TOPIC: 17 years post-op

Yes, Belladerm can be removed, there are a couple people on here who have had it taken out - a quick search will find them. I recently had a graft removed and it made my Dick longer (the graft was constricting) and eq much better. The same might hold true in your case. I'm hoping you get a break, sorry for all you have gone through.

Hi, I'm in Cali right now. Just met with Dr Gelman. Basically, he doesn't think I'm a good candidate for revascularization surgery. So for Ed, I'm stuck with pills and the other stuff for now. He said to go with Alter if I want to do cosmetic work. So I will go with Alter. Alter said he can't do the Belladerm removal and the VY flap reversal at the same time. So, which one should I do? The VY reversal should help the appearance much. But in my , I think my ED has been worsened by the Belladerm collar. Alter disagrees with that, and do did Gelman. So, which procedure should I get? Thanks. Fucking ED

Did you talk to dr irwin goldstein ? he is the #1 penile bypass surgeon I have been told. gelmans specialty is urethral reconstruction

I did speak to Goldstein, I had the 5 minute phone consult. Basically he wants me to come visit him for a full evaluation, which includes the psychological etc. I think the criteria for vasularizarion surgery is consistent, doc to doc. Goldstein even said that Gelman would do a good job. Goldstein could not fit me in this trip so I didn't have the time to meet. I live in PA, so I thought that Gelman could make a conclusive decision whether I was a candidate for the surgery. I think he did that, and I think Goldstein would have same conclusion.

Ok I know Goldstein pretty much only does the bypass surgery exclusively, so if you later find out you are a good candidate I would recommend visiting him. But for now it sounds like that would not be much help. Good luck and hang in there.

If Alter and Gelman agree that it is not the Belladerm causing the ED, I would go for the VY flap reversal - at least you will gain a cosmetic benefit, whereas the Belladerm may not get you that - and it is a rather traumatic procedure. I was out of commission for a while when my grafts were removed. I assume that you don't have endless resources, but are there funds to do the Belladerm Removal at some point in the next year if you do the VY reversal first? Have you discussed the advantages of doing one procedure over the other first with either Dr? I would ask them what they think if they had to do just 1 - you may get some insight.

Thanks guys, your feedback is important. The VY reversal idea sound like the safer and more direct option. It does nada for my ED though. Alter proposed the VY reversal, and said he could not really comment on the ED. I guess I could do the Belladerm Removal later, if money permits. I'm probably going to give the stem cell therapy a try die the ED. Just makes me crazy that there is no clear cause of the ED, or am I missing the obvious? That the ongoing hammering hatcheting of my pentode caused the arterial damage.

I agree with Hunkydory, go for the VY flap reversal. Did Alter say he thinks there is enough skin for a full reversal?

I would also call Dr. Reed in Miami and tell him your situation and see if he has ever heard of Belladerm causing ED. He has been doing Phalloplasty for over 20 years and is very knowledgeable and straightforward. He also does sex reassignment surgery so he knows the anatomy really well. You might get useful info with just a phone call.
penisdoctor.com/

Dr Alter could not say if he could do the full VY reversal, or just partial. I don't think he'll be able to do the full reversal, due to lack of skin space. Re the idea of the Belladerm and ED, I'm not saying that the Belladerm caused the ED. I'm suggesting that when I hung 10 lbs in ealy 2010, jelqued with partial Erection, I may have impacted the vascular health of the Belladerm collar, thereby reducing the vascular bloodflow within/through the collar. My arteriogram says that the pudendal arteries just "terminate" at the base, with no further branching into the dorsal arteries which ultimately lead to the cavernosal arteries. Perhaps, that darn Belladerm collar is blocking the healthy bloodflow. This is the only explanation I can come up with for why the arteries "terminate" at the base. My ED did not start until after the Belladerm collar in 2009, so the Necrosis in 1998 appears to not be the culprit.

I see why you think that it is the Belladerm - since it is new ground, you might be right. I would call Reed - or better yet, go to his blog and tell him your history, he always answers questions posted and they are usually informative. Past questions and answers are archived as well.

Good update to my plan today. So, it is clear that I have 2 problems - ED and the aesthetic appearance. On the aesthetic side, I'm consulting with Alter in NYC on Nov 16th (to lay out the exact plan), and scheduled for the procedure (which one ?? Belladerm Removal or VY reversal) on Dec 3rd in CA. On the ED side, I was able to schedule a consultation with Dr. Goldtstein (the expert in CA) to give me an opinion about whether I'm a candidate for revascularization surgery. Note that Gelman was a bit wishy-washy on his opinion. On the ED side, I've been consulting with many urologists on stem cell therapy. I had a 15-minute call with Dr Lander in CA, who appears to be one of the national experts on stem cell and ED. I went over my history. He was honest and frank. He told me that he did not think Removal of the Belladerm tissue graft would cure my ED, because once the arteries are atrophied, that's it--there's not much hope for saving them, and that removing tissue probably won't magically restore arteries that were damaged. We reviewed his proposed stem cell protocol, and he said he thinks there's better than 50% chance that stem cell treatment would improve my ED. The stem cell work is done with adipose cells derived from liposuctioned fat from the abdomen. My research shows there's promise in this, even though not yet FDA approved. I may have to go for a couple treatments to maximize the success. So, to keep all options alive, I booked an appointment for Dec 3rd. So, I have Goldstein on 12/2 and Alter on 12/3 and Lander stem cell on 12/3. I can't do both the Alter procedure and the stem cell procedure. I have to decide which option to go with for Dec 3 - Alter aesthetic or Lander stem cell. Any advice? I'm fucking determined here to land on solid ground, so I'm pushing on everything. Support is appreciated much.

If I was in your shoes I would have the procedure done by Alter. Dr Lander has good credentials and seems like a very honest doctor and good person. I would recommend browsing the peyronies forum as several members have been treated by him At least for scar tissue the stem therapy did not seem to work too well when I last read the reports 3 yrs ago. Perhaps things have been improved since then, but I would suggest letting Alter perform surgery as he has a stellar reputation and tends to under promise and over deliver. Make a list of questions and bring it with you the day of the procedure since you will have a few minutes of face time with him and it is easy to get nervous and forget what you wanted to learn. I am glad Alter decided to take your case, sadly he turns many guys away. I get the impression he is shooting for 100% satisfaction with each patient and his practice is very busy. His front office can be a little rude so just be ready for that. He is a good guy though.

I am very curious to hear what Goldstein says as he has treated thousands of guys surgically for ED issues. Based on his findings it might give you a better idea of whether the stem cell is worth pursuing or not. My impression is the stem cell treatment are not too painful or invasive but quite costly. If I remember correctly lander also does prp injections but dont know if they would help you or not..

You are going about this in a very conscientious, well thought out way, unlike guys who panic and make bad decisions. I think your patience and persistence will all pay off in the long run. So hang in the for now. Things will get better !

Good feedback, Ben. I will go with Alter, and hopefully Goldstein can help me with the ED (I know he does stem cell too). I want to carefully evaluate what procedure with Alter. I know people here think the VY reversal is the right choice. Here's my concern... If I leave the Belladerm in, what are the long term consequences? I really want to retire from the BS world of penis surgery with this final go-around. If I leave the Bella in, will it deteriorate to the point that I'll have to have it removed later? I hear that common theme here of people having to remove their grafts after 5, 10 years etc. If that's my future, I'd rather just do it now, because it ain't helping me, aesthetically or functionally, and it may help Alter do a better job with the VY reversal because it think it will free up some base skin. However, I know there are risks with the graft Removal and it's riskier than the VY reversal. So, in sum, is it possible that my Bella can last forever and not cause me any problems down the road ?

It sounds to me that your Belloderm graft is so small, that even if it did start to deteriorate in the future, that it wouldn't be a great problem. There is a huge difference between a dermal graft, like Hunkydory's, losing blood supply and one like yours. His was probably half an Inch thick, 4.5" in width and 5.5" long. That's a huge amount of tissue. You've got a couple on 1 Inch long, 4mm thick strips. I'd imagine the volume of his graft is close to 50 times the size of yours.

I'd just leave it if I were you.