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  • Review Article
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Penile length augmentation surgical and non-surgical approaches for aesthetical purposes

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Abstract

The aim of this review is to describe reported techniques and to provide available scientific data on the success of penis length procedures for cosmetic purposes. Penis lengthening methods remain a controversial issue. Penis size is a matter of great interest among men who are affected by ‘small penis anxiety’’ or just believe themselves to have a small penis, even though the dimensions of the organ fall within the normal range. We performed a narrative review of the literature based on a comprehensive search in the MEDLINE database for original articles published until March 2021, referring to lengthening approaches exclusively for aesthetical reasons. Abstracts, opinion papers and case series ≤10 patients were not considered. We included the results of 14 papers in the review that gathered the experience obtained in a total of 1661 patients. Four of the studies referred to non-surgical procedures for penile length augmentation (PLA) and the remaining 10 analyzed the results of invasive (surgical) procedures. Both invasive and non-invasive techniques achieve similar improvements in penis length. These procedures vary in complexity and require specialized training and experience. However, the low scientific quality of the analyzed papers makes it difficult to establish recommendations to choose one technique over any other. However, it seems reasonable that, if possible, non-invasive techniques should be proposed as a first-line treatment. Before deciding the procedure, we must carry out a correct psychological evaluation of our patients, discuss with them the technique of choice, and adjust their expectations.

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Fig. 1: Penile traction device.
Fig. 2: Fillers.
Fig. 3: Suspensory ligament dissection.

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Category 1—(a) Conception and design: Borja Garcia Gomez, Javier Romero Otero. (b) Acquisition of data and literature research: Borja García Gómez, Esther Garcia Rojo, Manuel Alonso Isa and Alessandro Fiorillo. (c) Analysis and Interpretation of data: Borja García Gómez and Manuel Alonso Isa. Category 2—(a) Drafting the article: Borja Garcia Gomez, Manuel Alonso Isa and Esther Garcia Rojo. (b) Revising it for intellectual content: Borja Garcia Gomez and Javier Romero Otero. Category 3—(a) Final approval of the completed article: Javier Romero Otero and Borja Garcia Gomez.

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Correspondence to Borja García Gómez.

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García Gómez, B., Alonso Isa, M., García Rojo, E. et al. Penile length augmentation surgical and non-surgical approaches for aesthetical purposes. Int J Impot Res 34, 332–336 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-021-00488-7

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