To ask about circumcision?

[postingherefortraffic]

I didn’t know where to post this- Health? Teenagers? Here for traffic?

Anyway, saw GP today for unrelated issue. Thought I’d ask again about my Pre-teen’s tight foreskin (I’ve asked regularly over the years and kept being told to wait and see). He’s checked it today and is making a referral.

Is full circumcision our only option? GP seems to think so.

We obviously want to explore options.

Thank you.

@AlwaysOneSock - Medical professionals are not infallible and can give advice based on outdated knowledge. See how widespread circumcision used to be and is becoming less so each year. Foreskins are not evolving, people are just becoming more educated.

Medical professionals are not infallible and can give advice based on outdated knowledge

Its' possibly, but a urologist is much more likely to know what they are talking about than someone on aibu.

@cantucciniamaretto I used to agree with this, until 3 professionals (including a urologist) said the only solution was a circumcision and almost went for it, but then steroid cream and stretching cured the phimosis.

If The foreskin doesn't serve any purpose (like an appendix) so I don't think removing it is 'mutilation'.
It does serve a purpose (so does the appendix)

My 10 year old had to be circumcised when the cream and the stretching did nothing, apart from humiliate him and cause him considerable discomfort.
It's not ideal for the pysche having your parents stretch your foreskin and massge cream into your penis on a regular basis when the stretching hurt so much, you can't do it yourself.

Our specialist was of the opinion that the cream didn't generally work with exceptionally tight forsekins that won't retract , but was the first step generally prescribed.

It was a shit of an operation at 10, so if you have the oppportunity to do it earlier I would, and not faff about with cream etc.

My DH got circumcised (after we got married) and he says he wishes he'd done it sooner.

OP I think it is called a preputioplasty.

DS's urologist said thatafter this procédure you spend a month doing physio pulling the foreskin back which will be painful but comparable to the pain of a full circumcision. It has an 80% success rate and I feel it fails you can still do a full circumcision. The failure rate includes people who find the more minor procedure aesthetically displeasing.

Thanks for that name. It's encouraging to hear we have options. I guess it's wait for an appointment and see how we go, then. To the pp who asked how I know- it's always been tight (when he potty trained, we noticed it ballooned when he peed), so I just ask him for updates occasionally 😊

The sensitivity thing is definitely not a myth Zoopdragon

So we saw the urologist today. He had a quick look, said, "It's really tight, there's already some scarring, I've got to give you cream first but I don't think it'll work and I don't think it'll be a straight-forward procedure."

Nice.

Poor boy.

We have the cream. I asked if he needs to do any 'stretches'. No. Just put cream on twice a day. He'll see us in 2 months. Then 3 month wait for op.

I don't feel hopeful.

Moose how's it going for you?

Ive said this before on another thread about this but I had an ex with a foreskin that basically did not retract.... it really effected our sex life badly. His mother had been very against circumcision on principle.
It was hard for him as an adult as I think he was frightened of having it done.
I think sometimes it is really best to get it done when they are a child. If its what the doctor advises then do it.

Ive had two boyfriends who were circumcised (both for medical reasons) and they seemed to be faring much much better both physically and psychologically than my ex who had not had it done but needed it.

My OH was circumcised as a child for medical reasons, I would just reassure you that in my experience it does not cause loss of sensation. ( If it has it might have been beneficial as he would probably have died on me at some point, as would a couple of other young men I could think of!)

@postingherefortraffic

Hi

I wondered what happened?

My son has the same problem.

xx

Just like any other medical procedure it is sometimes necessary. Better done whilst young though if ballooning at potty training.
Why should boys suffer

from a man's perspective i had phimosis for years. My parents never mentioned retracting foreskins when washing etc and siblings were circumcised but i was not. I think this made things worse. Typicaaly foreskins are attached at birth but should be retractable by age 5 or 6

For years i could not retract all snf only clean with cotton wool buds even when flaccid.

However i did stumble on a website for men with phimosis and gradual stretching every day does work. Think about it;if you put on weight your skin stretches to accomodate it. The cream reduces any inflammation and makes the process easier. I started the process in my late 30's and was able to fully retract when flaccid in 6 weeks and erect in 6. this might be a bit tmi but you can use ear stretchers or silicone rings and leave them in situ for an hour at morning and night but not so much they are painful.

Your ds being young it might fixable in a much shorter timescale but obviously it will be an awkward conversation to have/ process for him and it does need discipline. It might be an idea to ask him what he wants to do so he doesn't resent it in later life

From my perspective it does make a difference to sensation and i do think its a huge double standard to apply health and cleanliness arguments here. I've never suffered an infection or uti and you don't hear people saying let's remove labia and clitoral hoods to aid cleanliness do you?

@walksen

Hi, appreciate a mans perspective on the matter.

My son has used the cream twice now. Each time we stop, the skin seems to tighten up and he can''t pull the foreskin back any longer.

Ive been reading and apparently the hormones released during puberty stretch the opening? According to what Ive read, true phimosis cannot be labelled until a boy has gone through puberty?

I suppose Ill get a referral and see what the specialist says on the matter.

xx

I found that while stretching every now and then i would need a few day's break to let any swelling go down. If i was sore it would seem tighter than ever but a few days rest would see some progress. Remember it took me over 180 days to resolve the issue so day to day progress is slow. That is why silicone rings were useful. Youcould literally leave them in for an hour and get on with something else and no one would know it was there. i could measure progress by the size of ring that would fit.

An earlier poster said you only need to apply the cream. I don't this can right. The cream makes it easier to promote. Skin growth but the stretching need to occur to stimulate this growth to occur.

There were a few things that you would need to check
1L) that there is no kind of infection stopping the skin growing properly. If there are or you were not sure thrush creams could be used.
2) on an going basis using zinc and castor oil cream to prevent infection and help with any swelling. This is the kind of stuff you might use for nappy rash

3) it may be that the frenulum is too short and will need cream applied too for retraction to occur.

There may well be hormones involved in the process at puberty. i think it will be crucial that the foreskin should be retracted regularly as the penis develops and awkwardness aside this needs to occur when masturbating too

I think if you google phimosis cure the forums i found would be worth reading so you can have an informed discussion with the urologist. Be warned though that you do get people showing their progress from different starting points which can be encouraging but means they are definately nsfw.

There were even a section for men trying to restore their foreskin so there are some men who disagree with a decision their parents made for them.

I guess it can also be awkward if the father was circumcised at a young age ; who is going to have the conversation about proper cleaning and retraction during masturbation?

I had this operation as a young adult, PM if you need to ask anything OP

To the PP: The sensitivity thing is not a myth but if you were circumcised as a child then you wouldn’t know any different.

My DH had this as a kid, and got circumcised at age 8. No subsequent complications and I don't think he has any hangups and has no issues with normal function.

Not sure if it's hereditary but DS8 pisses all over the shop, can't get it to go in a straight line and certainly seems to have an issue with ballooning of his foreskin. If we were told that he needs circumcised I'd have no issues in going ahead with it.

There was a documentary on the other night .. maybe on catch up .. was so interesting regarding this subject . There were lots of men who had 'restored ' their foreskin by using a stretching method . It proved that sex is much better with the foreskin and how the US have been brainwashed into thinking it's normal to circumcise babies . They showed how they did it and it was horrific .. that aside I would do what you can to avoid it as the men were complaining it was a messy uncomfortable, dry and sore when circumcised .

I realise that this thread is a year old, but it's been resurrected and the questions and issues are still just as relevant

My 3yo also has penile phimosis. His paediatrician thought he would need a circumcision but the specialist is happy to wait.

It is very common that this problem rights itself at puberty.

I'd listen to the specialist and strongly consider getting a different paediatrician. It's astonishing how many people don't understand the basic facts - even a lot of medical specialists - and make pronouncements based on their ignorance.

It isn't a 'problem' that 'rights itself' at puberty any more than the fact that your 3yo daughter doesn't yet have breasts or periods is a 'problem' - it's an entirely normal part of child development.

If anybody seeks medical help because their 3yo son's penis is like a normal 3yo's penis, they may as well also seek urgent treatment for the 'problem' that he isn't yet very tall - alarmingly, nowhere near a normal height for an adult.

Circumcision is very hygienic and healthy.

Exactly the same arguments are made for FGM. Technically, one could argue that the fewer folds, flaps or coverings there are, the easier it is to keep clean and thus the more hygienic it is. Nobody in their right mind would advocate this for girls on that basis; why is it different for boys?

If it's that crucial, why not get your eyelids surgically removed to make it easier to access your eyes in order to clean them?

My DH had this as a kid, and got circumcised at age 8. No subsequent complications and I don't think he has any hangups

Fair enough if he did genuinely need intervention (although it's very normal for boys not to be able to retract before puberty), but when you say he doesn't have any hangups, how could he possibly be able to know what sexual function he's lost if he was 8 when it was done?

My DH had a circumcision at 20 for exactly the same reason. He tried the stretching etc but didn’t work He’s totally fine (although very laid back at the best of times!) and our sex life is great. If anything He personally thinks it’s neater and cleaner no loss of sensation etc. Hope it works out for your boy

post

One of my boys had a minor op that wasnt a circumcisn just snipped so it loosened

I can't remember what it was called but he is fine now and still has his foreskin