TMI question about foreskin!

[keels26]

My DS is 8 (9 in May) and his foreskin doesnt go back. Took him to see a surgeon when he was 6 who said it would probably correct itself over the next few years, which it hasnt so he is now being referred back again. Im sure he will have to be circumcised as the skins very tight, was just wondering if anybody else had been in the same situation with there boys?

I think there are alternatives to circumcision these days. I've read somewhere that they can unadhere the foreskin (with a quick sweep of the scalpel) and do a vertical incision in the tightest part of the foreskin and then sew it back together the other way (ie horizontally), resulting in a less tight foreskin that should be able to retract fully subsequently, so long as you keep pulling it back for a while, to prevent it from re-adhereing itself. I think this procedure is supposed to less traumatic and less prone to post-operative complications than an actual circumcision, and of course would mean your ds keeps his foreskin, if he wants it!!! If not excessively tight, I think it is also possible to attempt a regime of manually stretching the foreskin, with the help of steroid cream... Basically, I do think there are alternatives to a circumcision, if you want to discuss them with the surgeon (who would be a better person than me to talk to about it, as I'm not a medical practitioner!).

Both my brothers had circumcisions as boys for tight foreskins. Apart from some considerable swelling and pain for a few days, I don't think it caused them any major subsequent issues (although one of them used to get teased about his "purple willy" if anyone caught sight of it at the urinals at school, or in the school showers after sports lessons...).

My son had to have it done, when the foreskin was pulled back it formed a bubble of skin.

My dh has an extremely tight foreskin poor man! He's had it for years and it's gradually got tighter (he's now 47). He says he doesn't think his mother even really took any notice of his willy as a child and would certainly not have seen/or understood that it was on the tight side, as she was raised in a family where genitals would never have been discussed!

Ridiculous really as now my hubby suffers and he's too embarrassed to see a doctor. He sometimes suffers with premature ejaculation and soreness as a result.

Please see your doctor and get it seen to. Better that it's dealt with now rather than him suffer into his adult life like my poor dh.

does this page help

Our ds had the problem from early on, which we had looked at a few times by a few different doctors. They also told us he might have to be circumcised if it didn't correct itself. We had to pull back the skin in his bath to try and loosen it. In the end we decided to let the doctor un-adhere it with the scalpel, which was painful for him whilst it was being done (he did scream a lot, much to the visible fear of the men waiting outside for their "male doctor" appointments!), but we put cream on after the procedure, as suggested, and it's all fine now. He doesn't remember it as he was only about 4 or 5 at the time so I'd just recommend you do whatever you have to do as early as possible to minimize any long-term trauma or problems.

keels26 - my son does and suffers from a condition called Balanitis which causes sever infecions in the penis as his urine gets trapped under the foreskin and then incubates bacteria. Causes heavy pus discharge.

We are getting him circumcised in a few months time.

Tight foreskin is easily treatable and should be treated ASAP as it can pass on infection to sexual partners as well as cause other sexual problems.

keels26 - our ds has the same problem as ABetaDad's ds (ie repeated balanitis, with a hugely swollen, painful penis and lots of pus!). However, he is not getting a circumcision, but is instead having his foreskin unadhered so that we can in future pull it right back and clean it properly where we currently can't get access - as per Louise2004's son. These days, though, they will not perform this procedure whilst your child is awake, as it is considered a tad cruel! So he will have to have a general anaesthetic to have it done. I would much rather he had this done than have his whole foreskin removed, as there can be complications from having a circumcision (my dh, who had to have a circumcision in adulthood for a tight foreskin, for example, got a very nasty infection after the operation and tended to bleed in the area that had got infected for about a year afterwards). Severe complications are of course extremely rare, so if the doctors decide that only a circumcision will be effective, then it is obviously worth following their advice, but I would reiterate that it is unlikely to be your only option. Agree with ABetaDad, though, that your son shouldn't be left to suffer with a tight foreskin into adulthood, as having a circumcision as an adult is even more traumatic than it is in childhood, in my experience!!!

asteamedpoater - interestng that Balanitis can be caused by 'adherence'.

In the case of my DS2, the hole at the end of his foreskin is so tiny that he cannot pull it back no matter how hard he tries.

Interesting that your DH had a tight foreskin as I did as a child and that seems to have perhaps passed genetically to our sons. Mine corrected itself as I became a teenager and I did not suffer Balinitis.

Yes definitely I agree - getting something done now is much better for all concerned.

Louise24 - I am appalled that a doctor would undertake that procedure without putting the child under sedation first.

The doctor did numb the area with a local anesthetic cream but it wasn't done under a general anesthetic so, although our ds could see the scalpel and what was happening, I don't think he could feel anything - it was probably more the experience of being in surgery. (It was done in Russia a few years ago; things might be done differently now in the UK!) I wasn't in the surgery room whilst it was being done as the doctor considered it to be a male problem and therefore only my dh was allowed to stay in the room with him, which is why I saw the horror on the faces of the men waiting for their appointments outside. The whole procedure was very quick, taking only a couple of minutes and, at the end of the day it solved the problem. Being young enough when it was done, our ds has no recollection of the problem or the procedure at all now (thank goodness!).

Thanks for all your replys. Im waiting for a referral to see a surgeon, but am pretty sure he is going to need a circumcision. The skin seems very tight and has been the same since he was a baby. He used to get infections when he was younger but actually hasnt had one for ages which is good but I think the skin will probably tear when he gets older if he doesnt have it removed.
Im hoping the appointment wont take too long to come through but I wont hold my breath!

It isn't uncommon for boys not to retract until they are in their teens. I'd wait and try the alternatives on the page posted first.

Unfortunately there's a lot of drs who know very little about foreskin care, the owner is the only person who should be trying to retract it.

My DS is 8, and has a tight foreskin; he practised pulling it gently when he was about 4, and eventually got it loose enough to retract. Then I forgot all about it till reading this thread. On checking, it no longer goes back, but have reminded him to just see how far it will go, and give it a stretch every day. (On threat of otherwise having to have an op. when he's older). It is kind of ironic, having to TELL him to play with his Willy. Within a few days, it has improved, so we'll continue practising for a few more weeks before checking with the doctor. He's only ever had one small infection though, so it is probably not as tight as some mentioned on this post. BTW, I don't supervise, just mention around bedtime, that he needs to do it every day.