J.G. Ballard photo courtesy of Steve Double

This is a work of fiction concerning one of the 20th-century’s more controversial writers, J.G. Ballard. It utilises the method Ballard himself employed as part of a short piece in the RE/Search reprint of his Atrocity Exhibition collection. In that piece, “Mae West’s Reduction Mammoplasty”, Ballard recontextualised actual medical texts to describe the “surgical challenge the reduction in size of Mae West’s breasts presented,” using the techniques of plastic surgery and the icnonography of actor West to present a critique of contemporary body politics.

In this Ballardian special, Kristoph Eggleston applies the method to the iconography of Ballard himself, in order to present an imaginative look at Ballard’s place in the literary canon.

See ‘Author’s Note’ at the end of the article for more background.

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The increase in size of J.G. Ballard’s penis presented a surgical challenge of some magnitude. There were many factors to be taken into account: Mr Ballard’s age; the type of enlargement; the degree of ptosis present; the actual size of enlargement; and, finally, the presence of any pathology in the penile tissue itself.

After the age of fifty years, penile tissue may behave in a very unfortunate manner if the blood supply is in any way impaired – from wastage as a result of the ageing process, for example. In the case of Mr Ballard, therefore, it was decided that the ‘K2 plasty’ should be performed, rather than pubic incisions, as successful K2 implementation generally results in greater lengthening of the penis.

In dealing with shrunken penises in older subjects, it may be necessary to build up huge volumes of penile tissue in two stages, since radical additions in one stage may well interfere with the nerve supply of the penis and prevent erection of the penis during subsequent sexual excitation. Mr Ballard was warned, therefore, of the possible need for a second operation. As ptosis was present without hypertrophy the chief concern was that the patient’s penis should be replaced in its normal position. Thus, it was decided to also insert a penile prosthesis to allay such fears.

Penile prostheses are grouped in two major categories: rigid, semi-rigid and malleable rods, producing varying degrees of rigidity; and inflatable prostheses including two types: a) the multicomponent inflatable prosthesis, and b) the self-contained inflatable prosthesis.

Rigid prostheses generally produce a low mechanical failure rate, as they contain few moving parts and are able to be implanted relatively simply. However, they often produce unsightly erections and can interfere with urination due to their obstructive nature. Nonetheless, the rigid prosthesis is suitable for men with poor hand mobility, who are relatively elderly, or who do not desire to chance the higher risk of malfunction due to more moving parts. After consulting with the urologist and carefully reviewing the risks, benefits and drawbacks associated with each procedure, Mr Ballard registered his approval for the rigid prosthesis.

PROCEDURE
The most important step before operating on the penis was to ascertain carefully the sites proposed for graft enhancement and prosthesis implantation. Measurements were made in his suite before operation with Mr Ballard lying on his back. Steadying the penis with his free hand, the assistant drew a line directly from the glans to the base of the testicles. The prosthesis would fall directly in line with this marking.

The entire skin of Mr Ballard’s penis was cleansed with soap, water and spirit and wrapped in sterile towels. Mr Ballard was then ready for operation. The markings were redrawn on the patient when he was anaesthetised and on the operating table. The penis was then dissected upwards from its attachment to the perineum, after first splitting the testicular sack in two and carefully laying each half (including the testicles) in miniature humidicribs clamped to either side of the penis. Great care was taken to preserve the internal pedicle arising from the perforating branches of the internal penile artery.

Insertion of the prosthesis.
After proper selection of length and diameter to fit the corpus cavernosum, and general dilation of the corporal body to avoid perforation proximally, meticulous attention to detail was taken to avoid infection, including intraoperative antibiotics and copious irrigation during the procedure. After constructing an artificial canal within the interior penile wall, using a pair of small curved scissors with blunt points, the prosthesis was successfully embedded within its new home.

Further precautions included the use of a surgical bubble system to prevent particles and bacteria from gaining access to the device. The length of the penis and the testicular sack was then successfully sealed with the latest ‘meltpoint’ stitch technology.

Other complications that may have arisen include perforation of the corporal body (the area where the prosthesis is held), which can cause migration of the prosthetic device. A Dacron graft was therefore created to prevent migration.

Dermafat injection (K2 plasty).
The penis was brought forward and laid on a surgical steel board. Abdominal liposuction was performed as part of the procedure, minimising the disadvantages of fat absorption and nodule formation by limiting the amount of fat injected at any one time, thereby improving the overall viability of the procedure. A limit to the thickness of the grafts to be placed was also enforced, so as to ensure adequate blood supply to prevent the grafts from becoming hardened.

Once again, the knife was brought forward and incisions made on the topside of the penis. Injections were made using the dermafat procedure, with the entire field consistently reviewed for bleeding points. Loose skin coverings, freed using the surgeon’s knife, were then arranged to fit snugly over the grafts. A curved clamp was used, but the fact that it fitted tightly on the skin margins did not appear to damage the vitality of the skin edges. Five straight needles mounted with strong silkworm gut were then inserted between the two layers of the skin on the topside of the penis.

Once sealed, the nanografts – via remote microchip technology – extended lengthwise while attached to the interior penile wall. This stretching process occurred slowly over eight hours, so as not to damage skin tissue or vital capillary vessels. The usual increase in length is one-to-two inches and one-and-a-half-to-three inches in girth. Mr Ballard’s penis was found to be incrementally on track.

Upon completion of the operation, it remained to ensure that there was no blood collected in the penis, and the penis was adequately drained on both the top and bottom surfaces. Corrugated rubber drains proved to be satisfactory.

POST-OPERATIVE RECOVERY
Mr Ballard suffered a serious degree of surgical shock, with intravenous saline solution given during the operation. Mr Ballard’s bed was raised on blocks at the foot-end, and he was allowed to lie comfortably on his back until a normal pulse rate and normal blood pressure was achieved. Mr Ballard was then allowed to sit up for as long as the dressings remained firm. The wounds were redressed the next day, with the drains removed after forty-eight hours. Mr Ballard was then informed of his payment options, noting that the facilities accepted most major credit cards and cashier cheques.

It was some time before Mr Ballard’s penis reached its final proportion and shape, and there was no urgency about trimming scar lines until three months had passed. Although Mr Ballard subsequently contacted the surgeon to indicate satisfaction with the length of his penis, the ultimate results of this operation with regard to sexual function are not known, as Mr Ballard has since divorced from his wife.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction concerning one of the twentieth-century’s more controversial writers, J.G. Ballard. It uses the method Ballard himself used as part of the appendix to the RE/Search reprint of his Atrocity Exhibition – a short piece entitled “Mae West’s Reduction Mammoplasty.” Here, Ballard, uses (or “samples”) actual medical texts to describe the “surgical challenge the reduction in size of Mae West’s breasts presented,” using the techniques of plastic surgery to present a critique of contemporary body politics.

Was Ballard’s penis too small? No, as far as one can tell, but it hangs (by way of deed and reputation) over the collective consciousness like a too-ripe banana. As this figurative member dangles from the tree of Old Guard Avant Garde writing, we pluck it, peel it, suck it, disgorge it – merging its putrefactive flesh with the twisted obsessions of the next generation, giving new life to a ‘once-great’ author on the verge of emasculation by his peers.

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This piece was first published in the short-fiction anthology Amorphik: An Erotic Constellation (2000), edited by Simon Sellars and published by Sub Dee Industries (Melbourne, Australia).
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