Polyethylene-glycol Assisted Nerve Repair in Phalloplasty
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2025-07-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Phalloplasty, a genitourinary surgery for transmasculine patients, reconstructs a neophallus
using tissue transferred from other parts of the body to the groin. However, this technique
fails to provide adequate sensation, causing regret and persistent dysphoria. Peripheral
nerve regeneration is the greatest barrier to sensory recovery, given the slow rate of
regrowth coupled with the negative effects of axonal degeneration. Topical application of
polyethylene glycol (PEG) fuses severed axonal membranes, restoring the nerve's immediate
ability to conduct electrical signals across the repair site. We hypothesize that utilizing
PEG in phalloplasties will significantly improve neophallus sensation and postoperative
quality of life.