Penile lengthening for traumatic penile amputation due to ritual circumcision: a case report

Some tribes in South Africa still practice ritual circumcision in adolescent boys. A traditional healer performs the procedure and, not uncommonly, amputation occurs. The authors present a case of a 20-year-old man who sustained a midshaft penile amputation as a result of a ritual circumcision. Treatment was with a modified penile-lengthening technique that incorporates gracilis muscle transposition to fill the dead space created after detaching the penile suspensory ligament. This may help prevent retraction. Almost 3 cm of lengthening was obtained. This is a useful method of treatment for penile amputation.