forget anything important.

Don’t forget to note down the surgeon’s replies.

It is easy to come away from a consultation and find later on that there was a vitally important question you wanted to ask. So preparing a list removes that worry.

List of questions to ask the surgeon

You can either devise your own or use the questions we have listed as follows:

• How many penis enlargement surgeries have you done?
• Do you perform penis lengthening or penis widening or both?
• What is your level of experience with this surgery?
• Are you a member of BAPS or BAAPS?
• What is your role within the NHS?
• Do you carry out any other surgery apart from penis enlargement?
• What are your success rates?
• What are the benefits of penis enlargement surgery?
• What are the risks or complications of penis enlargement surgery?
• What is the likelihood of anything going wrong with this surgery?
• What can I expect from this surgery?
• Do you have any information I can read about this surgery?
• Can I talk to any of your patients?
• Will the surgery be carried out in a private clinic or hospital?
• What are the facilities and aftercare like?
• If something goes wrong can I contact you?
• What are the chances of a post-operative infection, e.g. MRSA?
• Can I have a breakdown of the pricing structure (quote)?
• What is included/not included in the quote?
• Will I be charged if I change my mind?
• If complications arise and I need further surgery, will I have to pay for that?
• How long does the surgery take?
• What type of anaesthetic will I need?
• What level of pain can I expect after the surgery?
• When will I return home?
• What will the recovery period be like?
• How long will I have to wait before going back to work?
• What is the aftercare?
• When is my first follow up appointment?
• How soon before I can resume everyday activities, e.g. play sport, drive, have sex etc?

You can add a few of your own questions to this list.

During the consultation

The surgeon will ask you about your lifestyle, e.g. if you smoke, your reasons for this surgery and what you hope the outcome will be.

Your medical history

He/she will also ask you about your medical history. It is important that you are completely honest when doing this as failure to mention anything may have serious consequences. So if you have an allergy, have undergone surgery before or have an underlying medical condition then it is vital that you mention this.

If you don’t and complications arise during the surgery then your surgeon may not realise what has caused these.

The surgeon wants to be certain that you are in the best shape possible when undergoing surgery and is acting within your best interests. If he or she feels that surgery is not advisable then there will be a very good reason for this. He or she will recommend an alternative.

The surgeon will determine your suitability for penis enlargement surgery using a set of criteria.

Many surgeons advise patients to see a counsellor before considering surgery due to psychological reasons. In some cases any psychological problems caused by issues of a small penis may be resolved without the need for surgery.

If you both agree then the next step is arranging a date for your operation. You will be required to complete some forms which may include a consent form. You will either sign this before your surgery or on the day of the surgery itself.

The importance of trust

Do not feel pressurised into making a decision. You need to feel comfortable with your choice of surgeon and that he/she is the best person for you. It is important to trust him/her and forming a rapport can help. If you feel you are being given the ‘hard sell’or find the surgeon unsympathetic or unhelpful then go elsewhere.

You will be given a couple of weeks to think things through before making a final decision. This is known as a ‘cooling off’period and enables you to think about the surgery in a calm and rational manner. Talk to your partner during this time and see what they think. Once you have done so and are satisfied that this is what you want then you can go ahead with the surgery.

All surgery has its benefits and risks and these will be discussed with you during the consultation. Find out more about these in the next section.