Penis enlargement procedures (sometimes euphemistically referred to as "male enhancement procedures" in spam email and television advertisements) are techniques alleged to make the human penis larger. These procedures range from manual exercises to devices and medical interventions, with reports of successes and failures around the world, but, while some are known to be hoaxes, there is no popularly known scientific proof about their effectiveness in general.

Surgical methods

Surgical techniques used for penis lengthening (enhancement phalloplasty) and penis widening (girth enhancement) have been in the urologic literature for many years. In a study conducted at St. Peter's Andrology Centre and Institute of Urology, in London, it was determined that most patients who underwent penis-lengthening surgery were unsatisfied with the results.

Penis enlargement (girth) surgery

A related method involves injection of silicone, PMMA, and other materials into the penis and scrotum, to achieve girth enlargement. The results of the study into penile augmentation surgery mentioned above confirm that surgical techniques used to thicken the penis are far more effective than those designed to increase penile length. In the research sample of men studied, flaccid circumference following the above procedure had increased from an average of 3.1 inches to an average of 4.1 inches, whilst erect penile circumference increased from an average of 4.1 inches before surgery to 4.8 inches after surgery,Fact: date=September 2007 but is effectively irreversible and may have side effects including loss of sensation, inability to perform penetrative intercourse, scarring, and deformation.

I 2006 the journal of European Urology reported autologous tissue engineering using biodegradable scaffolds as beneficial not only for men with penile dysmorphic disorder and for correcting severe penile shaft deformity after lipofilling but also an advanced, well-proven therapeutic approach for penile girth enhancement with remarkable safety, reproducibility, superior cosmetic results, low morbidity, and low incidence of post-operative complications. Unlike the high level of dissatisfaction with lengthening cited in the opening paragraph of this article, 81% of patients scored the results of autologous tissue engineering as "excellent" and "very good" with most experiencing a 4 cm (1.6 inches) permanent flaccid girth gain. Unlike the injection or implantation of foreign substances into the penis such as AlloDerm, silicone, and other substances, tissue culture leaves no residual foreign tissue around the penis after scaffold reabsorption by the body.

Although AlloDerm (treated cadaver flesh) is currently being used by some plastic surgeons, its manufacturer does not recommend it for penis enlargement phalloplasty. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates its use and has specifically not approved AlloDerm as a “void filler” nor for “cosmetic augmentation”. The manufacturer warns phalloplasty surgeons that it is: “important to clarify ... cosmetic augmentation phalloplasty does not fall within approved procedures for which LifeCell can promote AlloDerm”.Fact: date=February 2008 The article Penile Suspensory Ligament Division for Penile Augmentation: Indications and Results provides a thorough review of the subject.