All for one and one for all: Prosthetic testicle to remedy botched surgery after 20 years

Kyle Martin | Staff Writer

@Kyle_Martin35

No longer will he be called “Juan Testico,” “One Nut,” “Ball Man,” “Big Ball Blakey,” “The Nutty Professor” or “One Ball Ryan.” 

Ryan Blakey, because of an inguinal hernia he suffered during infancy as a premature baby, underwent what should have been a normal procedure. But a botched surgery left him with one testicle.

“I was born an absolutely normal person, and I had a hernia like a lot of babies do and the doctor had to sew both balls back,” said history sophomore Ryan Blakey. “He sewed the left one up way too high and it suffocated.”

Now, 20 years later, Ryan is in the process of scheduling a surgery for a prosthetic testicle. But it’s not the first time he’s tried. At five years old, Ryan underwent a different surgery, where doctors tried unsuccessfully to find and remove his misaligned testicle.

“Though it hasn’t affected me that strongly, I’m ready to change,” Ryan said. “Because every time I’m with someone new, I have to go back through the process of explaining what happened which, as you can tell, is really long.”

There are several reasons for Ryan’s decision to undergo the surgery now, the biggest of which is because two balls seems to be the normal thing around town, according to him. 

“It’s just a thing that I’ve always acknowledged,” Ryan said. “Anytime I see myself, I say, ‘Welp, there’s that thing that has made your life into the question-mark shape that it is.’ And it’s a curiosity thing for me. What is it like to have two balls? I don’t know.”

Ryan said he’s curious to know if he can personalize his new gemstone, just to say he did. While not part of the typical procedure, Ryan remains fascinated with the possibility.

“If I could possibly get a testicle engraved with my initials or raised in the lettering somehow, that’s enough to convince me to get it,” Ryan said. “Just so I could tell people–like on MTV Cribs–that that’s what I spent money on.”

Back in the day, Ryan’s family had the option to sue the original surgeon for faulty surgery, and at 13-years-old, Ryan agreed to go through with it. The family ran into a problem, though, when they found out his surgeon had died six years prior.

Ryan Blakey holds a pair of rocks in reflection of his soon-to-be future. Matt Payne | Features Editor

The hospital, acknowledging the mistake, covered the cost of the botched surgery.  There’s a possibility the cost of the replacement could be covered, but that’s still up in the air, according to the family. Now, Ryan is in the beginning steps of measurements and consultation, so there are still a few details to iron out.

Ryan’s mother, Kathy, a a registered nurse, said the replacement procedure is solely cosmetic. The implant would be silicone, similar to that of a breast implant. That aside, Ryan is completely healthy.

“All his machinery works,” she said. “Let’s put it that way.”

People can survive, evidently, with only one testicle, just as people can survive with one lung, one kidney or half a liver. Both testicles are not needed for hormonal purposes or reproduction.

“He’s a beautiful, healthy guy and I’m very grateful,” Kathy said. “If there’s any message for young parents, [it’s that] young parents need to trust their gut and if they don’t get a good answer, they need to get a second opinion.”

Emily Sides, a sculpting sophomore, has been friends with Ryan since freshman year. She said she’s more than supportive of his choice, whatever it ends up being.

“I think he should make the decision for himself and see whatever would make him happier,” Sides said. “It would be the same thing as if a woman with breast cancer got breast implants to help her improve her self confidence. I see it as the same thing as a breast implant – I don’t think it’s weird.”

Sides said she understands why Ryan would want to have all his eggs in one basket. 

“He doesn’t want women to look at him and say, ‘What is that?’ This would give him the edge he needs for performance,” Sides said. “Now he doesn’t have to explain an insecurity.”

Ryan, now growing into adulthood, sees a sense of maturity with getting his balls back through the surgery, which will take place sometime this summer.

“I’m tired of it being hilarious when I’m naked. It was funny in high school, but now that I’m actually trying to have sex with women, I’d prefer it to be just an across the board, alright-with-no-questions or comments to be made in particular [about his genitalia],” Ryan said.  “I’ll be a real boy again, like Pinocchio.”

Featured Image: Ryan Blakey’s demeanor hasn’t suffered from the constant names thrown at him. Matt Payne | Features Editor