Advantages of using Surgimend Over Other Dermal Matrices (like Alloderm & Belladerm)

2a) Dr. Solomon, what are the advantages of using Surgimend over other dermal matrices (like Alloderm & Belladerm)? Are there varying options for thickness? Could I add more sheets of Surgimend in the future for more girth?

This is an excellent question. Alloderm and Belladerm (among others) come from human sources. In particular, Alloderm is a donation from someone who has died while Belladerm often comes from remnants of abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) tissue that is removed at surgery. Human dermis is then prepared from these materials. Human dermis varies in thickness depending upon what part of the body it is from and the age of the donor. Human dermis gets thinner with age. As a rule, the thickest human dermis is not more than 2 mm and on average about 1.5 mm. Surgimend comes from fetal calf tissue. This has several advantages. It has never been exposed to bacteria, so it is sterile. Calf dermis is thicker than human dermis. This tissue is cut by machine. So its thickness is uniform and because calf dermis is thicker than human dermis, it is available in thicknesses from 1 to 4 mm.

My average Surgimend graft is 3 mm thick. This seems to be the "sweet spot" between giving a good result while allowing it to revascularize in a reasonable amount of time. I have used 4 mm grafts in some patients, as well as 2 mm grafts in some.

You can have a second wrap, but recovery is long and in several cases, the penis has been almost too thick for comfortable intercourse. I warn patients about these issues before performing additional girth enhancement.

(2b)Dr. Solomon, do you offer any solutions for glans enlargement? If yes, could you describe how you go about safely augmenting the glans? If you don't offer any procedures for the glans, is it due to the anatomical risks associated with the glans, or simply a matter of preference?

I have tried many methods for glans enlargement. None of them provides a permanent solution, so I do not offer this to my patients. I am aware that some physicians use injections, mostly hyaluronic acid. This generally goes away, but has, on occasion has left some nodules that I have had to remove surgically. I have also tried fat grafting the glans and using dermal graft material. None of these methods provided a natural, long lasting glans enlargement, so I do not perform this procedure any longer.

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