I know this thread is ancient but I've seen it pop up 2x since I've been around here and I've resisted commenting each time but I guess 3rd time is the charm and I'm just gonna throw my 2 cents out there because hell, this is the internet and that's what people do on it
Also, I think there are enough guys out there who are really concerned about this topic to warrant another response.
*WARNING: OPINION TO FOLLOW ... MIGHT OFFEND SOME VIEWERS*
Phalloplasty - if you really feel that this "flesh and blood", expensive, risky, operation will get you a real penis then I congratulate you on your own abilities to convince yourself of anything. If you wanna do that, hey that's your choice but you still don't have a functioning penis (reality check!). You have a hunk of skin (taken from somewhere else on your body) that doesn't have erectile tissue - meaning that you basically have to have additional implants to get a boner (and guess what, it's very similar to the soft-to-hard prosthesis out there only it looks like a frankenweenie instead of a sculpted, realistic dick). It's attached to you - there's one bonus - until surgery complications and you have to go under the knife multiple times (of course you usually have to wait until whatever infection your new junk has given you subsides because they won't cut you again till it does). Oh and you can't feel stuff like as if that were an actual penis either - just rub your arm skin or inner thigh skin and let us all know if that turns you on.
If you want something between your legs that's actual flesh and attached to you and you've got the money and you're aware of all the risks associated, then like I said it's your prerogative. But dissing all the guys who choose cyberskin over that or thinking you're more a man now cause you have a "dick" that's attached to you is whack.
"Prosthetics are clearly NOT a great alternative to phalloplasty." - An imperfect, expensive, risky surgery that does not in fact get you a fully functioning penis is clearly a much better choice than a realistic looking prosthetic that costs $500
/sarcasm/
And yes, what I said above was harsh - no need to point that out - like I said, it might offend some but what offends me is this sort of attitude like, "The moral of the story is that if you want something that looks like a dick, feels like a dick and acts like a dick... get a dick." Or the just save up more money and "get the real thing". Well guess what? The option of donor penises doesn't actually exist yet so no, you're not getting the real thing. Maybe science will someday come up with the ability but a actual functioning penis is a damn complicated thing that really can't be reproduced yet.
A metoidioplasty will at least get you a small, somewhat functioning dick. You can at least still have an orgasm. It looks more like an actual penis, you can still piss through it. Yeah you have to have ball implants and yes it's still a major medical procedure with it's own set of risks but it's a hell of a lot closer than phalloplasty.
And then for probably the majority of us we get by with the prosthetics, packers, dildos, etc. We're all doing whatever we can to "feel normal". Some of us are willing to take surgical risks and end up with phalloplasty and some are not. Aren't differences great.
