10 yr old Circumcision ?? Right or not ?

[maltesers]

My 10 yr old DS is now finally booked in for circumcision. He has Phimosis (tight foreskin) without ballooning, Ballanitis, or any infection.
My Consultant Uroligists recommends this procedure.

Should we go ahead, or should we finally get a last 2nd opinion from another Urologist who specializes in this field ?
Cant bear to put my DS through any more surgery after 2 major operations in babyhood and toddlerhood which included 9 anaesthetics .

Has anyone experienced this operation as late as 10 yrs in a boy ?
If it really needs doing I would rather now than at 17yrs or older.
Any thoughts/experiences are greatly received.

[thisisyesterday]

i would get another opinion. just to be certain

i know there are alternatives to full circumcision... cuts can be made to loosen it, without taking the entire thing off

it's definitely worth researching as much as possible

[Suzannesee]

Circumcision becomes more of an ordeal the older you are, and roughly equates on a scale from babyhood, when it is trivial and leaves no memory to 18 when it is adulthood and about as bad as it gets. Your instincts are right that your son will be about half way along this scale of unpleasantness. At ten most boys are just about pre-puberty and the penis is is not fully developed, so it will not be too bad for him.

I think I replied to your earlier post encouraging you to go ahead because there are many lifelong benefits from circumcision besides curing your son's phimosis. No one wants this surgery if it can be avoided and you will always find a 2nd opinion who will say so. Who then do you believe? By the time you find out they were wrong, your son will probably be through puberty. My advice is having gone so far as to have this procedure arranged, don't waver, go with it.

It is not necessary to have a general anaesthetic for circumcision. There are private clinics who do it under a local. Here are two (and there are others - search via google) which explain full details on their websites.

www.circumcisions.co.uk/
www.circumcisioncentre.co.uk/infant-teen-circumcision.html?Itemid=58

[maltesers]

Thank you so much Susannasee and thisisyesterday.
The consultant spoke of the cuts thisisyesterday, but said generally scar tissue forms and it has to be done again. So maybe best the circumcision.
A general i think is best for my son. The local anaesthetic for this Op would drive my son nuts. . .
I think he will be fine , he just needs lots of support and love which is what i will give.
May see my parents private GP who may advise/point me in the direction of a urologist for 2nd opinion.

[thisisyesterday]

oh meant to add... i would also look into whether it is possible to stretch the foreskin, rather than having the circumcision.

it's a big decision to make, and while i agree that the younger it is done the better, you do need to make sure it is absolutely necessary.

if he has no infeections or ballooning and the problem is simply that the foreskin is tight i would explore every single avenue before going down a surgical route.

my brother was circumcised, for medical reasons, and I have seen the effects on him from relentless teasing at school and it's been really hard on him,.
so if there is any possible way to solve it without surgery i'd be looking for it

[Suzannesee]

Maltesers, my nephew had to be circumcised because his foreskin was very tight. It did loosen and retract after using a steroid cream but the doctor said it wasn't wise to prescribe it long term. When that ran out, the foreskin tightened up again and was so scarred and painful to pull back, he was in tears and so my sister didn't force things. It all ended up with him getting infections because he couldn't clean it properly. Because of all the distress he'd suffered, he went willingly for circumcision when he was 7 and has been happy with it ever since.

As far as I know he hasn't been teased. My sister said there are quite a few of his friends have had it done because they are Turkish and African boys at his school.

[HettyAmaretti]

Personally, I'd want always go for a second opinion from a specialist.

TBH, considering his age, I'd be tempted to leave it for a few years (assuming it's not bothering him) and allow him to make his own informed choice.

[coldtits]

To be honest, if a consultant urologist says your son needs what is actually a fairly minor procedure, Id have it done.

[coldtits]

Also, he hasn't hit puberty yet and his penis is about to get a lot bigger than it is already, and if the foreskin is already tight....

[HettyAmaretti]

The procedure may be minor but I think most men would prefer to be left whole if at all possible, for many reasons. If it's necessary it's necessary, but the OP sounds as if she has doubts. A second opinion can't do any harm and may remove the OP's doubts.

[maltesers]

thank you guys. . .
We tried the cream for 3 months , it helped slightly but then penis went back to same state. .
Consultant gave us option of trying it for 2nd time but tbh i didnt pin many hopes on it so we are going for the op.
I am hoping to speak to my parents private GP to see if he knows of any other local Paed Urology Consultant to put my mind at rest.

[paddyclamp]

read this..

www.norm-uk.org/circumcision_alternative_treatments.html