- Groin flap phalloplasty uses groin tissue to create the new penis. Using groin tissue allows the scars from this surgery to be more easily concealed, and allows a penis of adequate length and girth for most patients.
- The groin flap does not have erogenous sensation; most patients experience normal levels of tactile sensation in their new penis.
- If a patient wishes to urinate standing up, our surgeon can perform a urethral lengthening using a forearm or hip skin flap.
- An advantage of a radial forearm flap is that nerve innervation microsurgery can be performed. This allows for the possibility of erogenous sensation to be felt in the new penis, as a sensory nerve is also taken from the forearm and connected to a clitoral nerve. Second, the skin graft that is taken from the forearm is relatively small (typically 2 inches by 7 inches) and can later be covered up by a split or full-thickness skin graft. This means that this small forearm scar would heal significantly better than the large scar of a radial forearm flap (RFF) phalloplasty.
- A groin flap would be easily concealed since it is usually covered by clothing. That said, it does not allow for the possibility of heightened, erotic sensation to be felt in the penis unless a patient chooses to add a urethra later on through a radial forearm urethral lengthening.
- A groin flap phalloplasty procedure requires three initial surgeries over the course of 3-4 months to create the new penis.
- The first stage involves the creation of the new penis in the form of a “suitcase” handle, for about three weeks. Through the next two stages, the penis is slowly detached and left to hang freely. The bucket handle stage allows the penis to maintain its blood flow to be dependent on its blood supply.
- During the third and final stage, the “suitcase” handle flap is fully released, allowing the penis to detach from the groin and remain connected only at its base.
- If a patient would like to urinate out of the tip of their penis, a urethral lengthening can be conducted during a later stage.
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