Generally speaking, a metoidioplasty can allow patients to experience erections since their natal erectile tissue is preserved and released. This would not require the surgical insertion of an erectile device, as is the case with phalloplasties. If the results are healing well, a patient can begin to use a penis pump after about 3 months post-op to enlarge their size and better facilitate the possibility of penetration.

That said, if a patient’s greatest priority is achieving a great amount of phallic girth and length, a phalloplasty might be their best option. More concretely, the size of the penis created by a metoidioplasty, compared to a phalloplasty, will be smaller and may be less easily used for penetrative sex with a partner. However, in any metoidioplasty procedure, some of the labia minora tissue can be used to help give the shaft of the penis more girth if that would help a patient meet their goals.