An MMA fighter broke his penis in half during sex, and said he passed out from losing so much blood

• An MMA fighter snapped his penis in half during sex.
• He told TLC his girlfriend landed incorrectly on it, bending it completely out of shape.
• The injury took 12 hours of surgery and eight weeks of healing to repair.

On a recent episode of TLC's "Sex Sent Me to the E.R," MMA fighter Ray Elbe said he broke his penis while having sex with his girlfriend.

Elbe, 38, said during the act she slipped and landed on him, bending his penis in half, reported Metro.

"Unfortunately, as she went a little bit too high, I slipped out, and when she came back down I was still obviously fully erect, and basically [she] bent me over the top," Elbe said.

According to emergency room doctors on the show, the reason his penis snapped is because the spongy tissue inside that expands during an erection broke when his girlfriend landed on it.

Blood spurted out of the wound as soon as his penis bent, and Elbe passed out from the amount of blood he lost. Elbe was rushed to the hospital to treat his injuries.

Doctors said Elbe ruptured his urethra and a major artery in his penis as well as his dorsal vein. After 12 hours of surgery and eight weeks of healing, Elbe made a full recovery.

"I've had some significant injuries, but as far as the actual pain, and I was in shock at that point, it was brutal," Elbe told the show's producers.

An erect penis can be fractured when tissue tears

Dr. Jed Kaminestky, a clinical assistant professor at NYU Medical Center and medical advisor for Promescent, told Insider breaking a penis is a bit different than fracturing a bone.

"When engaging in intimacy, an erect penis can be fractured, but not in the typical way a bone would fracture," Kaminestky said.

"Unlike fracturing your humerus or radius (the bones that run from your wrist to elbow), if a penis fracture occurs, the corpora cavernosa tears."

The corpora cavernosa are the three spongy chambers that make up the penis and fill with blood when an erection occurs, according to the Boston University School of Medicine.

Though rare, Kaminestky said this kind of tear normally occurs after a hard blow to the penis, usually during sports, sex, or hitting a hard surface.

"When a penis does fracture, you may hear a popping sound, and the penis can start to turn black and blue. In severe cases, you can damage the urethra leading to bloody urine," Kaminestky told Insider.

If you suspect you've broken your penis, you should go to a doctor immediately to get an MRI or ultrasound to find the tear. Afterward, the doctor can make an incision and repair the torn chambers.