Penis Enlargement Surgery: Side Effects, Types, and Benefits

Most men have worried about their penis size at one time or another. For those who are particularly self-conscious, penis enlargement surgery might seem like a possible fix. 

Unfortunately, these procedures can be more risky than they’re worth — especially for men with average-sized penises.  

Also, while it’s possible for these surgeries to improve penile girth or length, they won’t help with sexual dysfunction issues like erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.

Below, we’ve covered everything you need to know about penile augmentation surgery, including the most popular types of surgery available today to the scientific evidence to support each one, the typical recovery process, and potential risks and complications.

We’ve also shared some other, nonsurgical interventions that you may want to consider before opting for surgery.

Also known as phalloplasty, penis enhancement surgery is a type of plastic surgery that increases penile length or girth.  

There are several types of penis enlargement surgeries available, including procedures that involve severing a ligament in your penis, prosthetic implants, and even fat transfer surgery to add additional girth to your member.

But we have to caution that all of the penis enlargement procedures that are available today are viewed as experimental, and most aren’t as widely accepted as other forms of cosmetic surgery.

The American Urological Association (AUA) and the Urology Care Foundation state that injecting subcutaneous fat to increase penile girth has not been proven to be safe or effective.

Similarly, the AUA does not consider suspensory ligament division for penile lengthening in adults to be a safe or effective procedure.

Below, we’ve explained the various forms of penis enlargement surgery that are currently available in more detail, detailing how each type of procedure works, the potential results, and risks to be aware of. 

Penis Lengthening Surgery

In our opinion, penis lengthening surgery is the scariest, knife-iest option on the market. Also referred to as penile elongation surgery — or suspensory ligament release — this technique involves surgery that carefully releases the ligament that attaches the penis to the middle of the pelvis, which makes your penis jut out further from your pelvis.

This creates the perception of a lengthier penis, as the penis looks more defined and separate from the body due to its lower angle.

Although relatively few scientific studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of this type of surgical procedure, the research that’s available suggests that it can increase the perceived length of the penis by around 2.5cm, or just under one inch. 

Unfortunately, penile lengthening surgery has some serious downsides. 

One potential risk? It’s possible for the severed ligaments to “heal” and reattach to the penis. To prevent this, men who undergo this type of procedure may have to perform exercises or use weights to put continual pressure on the affected area and prevent reattachment.

This type of procedure can cause side effects, including shortening of the penis and a lack of support for the penis during erection. 

Patient and partner satisfaction rates for penis lengthening surgery are low overall: while not an especially helpful statistic, 30 to 65 percent of men and their partners report satisfaction with the results of this type of surgery. 

The Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) states that when performed by experienced surgeons, suspensory ligament division may increase flaccid penile length. However, it should only be considered after a thorough discussion of potential complications, including erectile dysfunction, sensory changes, and penile instability.

Penile Prosthetics and Implants

While cosmetic implants are widely used to augment the breasts, buttocks, chin, and other parts of the body, options are limited when it comes to size-increasing penile implants. 

Part of this comes down to the structure of the penis itself, which contains blood vessels and erectile tissue that make surgical penis enlargement with a length or girth-increasing implant a risky and challenging process. 

Because of this, most penile implants that are available aren’t used to increase size, but to treat sexual function issues like erectile dysfunction. Some implants can be used to treat Peyronie's disease (penile curvature), where a build-up of scar tissue causes the penis to bend when erect.

However, there are few implant devices on the market that are designed to increase the size of the penis. 

One, known as Penuma^®, is an FDA-approved penile implant to correct cosmetic penile deformities, such as retractile penis, and to enhance flaccid penile girth and length. It’s a silicone sleeve that is implanted into the shaft of the penis. Men can choose from a range of implant sizes, including large, extra-large, or extra-extra-large. (It’s perhaps not much of a surprise that none of the Penuma implants are classified as “small.”). Silicone sleeve implantation is a modern surgical technique to enhance flaccid penile girth and length, as well as erect girth.

Other penile implants — either semi-rigid or inflatable — are typically designed to help men who have erectile dysfunction, rather than increase the size of a fully-operational penis. These are generally only used when all other treatment options for erectile dysfunction fail. 

Fat Transfer, Tissue Grafting, and Dermal Filler Injections

Although increasing the length of the penis is a complicated, challenging process, it’s possible to increase the thickness or girth of the penis with procedures like autologous fat injection and dermal fillers.

Autologous fat injection, or fat transfer, involves removing fat from elsewhere on the body using a liposuction device, then injecting the harvested fat cells into the outer, middle, and deep layers of the fascia of the penis.

This type of procedure can increase penile girth. Fat grafting can also add weight to the penis, which may contribute to a length increase of 2–3 cm. The surgery doesn’t expand the erectile tissue of the penis, so it may not result in a significant increase in your erect penis size.

Dermal filler injections involve using fillers, typically produced with hyaluronic acid, to add girth to the penis. Research suggests that this type of procedure can increase the circumference of the penis by a significant amount — in some cases, approximately one inch. 

However, as most dermal fillers dissolve over time, this type of procedure needs to be repeated every few months for consistent results.

The FDA has not approved any injectable products for penile enlargement. While certain dermal fillers are FDA-approved for use in the face and hands, their application in the penis is considered off-label.

Like with all cosmetic procedures, there’s a risk of complications. In one study, researchers found that more than four percent of men who received dermal injections to the penis developed complications, with subcutaneous bleeding, nodules, and infection being the most common.

As of 2024, the SMSNA advises against using graft techniques for penile augmentation due to a lack of sufficient outcome data. Some evidence suggests that temporary hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers can safely enhance penile girth with cosmetic benefits, but more data is needed. 

Benefits of penile enlargement surgery vary from procedure to procedure. But common benefits generally include:

• Penis enlargement surgeries can potentially result in the appearance of a bigger, thicker penis. 

• Certain surgeries or implants can increase both length and girth.

• Anecdotes from most procedures show that successful surgeries yield overall positive results. 

• A larger penis may indeed help men with low self-esteem feel more confident in bed. 

This all might sound good, but it’s important to weigh these benefits against the side effects and risks, which we’ll explore in the next section.

While some procedures can result in a slightly longer or girthier penis, the overall risk of post-op complications with penis enlargement and implant surgeries is quite high.

The risks for each penis surgery type may be different, but they can include: 

• Loss of injected fat (the injected fat is reabsorbed into the body)

• Irregular lumps, bumps, and contours

• Complete reversal of the surgery

• Loss of sensation or function

• Reduced elasticity or stretch to the penis skin

• Pain with erection

• Penile shortening

• Scarring

• Infection

• Edema (swelling)

Like with other surgical procedures, there’s also a recovery period. Immediately after surgery, you’ll experience some pain, swelling, and discomfort. While recovery times vary from person to person, you should feel better within a few weeks. 

During your recovery period, it’s important that you follow your surgeon’s instructions, which may include abstaining from both masturbation and sexual activity.  

Furthermore, any guy willing to go under the knife for a bigger dick should consider the following:

• Many reviews of the research have concluded that there is very little research to support the use of penile enhancement surgery. A 2020 study concluded that “injectables and surgery should remain a last option” in men with a normal penis size.

• The American Urological Association warns that procedures involving fat injections for increasing penile girth have not been proven to be safe or efficacious. More research is needed to determine just how safe it is.  

• In extreme cases, penis augmentation surgery may result in disfigurement, necrosis, or death of the affected penile tissue, and even a need for follow-up surgeries to correct complications.  

Put simply, while penis enlargement surgery can produce a modest increase in penis size, it comes with a mixed success rate — and a long list of potential complications, several of which may be severe.

Because of the risks associated with most forms of penis enlargement surgery, and even with non-surgical penis enhancement procedures, going under the knife (or getting filler injections) solely to make your penis larger generally isn’t recommended. 

The good news is that there are other ways to improve your sexual performance and feel more confident in bed. Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re feeling like your length isn’t quite up to snuff.

• It’s not a big deal. This is not meant to invalidate your feelings, but you should know that for most of your partners, penis shape and size really isn’t as big of a deal as it’s often made out to be. Research suggests that women prefer average sized penises. For example, in a study published in 2015, 75 women were surveyed on their penis size preferences. Using penis size models, the women chose a size of around six inches as preferable for a long-term partner.

• Porn may have misled you. Thanks to pornography and media depictions, lots of guys have warped perceptions about genital size and assume they have a small penis, or even a micropenis, when in truth their penis size is actually very normal. A “normal” flaccid penis size is estimated to be around 3.6 inches from the base of the penis at the pubic bone to its tip, with an average circumference of around 3.7 inches

• Address function over size. You can also improve your sexual self-confidence by using medication to deal with issues such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. Erectile dysfunction treatments include medication and lifestyle changes — you might also want to try our chewable ED meds hard mints.

• Get creative. Toys like penis sleeves can help you give your partner an extra something without permanent changes, and could even be fun to play with together. 

• Address the mental health side of the problem. If you have sexual performance anxiety or are worried about your penile size, therapy may help you improve your sexual confidence without going under the knife. Many men think they have a small penis when they’re actually normal-sized, a phenomenon called penile dysmorphophobia. 

And on this note, a word of caution: be wary of “penis-enhancing” creams and supplements. These are unregulated, untested, and often unsafe. When it comes to your sexual health, your safety is of the utmost importance. 

Regardless of how big you are, it’s not uncommon to feel worried about your penis size. However, going under the knife or getting dermal fillers for a bigger penis generally isn’t medically recommended. 

Here’s our TL;DR for a takeaway:

• Penis enlargement surgery is risky and mostly unproven. Many of these interventions aren’t well-studied, but they do carry risks of (concerning) side effects. 

• Surgery is usually unnecessary. Most guys don’t really need it, and surgery comes with a significant risk of complications. Most men who consider male enhancement surgery actually have normal penises. 

• Focus on function over size. Instead of fretting about your penis size, try to focus on the aspects of your sexual performance that matter more, like your erections and sexual stamina. Treating erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation with prescription medications might be more beneficial than adding fractions of inches.

Interested in improving your sexual performance? Our guide to having better sex shares simple but effective tips that you can use to increase intimacy and improve your sexual satisfaction, all without any need for costly, risky surgery.

Want to explore your treatment options? We can help you make an appointment with a licensed healthcare provider to discuss your concerns. We also offer ED medications like sildenafil (generic for Viagra), tadalafil (generic for Cialis) and Stendra (avanafil). 

If performance anxiety is getting you down, we offer online therapy as part of our range of mental health services, with which you can quickly and easily connect with a licensed therapist from the privacy and comfort of your home. 

So keep your options open for improving your sexual confidence —  and keep your junk away from surgeons. You’ll save money and pain, and you’ll improve your sex life without any necessary recovery processes.