Penile girth enhancement with fat transfer involves taking fat from a suitable area of your body, preparing it and transferring it to the penile shaft. The aim is to increase circumference. At your men's health consultation with Dr. med. Stephan Frantzen in Berlin, you can find out whether fat transfer is an option for you and discuss volume retention, possible outcomes and risks.
Updated: 26 October 2026
Autologous fat transfer, also called lipofilling, means transferring your own fat tissue. For penile girth enhancement, fat is harvested by liposuction and then placed in the intended tissue around the shaft. The aim is a change in circumference.
The erectile bodies are not enlarged. If your main concern is visible length, a different assessment is needed; information is available on surgical penile lengthening. Lipofilling does not treat erectile dysfunction.
An in-person examination determines whether treatment is medically appropriate. It includes examining the penis, assessing potential donor areas and discussing your expectations. Previous filler treatments, scars or operations are important for planning; please bring the relevant records.
Medical conditions, medication, infections and potential wound-healing risks need to be taken into account. It is equally important to discuss how much your appearance affects you. A cosmetic procedure is not an appropriate response to significant symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder. A consultation may also lead to a recommendation against treatment.
Harvesting the fat: Tissue is taken from a suitable area using liposuction. Depending on the examination findings, possible donor areas include the abdomen, flanks or thighs.
Preparing and transferring: The harvested fat is prepared for transfer and then distributed around the shaft using a cannula. The donor area and recipient area are considered together in one treatment plan.
Anaesthesia, treatment duration, individual risks and aftercare are discussed beforehand. The illustration shows the basic sequence; the amount and technique depend on the individual findings.
Harvest the patient's own fat
Prepare the fat for transfer
Add volume around the shaft
The body may reabsorb some of the transferred fat tissue. The amount that remains and its distribution cannot be reliably predicted. Early additional volume can also be partly due to swelling and should not be regarded as the final result.
Some patients need further treatment or a corrective procedure. This is neither a given nor without risk. A particular increase in circumference or a permanently unchanged result therefore cannot be promised. Using your own tissue does not automatically mean an uncomplicated or even result.
Robust long-term data on penile girth enhancement with fat transfer are lacking. The EAU lists the procedure with a weak recommendation. The AUA considers the safety and efficacy of fat injections for girth enhancement insufficiently demonstrated. Small case series or positive individual reports do not resolve this uncertainty.
Your decision therefore requires more than an appealing example photograph. How well supported are the expectations for your individual situation? What complications are possible? How would uneven contours be treated? Would another method, or no treatment, be a better choice? These questions should be answered before you decide.
Clinical background: EAU: penile girth enhancement, fat transfer and limitations of the evidence · AUA: statement on fat injections for penile augmentation
The donor area may develop bruising, swelling, infection, altered sensation or contour irregularities, among other complications. Infection, pain and swelling are also possible at the penis. Specific problems include uneven fat resorption, asymmetry, palpable lumps and the death of fat tissue (fat necrosis).
Serious complications have also been reported. A published case report documents a fatal fat embolism following a fat injection for penile augmentation. A single case cannot establish a reliable frequency, but the risk should be included in medical counselling.
An uneven result may be visible or noticeable to the touch. Correction may require further procedures, and a straightforward adjustment is not always possible. Before treatment, you should know which follow-up appointments are planned and whom to contact if problems occur.
Aftercare covers both the fat donor area and the penis. Follow the individual instructions you receive about dressings, personal hygiene and reduced physical activity. When sport, sexual intercourse and pressure on the treated area are allowed again depends on healing. Do not massage or shape the tissue yourself.
Increasing pain, fever, redness or unusual discharge should be assessed promptly by a doctor. Rapid, substantial swelling, dark changes to the skin or difficulty passing urine require immediate assessment. If your condition worsens, do not wait for a routine follow-up appointment.
If you are travelling from outside Berlin, arrangements for follow-up appointments should be agreed in advance. Leaving early must not mean that you have no accessible medical contact if problems occur.
Girth enhancement with hyaluronic acid does not require fat harvesting, and its effect is temporary. Fat transfer additionally involves a donor area and volume retention that cannot be reliably predicted. Both methods have risks. Neither can be described as the better option for everyone.
Choosing no treatment also remains an option. Dr. Stephan Frantzen discusses your options at a men's health consultation in Berlin. A fee is charged for the medical consultation in accordance with the German Medical Fee Schedule (GOÄ). Your individual treatment plan and the care involved are explained in person; we do not publish fixed prices on this page.
The care involved includes fat harvesting, preparation, transfer, anaesthesia and aftercare. Previous treatments can also affect planning. The individual services and costs are explained during your consultation. A fee is charged for the medical consultation in accordance with the German Medical Fee Schedule (GOÄ).
Dr. Frantzen sees patients at Finke & Frantzen, Heinrich-Roller-Straße 15, 10405 Berlin. If you have had previous treatment, please bring operation reports and details of any materials used wherever possible. If you are travelling, arrange the necessary follow-up appointments with the practice team in advance.
Board-certified plastic surgeon and
board-certified general surgeon
No. The fat first has to be harvested by liposuction. Harvesting and transfer form a surgical treatment, even though only small access points are used at the penis.
No. Some of it may be reabsorbed. The amount of volume that remains and how evenly it is distributed vary between individuals and cannot be reliably predicted.
The fat transfer treatment described here concerns the penile shaft. Treatment of the glans is a different procedure and requires a separate discussion, assessment and consent process.
This can only be assessed following an examination and with knowledge of the material previously used. Earlier injections, implants, inflammation or scars can change the plan. Additional treatment should not take place without this information.
There is no fixed number of centimetres. The starting anatomy, tissue characteristics, healing and fat resorption influence the result. Early swelling should not be equated with permanently retained volume.
Some of the transferred tissue may remain, while some is reabsorbed. The amount of retained volume and how evenly it is distributed cannot be reliably predicted. A permanently unchanged result therefore cannot be promised.
This depends on healing in both the donor and recipient areas. You will receive individual advice about rest, activity and follow-up appointments. Return to sport and sexual activity should follow medical clearance.
Discomfort may occur both at the fat donor area and at the penis, including tenderness, swelling or pain. Anaesthesia and care after treatment are discussed beforehand. Contact the practice promptly if symptoms worsen.
Discuss your wishes with Dr Stephan Frantzen in Berlin. Medical consultations are subject to a fee under the German medical fee schedule (GOÄ). A consultation does not commit you to a procedure.
Book a consultationThis information provides general guidance and does not replace an individual medical examination and informed-consent discussion. Options and risks are assessed in relation to your findings.
