Scrotoplasty
Scrotoplasty (also called scrotal lift) is a procedure performed to tighten a sagging scrotum. Scrotoplasty also involves fixing a deformed scrotum or even creating a new scrotum for those who are changing their gender to a male.
Scrotoplasty is done in the following cases:
- Infants with genetic defects where the scrotum is not well formed or not present at all.
- In adult men who think that their scrotum is sagging too much and not confident in bed. (Cosmetic reason)
- In men whose scrotum is injured due to the involvement in an accident.
Before you consider going for a scrotoplasty procedure, you need to understand what is done and the possible risks / complications involved in the procedure.
Basics of a scrotum
Scrotum is kind of an external organ in a male human body that lies under the penis. The skin on the scrotum is folded or wrinkled a lot so that more skin can fit in a small space. Normal body temperature of a person is 98.6 F but ideal temperature for optimal production of sperms is around 93 F. That is the reason why the scrotum lies outside the body holding the two sperm producing factories, the testicles. The folder / wrinkled skin when stretched has a lot of surface area that enables more heat to escape and helps in keeping the temperature lower.
With age, the strength of muscles in the pelvic region including those behind the scrotum become weak. As a result of muscle weakening and the gravitational pull, it’s quite common for the scrotum to sag with age. In some men, the sagging happens while they are still in sexually active age and they don’t feel good about it. That’s one of the top reasons why men go for cosmetic correction of the scrotum, the scrotal lift.
Who is an ideal candidate for scrotoplasty procedure?
- Men with buried penis. In some men, the scrotum grows larger than normal as a result of which the penis gets buried itself inside the overgrown scrotum. This can happen in infants or young boys or in adults. Males with buried penis find it difficult to pee and to have sex.
- Penoscrotal Webbing. Ever had a look at a bird called ‘Pelican’ with a fish inside its beak? You can see a hanging web that connects its beak till its throat. That’s almost how a penoscrotal webbed scrotum looks like. Usually, the joint between the penis shaft and the scrotum lies at the base of the penis. In some cases, the skin stretches till the mid shaft or even till the glans of the penis forming penoscrotal webbing. In such cases, having sex becomes difficult and a surgery is warranted.
- Enlarged scrotum. At times in some men, scrotum starts growing like a tumour. For some men, the growth may be little and the scrotum may only grow to the size of a fist but in some men, the scrotum can grow to the size of a big sack. In either case, the scrotum needs to be corrected. Even a little increase in scrotum size can make men uncomfortable to run, walk or wear their favourite clothing.
- Scrotum sagging with age. A pretty common condition. The scrotum may sag even during sexually active stage and those men who are not comfortable with it go for scrotal lift procedure.
Before scrotoplasty procedure
Here are a few things you need to do before undergoing a scrotoplasty procedure:
- Do your homework in finding a good plastic surgeon specialised in operating in the genital area. An experienced sexologist or andrologist can be a good fit for the surgery. Meet and talk with a couple of doctors before you finalise on one doctor and hospital.
- Know what you can expect after the procedure. You can do your research online and then get better first hand information from the doctor you meet.
- Understand the risks and complications that you can expect post surgery and during the recovery process.
What is done during the procedure?
- Local anaesthesia is administered around the scrotum.
- Depending on how much the sagging is and how much skin needs to be removed, incisions are made under the penis on either side of the scrotum. Usually the incisions are oval shaped as shown in the image.
- The oval shaped part of the skin is removed from the scrotum and the rest of the skin ends are stitched up and pinned.
- Necessary bandaging is done.
After the procedure, you may be advised to stay in the hospital for a day depending on how complex the surgery was. It may be performed as a day care procedure if your doctor feels that you can go home after the surgery. You will be put on antibiotics, pain medication and advised to apply an ice pack for quicker healing with lesser pain. You need to avoid sex for at least 6 weeks until your doctor gives you a go ahead.
Possible complications
- Nerve injury during the surgery – that’s the reason why you need to be really picky when choosing a surgeon to cut your body.
- In some cases, after removing excess skin, a little bit of skin grafting may be necessary. In those cases, the grafted skin may not survive as expected.
- Scarring
- Injury to urethra or erectile tissues
- Infection. (In most cases, this is handled with antibiotics.)
Cost of scrotoplasty surgery in Chennai, India
The cost of scrotoplasty in good hospitals in Chennai may be around Rs 1,00,000. This can be a bit lower or higher depending on the doctor and the clinic where the surgery is being performed. If you are getting scrotoplasty purely for cosmetic reasons or for a pre-existing condition, you may want to check with your insurance provider if the cost is covered before fixing an appointment for the surgery.
