Penis Fillers vs. Penis Enlargement Surgery: A Complete Guide

The most popular procedures to enlarge the penis in the UK are penis fillers and penis enlargement surgery.

Although both options will increase the penis size , they are very different in terms of approach.

Every day at Moorgate I get asked the question “ which option is the best?”. A perfectly reasonable question of course, but I always answer with a politicians answer. There is no best option is the truth. Much depends on what you want to achieve from the procedure, what your budget is.

We have patients who would never consider fillers because they feel they are a waste of money. They just want to come to the clinic and get the long term surgery option done and dusted once.

On the other hand, we have patients who do not want the downtime of surgery. They want to come and get something done and get back to their daily lives. So this group of patients choose the filler. Also, there is a group of patients who would love to have the surgery done, but cannot afford it. They start with the fillers and then go on to have the surgery at a later date.

All of these thought processes are good and the most important aspect of all of this is that you choose the right procedure for you. When we talk to patients about the options available, we always have this focus in mind.

So lets dive in and discuss both penis fillers and penis enlargement surgery and get to understand these two options better

Penis enlargement surgery

How does it work?

Penis enlargement surgery has been around for about thirty years. In that time techniques have been radically improved both in terms of the lengthening aspect and the girth enhancement aspect

The lengthening surgery is known as a ligamentosis procedure. This is done through a small incision at the base of the penis where the penis meets the body. A small transverse cut is made and the suspensory ligament of the penis is found. This is a thick fibrous ligament that attaches the penis to the pubic bone. When this ligament ids detached from the bone it slides the penis forward, typically by one to two inches more in flaccid length. This is the extra length available. It is not the same to the millimetre for every man, but the results are reasonably predictable.

At Moorgate we use surrounding tissues to act as a barrier to prevent ligament reattachment. This is very important. Most other clinics will use a silicone implant to do this, but this comes with added risks.

The girth is increased by harvesting fat from the belly and the inner thighs, where the best quality fat is stored. This fat is then purified, leaving the pure fat cells. These are then injected into the penis shaft to increase girth. After initial absorption, the penis will be one to two inches thicjker both in the flaccid and erect girth.

This whole procedure takes just one hour and is performed usually under general anaesthetic. Patients are able to go home on the same day.

Recovery

After penis enlargement surgery most patients will take about two to three days off work. If you have a very physical job then you will need to take one week off.

It is important to avoid gym, sport and sexual activity for one week. It takes time for the penis to settle. In the beginning the penis is a little swollen and there is a lot of fat there. About 30% to 50% of the fat will absorb in the first six weeks. This is perfectly normal. The remaining fat will then gather its own blood supply, and is then considered permanent.

In the first few weeks it is important to massage the penis to ensure even distribution of the transferred fat. In the cut for the lengthening will be some dissolvable sutures which fall out on their own in the coming weeks.

Results

It will take about three months to see the final result because the penis goes through a process of change.

At the end of the process the flaccid penis will be between one and two inches longer and the girth of the penis will be one to two inches thicker both in the flaccid and erect girth. Note that we cannot make the erect length of the penis longer with surgery. Six weeks after surgery the patient will start using a penile traction device for six to twelve months which can increase the erect length over time

Risks and complications

All surgical procedures carry risks and you should be aware of them. Penis enlargement surgery is considered a minor surgical procedure and most patients who have penis enlargement surgery do so without any complications.

The usual risks of surgery such as infection and bleeding apply, but few patients experience these complications. The abdomen and thighs are bruised at first and this is the site that is most sore, not the penis. The inner thighs can sometimes feel a bit nub for a while afterwards.

Lump and bump formations can happen after the fat transfer. The post op massage is important in this respect to help keep everything smooth and even. Where stubborn lumps remain these can be treated in the out patient clinic.

In those patients who are not circumcised the foreskin usually tightens for a few weeks. This is due to the swelling and volume of fat that is injected. Over time this settles,. But there is a rare complication where is does not , and a circumcision has to be subsequently performed.

Penis Fillers

How does it work ?

Penis fillers where introduced to the UK by Moorgate about eleven years ago.

This procedure uses hyaluronic acid injections to increase the penis girth.

These are the same injections that fill in wrinkles and depressions in the cheeks.

The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic. An injection of local anaesthetic is given at the base of the penis to numb it prior to injecting the filler.

When the penis is numb the filler is injected through a single entry point at the base with an instrument called a cannula.

Depending on the amount of filler injected, the whole process takes about half an hour.

At the end of the procedure the Doctor will, show the patient how to massage the penis in the following week to ensure even distributions of the filler.

As it is performed under local anaesthetic, the patient can leave the clinic immediately.

Recovery

Firstly, there is no time off work reuired. The important thing is to keep up with the post treatment massage for one to two weeks. It is best to avoid sport and gym for around one week, just to avoid any swelling of the penis. No sexual activity for at least one week,. Some Doctors recommend two weeks.

Results

At the end of the treatment the penis will be thicker in both the flaccid and erect state. The amount of increased thickness will depend on the volume of filler injected and the length of the penis. Most patients will start treatment with between 10 and 20ml of filler. At the maximum of 20ml the penis is likely to be slightly less or slightly more than one inch thicker, depending the penis length. At Moorgate the most popular amount of filler chosen in the first treatment is 15ml. The penis may appear to be slightly longer in the flaccid length due to the weight of the filler on the penis, but this is subjective. It is important to remember that the results of filler are temporary because the body will start to breakdown the filler over time. Of the thousands of patients that we have treated , most will return to have a top up treatment at around 18 months later. This is an average.

Risks and complications

As with all injectable treatments there is a risk of infection, but this is low. Minor lump and bump formations can happen as the filler settles, but these are usually smoothed out with massage in the following weeks. Where stubborn lumps remain these can be treated by injecting an enzyme to dissolve them. This is usually a last resort because when injecting the enzyme it can dissolve more filler around the lump itself. In such cases more filler may be required to create better balance.

There are also rare cases of hyper absorption of the filler whereby the filler absorbs in a matter of weeks or months. This cannot be predicted in advance.

Filler can also migrate to the foreskin and may require additional treatment to resolve it.

Cost Considerations

Cost is a very important consideration in any form of penis enlargement. In the initial stages penis filler is certainly cheaper than penis enlargement surgery, even at the maximum amount of filler injected at 20ml. Depending on the volume injected penis filler typically costs between £ 1500 and £ 3500. At the top up treatment about half of the same amount will be required because most patients will come back when the filler has absorbed by about half.

The cost of penis enlargement surgery depends on which enlargement is chosen. Most patients choose to have the length and girth enlarged at the same time, since this gives the best result. The cost of penis enlargement surgery ranges from £ 7995 to £ 8500. Girth only surgery is around £ 5000 and length only surgery which is the least common option, is about £ 7000.

In the medium to long term you can see that penis enlargement surgery is by far the most cost effective option. The length surgery cannot be repeated but a second fat transfer can be done if the patient chooses in later years.

Patient Considerations

As you can see, there are various factors to consider between penis enlargement surgery and penis fillers. The most important thing to remember is that a consultation with a qualified Urologist is always a good place to start. This will help to provide come clarity in terms of the options.

Your past medical history is always a factor to consider too and the Urologist will discuss this with you at the consultation.

Other factors such as the procedure cost, the time you have available to do the procedure, will also shape your thoughts in your decision making process.

Conclusion

More and more men are choosing penis enlargement in the UK, both penis enlargement surgery and penis fillers. It is vital that you do your research and decide which option would be best for you. If you do your research you will see that there are very few experienced providers of penis enlargement surgery in the UK. As for penis fillers, there are more entrants to the market with little experience of injecting the penis. Our advice is always to see a urologist for any penis enlargement treatments.