Ellanse Nonsurgical Phalloplasty: Present and Future by Dr. Casavantes

The first attempts at procedures to increase penis volume were surgical, using materials and techniques that soon became obsolete due to their aggressiveness, high incidence of serious adverse effects, and permanent complications.

There was a dramatic change in the phalloplasty scene when Luis Casavantes (Avanti Derma, 2007) popularized two injectable soft tissue fillers with nonsurgical techniques that quickly became popular; these two products offered entirely different results, one firm and permanent (PMMA) and the other soft, sometimes spongy and short-lasting (hyaluronic acid). At that time, there was no intermediate option.

Later, a third player (long-lasting polycaprolactone, or PCL) entered the scene around 2013 under the trademark of Ellansé™, offering advantages that positioned it at an intermediate point between the two existing products.

Although clinical studies still need to be carried out to bring more support to the use of PCL for nonsurgical phalloplasty, we have seen that it has the following advantages over its older competitors:

Key Advantages

1. Longevity (duration)

• The PCL implant lasts much longer than the hyaluronic acid implant. The microspheres of PCL enter phase II of degradation until the forth year after injection.

• The PCL implant is absorbed exceptionally slowly, and unlike PMMA, which persists for life, the former eventually disappears, allowing the tissues to return to their basal conditions; the advantage is that the patient is freed from the implant in the later stages of his life when his priorities change.

2. Consistency

• The hyaluronic acid gel retains water and it can be soft and spongy, mainly when used in high volume. We have reports of patients who left finger marks after handling the penis firmly.

• PCL and PMMA implants owe their volume to new collagen formation, so their consistency is natural and much firmer than hyaluronic acid.

In our practice, we have found that the effect of Ellansé™ on the penis lasts much longer than the 18-24 months that researchers have reported in patients who received it on the face. At Avanti Derma, we have Ellansé™ non-surgical phalloplasty patients who have had the implant for almost a decade, and its absorption has not been sufficient to justify a touch-up or an additional session.

So, the big question now is: could Ellansé™ be the most advanced product for nonsurgical phalloplasty that we have now?

Those readers interested in more knowledge of Ellansé™ will find intermediate/high-level technical information in the following attachment.  Ellansé™ Monography

If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Luis Casavantes (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).