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By Rome Jorge, Lifestyle Editor
With additional interviews by Ayesa Lubag, Special to The Manila
Times
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“The
Dying Gaul”
by Epigonus, 230 BC |
It’s all over the news. Penile enlargement was
once the stuff of bawdy jokes and spam emails. It elicited snickers
from those who rather not know too much—the mental images that
such a topic conjures was unpalatable—and on the other hand
discreet silence from those who knew only too well—having
undergone or contemplated it themselves. After all, few men would
admit such shortcomings.
But the recent claims by Louem Martinez against
cosmetic surgeon Dr. Manny Calayan of alleged reckless imprudence
resulting in serious physical injuries because of his penile
enlargement surgery have highlighted the procedure.
The operation
With penile enlargement surgery, one of the
ligaments that attaches the penis to the pelvis is cut, causing the
penis to protrude anywhere from half-an-inch to an inch further when
erect. This is because about one-third of the penis is actually
inside the body.
However, cutting some of these ligaments lowers
the angle of the penis’ erection.
The operation takes several hours and is done
with local anesthesia. The point of incision is at the root of the
penis and any scar will be hidden by pubic hair. Swelling and
bruising are to be expected for two weeks after. Weighted tractions
are used on the penis during post operation to further stretch the
shaft.
According to Dr. Porfirio Tica of the Victor
Potenciano Medical Center, it will take 10 days to heal in which
time the patient must religiously take antibiotics. She stresses
that the patient must abstain from sexual intercourse and strenuous
work for at least three weeks after surgery.
To widen the girth of the penis, grafts from the
groin or fat transplants from the lower abdomen or ribs are used.
However, fifty percent of any transplanted fat is reabsorbed into
the body within one to two months. Therefore, doctors over-correct
and pack more than enough gristle into the organ at the start.
Penis sensitivity is unchanged as neither penile
lengthening or thickening affects the nerves. Risks include scaring
and infection.
However, the Bureau of Food and Drugs bans the
use of Aquagel, AlloDerm (treated cadaver flesh), silicone oil and
other dermal fillers. These fillers can slip into unintended body
parts causing deformation, pain and other complications. Inflatable
implants connected to a pump in the scrotum that can be manipulated
by hand are only for those who are completely impotent and the
procedure is irreversible.
The men
One has to wonder—with such a potentially
embarrassing operation—what sort of man would entrust his loins to
scalpels and needles? How many Filipino men have undergone such an
operation and how many among those have had botched jobs? After all,
it took an outspoken Filipino-American to bring the procedure—and
the changes in attitude of the Filipino male—to light.
In an interview with The Manila Times in March
2004, Clarity Aesthetics and Laser Center revealed then that no man
had thus far taken advantage of their penile enlargement services.
After four years, things have obviously changed. But some things
never do.
According then to Dr. Carolyn Banzon, Clinic
Manager of Clarity, most cosmetic surgery patients were single and
wanted to be more attractive to the opposite sex. Their treatments
were part of a concerted effort in self-improvement that included
fitness gym programs, fashion makeovers and spas. A clear majority
were heterosexuals. Men favored operations with little downtime and
quick recovery periods.
For her part Dr. Tica upholds this profile
today, adding that clients range from 25 to 30-years-old and do so
to boost self-esteem and to enhance their performance.
However, a research conducted by St. Peter’s
Andrology Centre and Institute of Urology in London from September
1998 to January 2005 of 42 men who received penile enlargement
surgery found that only 70 percent of the patients were dissatisfied
with the outcome of surgery. These subjects reported embarrassment
and anxiety when changing in front of others as well as
disappointment due to unrealistic expectations. Dr. Tica notes that
a patient needs to undergo a test to check if he is psychologically
balanced.
Current prices for penile enlargement operations
range around P100,000 and most often add only half-an-inch in
length.
Regardless of one’s decision, any person who
measures a man by his anatomy instead of his character surely should
not make the cut in one’s roster of intimates. Avoiding corrupt,
oppressive or irrelevant means of earning a fortune and benefitting
society with one’s money will surely make you more of a man than
any expensive surgery.
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