Okay so let me begin by saying I'm about 1 week post-op. I had my appointment noon time Wednesday of last week. Because I was staying with relatives before & after (to save what $ I could), I was not afforded the best post-op situation. I really believe that if you CAN get your own hotel and have a day or two solo, this is the best option. I on the other hand was limited in my ability to maintain long periods of traction or massaging. Fortunately my results appear to be coming along just fine even without the aforementioned techniques.
Wednesday morning:
Shuttle picked me up by a nice gentleman who took me into the city of Tijuana. I've been there before during the day so it was not surprising to see that many parts of it appear as they would if I were in other major cities in California. I believe the concern of it being a "dangerous city" is bit overblown although it is always wise to be safer than sorry.
I arrived at the building and was met by Christian at the building doors and taken up by elevator to the doctor's office where I filled out all the necessary paper work. After having done so, I was escorted to the procedure room by Christian and told to dress into medical garment and slippers. Dr. Casavantes briefly stepped in to introduce himself and excused himself for a brief time. I was then asked to have pictures taken for office use which I hesitated to do since I was really retracting like never before. My flaccid must have been an inch in length (perhaps less??) and my flaccid girth was comparable to that of a medium sized marble (perhaps just a bit bigger at most). This was a bit embarrassing to reveal, especially to someone whose role I was unsure of. Eventually I just sucked it up and thought...well hey, I'm here to wish off this size once and for all and took an assortment of pictures.
After the pictures I sat onto the procedural chair and in came in Wade, who introduced himself to me. Dr. Casavantes shortly followed. After some brief chit chat Dr. Casavantes realized I was in fact S.O. and thanked me for the resource that I helped enable. We discussed a variety of topics while I let my anti-anxiety medication kick in, since after all I get reaaaaal bad around needles. Topics like "the ring," "traction devices," "websites & marketing," and miscelaneous came up. Soon enough, I knew it would be time to undergo the procedure.
First, Wade gave me my cortisone shot which wasn't too bad. In a bit the doctor and staff (Wade + 1 other gentleman) began to administer a sedative, one on each side of my penis base. This had a sharp sensation for a brief while but soon made my entire penis numb. Before I knew it, the doctor was going to work. I refused to watch, especially since the tools involved looked like things that would have been used in the Spanish Inquisition (Dr. Casavantes joked about this himself). I instead spent that time discussing the purpose of this site and my reasons for being involved with something that I make virtually no money from. I explained to Dr. C that this particular method of body enhancement (specifically surgical penis enlargement) is mostly shunned in most cosmetic & medical circles and consequently is shunned on many penis enlargement forums (think Thundersplace). I also felt that what was available to us prior to this site was monopolized by interest groups willing to censor pertinent information to newcomers. I basically told him that phalloplasty can be a life-changing procedure, and I felt I was obliged to create a place where our insecurities could NOT be sold to the highest bidder. Rather, a place where we can be educated on all options phalloplasty, and I'm proud to have started what we have here today.
All while this is going on I suspect my penis could not possibly look the same. After nearly 45-60 minutes everything was done. Through out the session I'd get an occasional re-injection of sedatives but otherwise it was remarkably low on the pain scale, and this is coming from someone who
freaks out over needles.
I sat up and there it was. I couldn't even recognize it. Not because it was disfigured or misshaped. It was just... BIG! I mean maybe not as big as some of the other guys on this forum (lol) but from what I had started out with before, it was considerably bigger. The flaccid before & (right) after will be pretty interesting to upload when our new site's forum is fixed in. I wasn't sure how to feel, I mean I was excited but I KNEW how much time there would be before I would be in the clear. Concerns over how long it would take the entry points to close, the risk of infection, rejection, etc. Obviously these haven't been reported in the past, but I've followed this scene long enough to know that you can NEVER EVER neglect your post-op instructions and be very careful with your penis until you know you've fully healed.
So I was bandaged up around the entry points, given some antibiotics, water & a granola bar. A little bit more chit chat with the Dr & Wade and I was on my way. The shuttle returned me to San Diego. The biggest regret I had was not having my own hotel room to better monitor my penis, but I'm not sure it could have been done. This limited my frequency of penis massaging & stretching.
I was told that I could shower but to avoid baths. It finally made sense. It is wise to wash your groin area with running water, and bandage/gauze it back up until the entry points are healed up. Baths however, can have picked up residual bacteria from the surface of the tub and be a much riskier thing to come in contact with.
The swelling was mild as was the bruising. My penis itself wasn't really in any pain, just some soreness/tenderness when touched in certain areas of the shaft, but nothing alarming. The ring itself was the puffiest, almost as if there was some kind of fluid accumulation in there. All of these traits (including the ring) have subsided over time. I also noticed that my penis's ability to "want" to become erect was weaker in the first 1-2 days, probably due to the recent penile trauma. I want to stress that I don't believe the PMMA itself creates any kind of impotence. I think the body has ways to help promote healing. On my 7th day post-op, my erections are now much closer to 100% especially since my bruising and soreness have decreased considerably. I'm certain in 4-6 weeks (when the collagen formation is 100%) I will have absolutely no problems with the actual erection.
My penis does not retract as bad as it used to, though it will retract some.
Aesthetically it's absolutely amazing. Dr. C managed to give me both a big look and a proportionate look, both of which I thought would be an incredible challenge. Dr. Casavantes CANNOT promise your outcome like a tattoo artist is supposed to... but he tries his best. And his work is phenomenal. If there are any contour/aesthetic issues, I believe they wont be noticed until a 4-6 weeks. And honestly, if there are any, it would not be surprising since Dr. C himself has acknowledged the need for a 2nd session to give you a quality end result.
I believe I have covered all the grounds up to this point. At a week post-op I'm finding the bruising & swelling to have gone down dramatically, entry points closed, and normalcy returning to my erections. I'm most definitely having a second session done, and am consulting with their office on having fat-pad lipo removed to enhance the length as well.
A few things I've learned in a nutshell:
- Bioplasty is not surgery. This, in my opinion, gave me a lot less to worry about because of the simpler post-op care and shorter downtime. Surgery requires incision, bioplasty requires injection (the basic difference).
- Technique matters, so I wouldn't see just anyone who thinks they could pump this into me. Dr. Casavantes work has been demonstrated on this forum time and time again, and I found the progress reports to be genuine and informative.
- The ring may be inevitable. More so for some than others. Follow-up visits and stretching devices may alleviate this problem, but there is no proof of that this moment. I personally find the ring to be an advantage sexually, but not everyone agrees it's an advantage aesthetically. Just be prepared to know that the ring is a possibility. If you get a ring early, that does not mean you'll have a ring as a final result & vice versa. My ring came on real big and swollen, now its hardly there.
- Confidence booster? Can you say "I've already had my first cock-check?" I mean did she really look or am I dreaming? Who cares, I can feel the confidence soaring, now I just have to learn to keep my ego in check (lol).
- Dr. Casavantes office is creating a site specifically devoted to PMMA penis enhancement. I will not be involved with the creation of that site (although I am offering suggestions free of cost to the Doctor regarding what kind of information should be available).
I plan to consider fat pad lipo in possible conjunction with my 2nd session. This may not happen for at least 8-12 weeks.
As for measurements, I haven't taken any. I just find that measuring a swollen penis will give me false hope since the penis will become smaller when the swelling is gone. Some have even reported gaining again after the swelling dissipates due to collage formation. Unless a high # of current patients believe it is highly advisable to measure, I wont be measuring until about the 4-6 week marker.
pre-op flaccid:
length = varies 1"-3"
girth = varies unknown
pre-op erect:
length = 5" bone-pressed, 4" Non-bone pressed due to a 1" fat pad.
girth = 3.5" mid shaft, even shaft.
Not sure what my current measurements are but before the procedure I had to wear snugger fit condoms, now a regular size condom feels "snug" when I'm hard. I just tried one one out of curiosity for a few seconds and am thrilled to put this to action in due time.
Thanks for all of the support. Sorry for the incredibly lengthy report but I tried to cover all corners. I am open to all questions and you can PM me with your email address if you want my before & after pic in the procedural room. I am waiting to receive them by email and will forward them to anyone interested.