There needs to be a renewed emphasis on becoming an informed decision maker before undergoing any elective surgery, especially in a world full of misleading claims, risky procedures, questionable practices, and exaggerated promises. All methods carry risks but some are more acceptable than others. Fortunately we've seen a lot of progress & advancements made in the past decade, and that's where PhalloBoards can be an integral part of your decision-making process.
To begin, we should implement a rational & linear way of thinking since the allure of a "larger penis" can cloud judgment for many who aren't educated on the topic of penis enlargement.
Candidate Checklist
1. Do I genuinely have a size problem? Or is there a psychological component that needs to be addressed by a healthcare professional (i.e. "is it all in my head") ?
2. If size is indeed a problem, does it impact my sex life negatively?
3. If my sex life or self-image is suffering due to my size, do the potential (and not guaranteed) benefits outweigh the (known) risks?
4. If I can become as informed as reasonably expected to, am I prepared to go through with the decision and everything it entails?
5. If I'm average or above-average, and I'm doing this for vanity or fetish, am I fully aware of the risks involved and willing to accept them before "going under the knife" ?
6. Irrespective of my size, if I'm doing this for my wife/significant-other, is she/he aware of my decision(s), supportive of my decision(s), and reasonably informed on the specifics of my desired procedure?
These questions are important because phalloplasty still faces an unfair stigma in some medical circles and is regarded as a cosmetic procedure without standardization. Only a handful of doctors perform these type of procedures in the Western Hemisphere and that alone should be food for thought!
Does this mean that any given procedure is too risky or an inevitable disaster waiting to happen? No. What it does mean is that it hasn't been developed quite like the nose or boob job - making phalloplasty effectively experimental. Times are changing and advancements have been made in the field, getting work done now is considerably less risky than it was 10 and 20 years ago. It's up to you to determine whether (a) you've become an informed decision maker, (b) your motives are sane and reasonable, and (c) you've exhausted other areas of self-improvement before concluding that penis enlargement is right for you.
The decisions made on this forum are not the responsibility of PhalloBoards, but there is a sense of duty to support & nourish a healthy way of thinking on a topic that plagues one of our most common insecurities. I also feel that this forum needs to bring attention to the dangers of Body Dysmorphic Disorder which may lead men to undergo phalloplasty needlessly, assuming unnecessary risks. Bringing attention to this doesn't mean that we'd begin diagnosing one another, but rather, bringing to light factors that could be affecting our decision-making process.