A Happy New Year to all of our members here at
PhalloBoards! This site was created in the Fall of 2010 but really saw growth in 2011. Last year was the year of penile bioplasty, and the first few waves of pioneers took one for the team. Since then we have seen an explosion of
PMMA progress reporting, and for good reason...it has been remarkably effective in the short-term relative to past methods. However, with this new year, I\'d like to remind everyone that we put on the brakes and reassess our approach to PE. I would like to see the very popular
PMMA topic balanced out a bit in 2012. While I\'m personally very satisfied with my own procedure, I think that there needs to be a renewed emphasis on becoming an informed decision maker before undergoing any method, especially something as popular as penile bioplasty. All methods carry risks and I\'m afraid that the way the information is presented on this forum may cause prospective patients to pull the trigger prematurely, especially where
PMMA is concerned. I\'m not here to preach, but I genuinely believe this forum\'s purpose was to provide a resource and dialog for men contemplating surgical augmentation/alteration to genitalia - and my hope in this new year is that a more rational & linear way of thinking is embraced:Do I have a size problem? Or is there a psychological component that needs to be addressed by a healthcare professional?If size is indeed a problem, does it impact my sex life negatively?If my sex life is suffering due to my size, do the potential (and not guaranteed) benefits outweigh the (known) risks?If I determine that the potential benefits do outweigh the risks for my situation, and I\'m comfortable with this, am I fully informed (as one can possibly be with limited info) and ready for this?If I\'m average or above-average, and I\'m doing this more for aesthetic pleasure/vanity, am I fully aware of the risks involved and willing to accept them before going under the knife?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 is still considered taboo in the medical community and is regarded as an unrefined cosmetic procedure. 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 bad or an inevitable failure? No. But what it does mean is that it hasn\'t been developed quite like the nose or boob job - making
Phalloplasty essentially experimental. If
Phalloplasty were just as researched, developed, and medically accepted as the common nose & boob job, I\'d be much more open to recommending it to men from all walks of life. But for now, it\'s vital to recognize if you are a valid candidate, since after all, any method you choose to undergo is technically experimental as far as medical literature is concerned. Please be aware that not everyone who has had a procedure reports on the
PhalloBoards, and that the information available to us may not be entirely complete. There have been undisclosed reports of complications from a multitude of procedures, including
PMMA. Although the decisions made on this forum are not my responsibility, I do feel a sense of duty to support & nourish a healthy way of thinking on a topic that plagues one of our 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. On another note, I have a few new goals to entertain in 2012. I would like the Forum to grow beyond
Phalloplasty (although
Phalloplasty will still remain the primary theme) and become a general resource for male self-improvement. This includes topics like physical fitness, libido, and aging - and these work well in conjunction with the desire for a more \"desirable\" penis. We have already begun to see the Love, Lust, and Vanity forum provide an outlet for these discussions, and I look forward to watching it grow in the coming months & years. In 2012, I wish all of our members good health, and an excellent sex life (courtesy of a healthy, functioning
Dick). With this post, it marks my 2,000th overall post (Old PB + New PB combined), with slightly over a year worth of dialog! Thanks to all for making this small fraternity an insightful & jolly bunch to hang with! Happy New Year! -S.O.
