TOPIC: PMMA infection

I'm truly appreciative with both the candidness and bravery it takes to post these kinds of updates. So many times when things seem a bit uncertain, men often just stop posting or logging in -- what makes it worse is that the individual(s) in question may have had a full recovery, or a total reconstructive surgery, or somewhere in between (kind of like your situation), and we really wouldn't know. This does not just pertain to PMMA, but is true for a multitude of methodologies.

A friendly reminder to those who happen to be reading -- penis enlargement procedures, despite having come a long way compared to what was available years & decades ago, is still an elective endeavor not without risk. While modern Phalloplasty has made strides in reducing both the frequency & severity of complications, serious matters are bound to show up "on the graph."

The rarity of the bacterium for its setting (dermal injections) and the lack of certainty on its origins despite a host of tests, certainly makes this an even more anomalous case than previously believed (for me).

To be frank, your Circumcision went well and all things considered, your unit is looking more and more healthy in light of having to recover from yet another procedure, and that is a positive sign if any.

The advice to use a condom was indicated by the Urologist to avoid risking a second infection, I think it is for preventive purposes and for my mental peace, it is not easy to have sex again after what I went through with fear which could be the last time. As for oral sex I really don't think I'll be able to use a condom, for vaginal sex if I'm with my wife I'll use it to start with and then we'll see, for anal sex I think I have no choice. The entry points after 2 weeks from the procedure were well closed for at least 6/7 days but in that phase I often passed the roller to smooth some small nodules and I think that with the rubbing during intercourse I was able to open a small Nodule from where the infection started. Where the bacterium came from will remain a mystery, no one can say for sure.

I do not want to irritate people here, I m only interested to help the community. Maybe my question is abstract.
In Aftercare the sleeping-methods with „donout-pillow“ / innertube becomes more and more popular. Also described from @Texas in „AFTERCARE“
Maybe its abstract- but @Ben3 did you practice that? @Zep83

Maybe also @Dr_Sullivan or @Skeptical_One could help.

Is the sleeping-style „donout-pillow“ for the first days recommended or not?

I still recommend this to people - whether anyone else does or not. Sleeping in anyway shape or form with your penis Hanging freely downward would be absolutely optimal and preferred over another method.

Hi everyone, it's been 48 days since the infection started, 1 month since the medical Circumcision, I still have all the stitches, I think my recovery is much slower due to the swelling that never went away. Some days I'm 13.5cm in circumference and others I'm 14.5cm at rest. I never have the same size, 15 cm Erect, another 16 cm, I don't understand anything about how my immune system is reacting. Other than that I always have that inflammation-like color and the base part has a lighter color that is noticeable with the light, I thought it could be the different concentration from 30% to 10% which reacted differently during the infection. I've had other tests, everything normal but I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The pictures don’t look bad, actually look ok. TIME is what this is going to take. Unfortunately no quick fix. Let it heal. When it’s healed, move skin around and massage gently. The body is amazing at healing, it just takes time

Thank you for your opinion, this is what gives me hope, I haven't had sex for a month and a half and I'm living a nightmare, I'm satisfying my wife in every way in this period, beyond the personal suffering I feel guilty towards him, I certainly didn't want the infection but this situation creates discomfort for my entire family. From a medical point of view I had a negative result from the bacterial test in my blood, out of 4 blood samples they were all negative, to be safe the doctor infectious diseases decided to keep the blood incubated for 14 days, he explained to me that usually if there is a bacterium in the blood the positivity is seen after a maximum of 5 days but there are bacteria, fungi and other things that can grow more slowly. I'm looking for traces of this bacterium that has infected me throughout my body, like an obsession, I want it to disappear forever and if it remains attached to the PMMA like a biofilm inside my penis I will always have to keep my immune defenses high so as not to wake him up. My life will be different but I will continue to fight.

Post infection update. I have continued to have tests during this period, I still have redness and heat when I sit and a little less when I work up. I no longer have an infection, this was told to me by the Urologist, the infectious disease specialist and the Dermatologist, with the passage of time and with all the blood values ​​in the normal range without inflammatory and infection changes it is possible that there is no and of the biofilm present on the fibrotic tissue otherwise signs of infection would have reappeared. Two and a half months have passed, perhaps we have understood where the infection started from. 8 days after the third cycle at TJ while I was working I cut myself with an tip of an iron pole in the butt area, it wasn't a very deep wound but it still came out with blood. I immediately disinfected and applied gentamicin and an adhesive bandage. I had asked from the beginning in the hospital if the infection could have started from that wound but I always got a negative answer because it was never infected, it never give me any symptoms. I had a second consultation with another doctor infectious diseases where he explained his theory to me. The enterococcus gallinarum bacterium can be present in the intestine and feces of humans. It is generally not very virulent on its own but if it binds to other bacteria it can spread into the blood if it finds a way in. According to his theory it could to have gone up to the penis, I could have contaminated myself by simply leaning on the toilet through the wound, even if it was protected by the adhesive bandage while I was washing I didn't change the bandage every time as it was on one side it didn't give me any problems but I remember that several times one part got wet and the gentamicin gel I put in does not create an antimicrobial barrier against enterococcus. I think this theory makes sense for the type of bacteria, I always think it was endless bad luck if it happened like this but I'm starting to believe it really is the cause of my infection.

Sorry for the late reply to this , but im just trying to clarify whether being subjected to bacteria/infections at any time after PMMA can run the risk of it attaching to the foreign material, or just while you’re healing?

FlaccidAcid wrote: Sorry for the late reply to this , but im just trying to clarify whether being subjected to bacteria/infections at any time after PMMA can run the risk of it attaching to the foreign material, or just while you’re healing?

My understanding is that certain bacteria like MRSA etc likes to latch on to foreign material in the body because it can form a biofilm. It would stand to reason that it would be able to latch on to PMMA implant but I’d love for the doctors to weigh in .

I wanted to provide an update on my situation two years after the infection. The condition is stable; the presence of bacterial biofilm after two years has been ruled out, as confirmed by the latest MRI and blood tests. I have neither an infection nor inflammation; either would have manifested itself over this long period. I still have chronic pain at the base on the left side; I am treating it with supplements (Assonal and Assonal PEA to support the nerves, and Lenidase for microcirculation). Last year, I underwent a course of 10 shockwave therapy sessions, but saw no results. I have read about various cases of bacterial infection complications in patients with PMMA implants. Most infections occur in the first few weeks; depending on the type of bacteria, they can be extremely severe and dangerous. I have read about PMMA patients—often in Brazil—where a delay in intensive hospital antibiotic treatment led to complete Removal of the implant, with devastating consequences. Amidst the sheer bad luck of contracting an accidental infection, I consider myself fortunate to have started taking the initial antibiotic and ibuprofen as soon as symptoms appeared; within 36 hours, I was already receiving hospital-based antibiotic treatment. A delay in hospital care beyond 48–72 hours can allow the formation of a biofilm that is impervious to antibiotics—some bacteria act even faster, while others might be eliminated with oral antibiotics, though that requires luck. Every case is different, but based on my personal experience, I advise anyone with fillers—especially permanent ones like PMMA—never to underestimate any symptom, regardless of how much time has passed, and to always consult a doctor if anything changes. The only positive takeaway from my ordeal might be a warning to strictly adhere to antibiotic regimens during the injection period and to maintain rigorous hygiene when handling the area while the entry points are still open. The only consolation in my story is that I retained about 65cc of the original 69cc of PMMA following the therapeutic Circumcision, and that—though I would like medical confirmation on this—the fibrosis that developed during the infection has... All the PMMA has compacted into a single block—essentially very hard Type 1 collagen formed as an immune response to the infection. This scar tissue reduces skin elasticity and increases the overall weight of the Flaccid penis, but it should remain stable over time without causing nodules or product migration in the future, thanks to this "cementing" effect. I’m attaching a few photos; if anyone is interested in commenting, I’d appreciate hearing other guys' perspectives. I realize this forum focuses mostly on enlargement rather than "complications," but I believe it’s right to share the downsides as well as the "gains." Best regards to the forum.

@Zep83, I'm hoping I heard/read you correctly, but it sounds like you're completely infection-free and was able to retain most of your girth? It does suck you had to endure quite some time of battling the infection, and obviously having some residual lingering issues can't be ignored... but my goodness it could have been much worse -- the fact that your unit looks the way it does now after your battles is a big W my friend. 

And I want to also just be clear for anyone reading this -- The PhalloBoards covers all topics and subjects that involve PE medical procedures, and that includes complications as well as discussions about treatment and recovery. I want any guy who has questions to ask, to ask away. Yes, we have Sponsors here, but this site will always first remain a patient-driven site first, much as it has been since 2010.

Hi, it’s great to hear from you again. Please forgive my terrible English; I’m using a translator. Yes, I actually fully recovered from the infection in October 2024—I can officially say that now—but my case was complex due to various complications. To start from the beginning: there were some inaccuracies in what I wrote in this post while I was hospitalized. Naturally, I didn't fully grasp the situation at the time, as I’m not a doctor and was traumatized by the fear of losing penile function. After two years and many medical check-ups, it was explained to me that the bacteria entered through the injection sites during those first four days in Mexico. They could have gotten in accidentally during the injections themselves, via contaminated hotel shower water, or during the constant massages used to distribute the product. The only way for bacteria to penetrate deep enough to contaminate the PMMA is by using those channels that were still open and traumatized by the needle. I recall that by the fifth day, the entry points had already closed completely. The routine antibiotic therapy prescribed by Avanti Derma—500mg of Cephalexin every eight hours for six days—killed off other potential bacteria but had no effect on bacteria from the "enterococcus" family. That was my first stroke of bad luck. Paradoxically, the breakthrough came during sexual intercourse 15 days later; the friction, compression, and mechanical trauma of the act caused the bacteria to "explode" into activity, forcing them to manifest before they could permanently adhere to the PMMA. Hospital treatment was effective from the start; despite my penicillin allergy, the doctors combined several highly potent antibiotics specifically targeted at soft-tissue infections—Linezolid, in particular, is the world's most powerful antibiotic for deep tissue penetration, including on biomaterials like PMMA. Blood test results at the 16-day mark showed complete stability. Circumcision was performed as a final measure to completely eradicate the source of infection, which was fortunately confined to the Foreskin; the incision, the exposure of the wound to air, and the hydrogen peroxide wash completely destroyed any potential residual bacteria, rendering the area sterile. I can say I am cured because infections involving resistant bacteria generally recur after antibiotic treatment ends—manifesting as swelling, abscesses, or pus—or within the first six months; as time passes, the likelihood of biofilm formation drops drastically. Today, two years later, the risk is virtually zero. Later in life, infections can be triggered by trauma or "silent bacteria"; while very rare, there have been cases of late-onset infections occurring many years after PMMA injections, in individuals using Caverject injections, or following trauma from accidents that caused hematomas and the release of bacteria into the bloodstream. One piece of advice I received from doctors is to take prophylactic antibiotics before and during invasive dental procedures or procedures involving the genital area. Bacteria entering the bloodstream tend to colonize foreign bodies in general, including PMMA.