Men warned about ‘dangerous’ penis enlargement surgical procedure after influencer dies from botched op

Blokes are being warned to be careful about going for penis enlargement ops as they’re so risky. It comes after a UK influencer died after getting filler in his todger.

Influencer Igho “Tiny” Ubiribo, who was known to his followers online as “Ego”, died aged 43 after having filler injected into his penis during a trip to Thailand.

An inquest at Inner West London Coroners’ Court heard British-Nigerian entrepreneur Ubiribo was on a lavish holiday in Thailand with his wife, Danielle Simba Allen, when he underwent the aesthetic procedure at an undisclosed Thai clinic in March. He reportedly had 40 millilitres of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine injected into his penis.

After the operation, Ubiribo and his wife went for a massage while staying at a Marriott hotel in Bangkok.

During the massage, he complained of chest discomfort and fainted twice. He was taken by ambulance to Sukhumvit Hospital and was initially conscious.

His wife told medics about the cosmetic treatment, but before a recommended CT scan could be carried out, Ubiribo lost consciousness. Doctors concluded he had suffered a pulmonary embolism, a clot blocking a blood vessel in the lungs, and moved him to intensive care.

Despite more than 100 minutes of CPR, he died in the early hours of March 6. A UK post-mortem later discovered cellular material in his lungs consistent with the hyaluronic acid used in the cosmetic procedure.

Dr Thongchai Chansirirattingkul, from Sukhumvit Hospital, told the court: “He had had two cases of syncope (fainting) earlier, when he was having a massage. He had had 40 milliliters of penile filler injections earlier that day.”

Concerns about procedures like this have been raised in a recent explainer by Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy at Lancaster University, who wrote about the trend in The Conversation. “But some men are now having fillers injected into their penises to increase their size,” Prof Taylor wrote.

He said these fillers often contain hyaluronic acid, describing it as “a substance naturally found in the body that draws water into the tissues – which is why it can smooth wrinkles and fine lines”. “When injected into the penis, it can increase girth,” he wrote.

Another issue, he said, is that the results don’t last. “The body naturally produces an enzyme called hyaluronidase, which gradually breaks the filler down,” he explained.

“By 18 months, about 44% of the increase from the injection has been lost. Repeat injections are needed to maintain the effect.”

Prof Taylor wrote: “In situations where filler injections have gone wrong, this does also mean that the effects can be reversed with hyaluronidase injections, although this takes a few hours to work.” On safety, he stressed that evidence is limited but worrying.

“Research is limited when it comes to the risks, but a recent study estimated that complications occur in about 9% of men receiving hyaluronic acid fillers,” he wrote. He continued: “These complications can include bruising and swelling, as well as lumps and nodules.

“More serious problems include skin irritation, tissue breakdown and infections.” He also highlighted that problems might not appear straight away.

“Bleeding and bruising tend to occur during the first week or two. Nodules may appear around the third week.

“Infections often appear around six or seven weeks after treatment, although they can occur years later.” The professor shared: “In severe cases, infection can progress rapidly to multiple organ failure.

“There have also been cases of tissue death requiring part of the penis to be removed.” He added that fillers are not the only way men are attempting to increase penis size, with some opting for fat transfer, which brings its own risks.

He said these could include “injecting fat into the wrong area, as well as swelling and bruising”, and that men can develop “lumps or deformities caused by uneven fat distribution or the death of the injected fat”.

“There is also the risk of infection with bacteria such as S aureus or E coli,” Prof Taylor added, warning: “In the most serious cases, tissue can die or the patient can die from a fat embolism.” Prof Taylor also pointed to other treatments sold as sexual enhancement, including PRP injections, marketed as the “P-shot” for men and “O-shot” for women.

He wrote: “The treatment involves taking blood from the patient’s arm and spinning it at high speed to separate the different components. The platelet-rich part is then injected into the target area.”

He stressed: “PRP is not intended to increase penis size. Instead, it has been promoted as a way to improve appearance, blood flow and nerve function.”

“Many of these procedures began as treatments for medical conditions affecting the same parts of the body,” he wrote. “But treating a medical problem is not the same as changing someone’s appearance.”

He added: “When it comes to the penis and reproductive organs, appearance also has little bearing on fertility or the ability to produce children.” And he concluded with a warning for anyone tempted by procedures offering rapid results:

“Many of these treatments promise a quick improvement in appearance or sexual function. But until we have larger, better-quality studies, it is difficult to know whether those benefits are worth the potential risks.”

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