Hi Medusa,
this is a difficult question with no general answer, since all patients are different, all surgeons, too, and there are also different techniques. And this is a topic that, from my experience, surgeons don't like to talk about in detail. Since I was having the doubtful privilege to undergo SRS twice because of "IT" (with the exception of the vaginal cavity) and in completely different ways, and all together 4 top-surgeons of the top-ten had been dealing with my "IT", let me tell you this...
The key question is how the surgeon will be disassembling your "IT" in the early stage of SRS. So, if this problem with the "IT" is really important to you, then ASK your surgeon precise questions how he/she is doing it, with the "IT". But ask before your SRS, when shopping around.
Keep in mind that during M2F SRS, there is some valuable source-material in your "IT", and lots of garbage which you don't want. This is why you are seeking SRS, right ?
Valuable are only the penile skin, a portion of your urethra, and the dorsal cap of your glans penis (about one third of the glans) with a completely intact neurovascular bundle. And if you had not been circumcised, the foreskin could be bonus for sensation.
The rest is garbage.
The challenge for the surgeon is to disassemble the penis and to remove the erectile tissues. Because no surgeon wants to cause you damage to your neurovascular bundle. As such, many surgeons will leave a certain quantity of male erectile-tissues in place and you'll keep it.
Depending on this quantity (from very little to 50% of your penis), depending on your personal nature, and depending on how well these erectile tissues are being supplied with blood and how they're enervated, your "IT" either may, or may not come back to life. It's a Hit-or-Miss and you can't know in advance. And you can't know either how this will affect your well-being.
Many patients don't have any problem. Others are reporting some internal erection during arousal and they are happy with their "IT" because it may enhance sensation to them. Others are complaining about permanent discomfort or even pain from "IT", especially when an engorged vessel is involved.
My personal advice from my own experience - make sure that you get rid of your "IT" during SRS, i.e. seek a complete removal of the erectile tissues. It is possible indeed and do not believe Doctors who're saying that it wouldn't. You do NOT need the erectile tissues for your sensation. Believe me since I do know both ways which is rare - sensation is much better without "IT". It's the intact neurovascular bundle that counts for sensation.
I got my "IT" removed to 100% during a second, pretty much invasive surgery of four hours by my fourth SRS surgeon, it ain't easy to do this, but now it finally works fine without "IT".
Wish you all the best and most of all the right decision. But beware of surgeons who are guaranteeing you that you'll keep your sensation after SRS. That's a trap, read between the lines, that means that your "IT" will be kept alive.
Georgia
