Any experience of buried penis!!!?

[gallileo]

My baby son (6 months) has an embarrassing problem and I can' t seem to find much information about it. I believe he has a condition called 'buried penis'. He has a very fat area just above his genitals and basically most of the time much of his little willy is hidden in here. It will pop out if you press down around it! The doctors and health visitors just shrug this off as being normal or say he will grow out of it. I don't want to keep asking them as I am sure they will think I am obsessed but I am sure others can understand I am worried about this, so much so that I will only change his nappy in private . Does anyone else have experience of this and able to reassure me?

yes I have heard of it, my son was born with hypospadias and chordee. When he had his first op (due to have another soon) with a fantastic surgeon we met a family whose son was having an op to correct a buried penis. It will not correct itself and is likely to need surgery. Let me know if you want more details of the surgeon. Whereabouts are you, this man operates in London but his patients come from all over the south of the country

sorry sounded like a doctor there. Just feel strongly about being fobbed off by HV's who have no experience of these conditions. From what I've heard this condition does not correct itself - depends on the extent of the condition. But I would certainly follow up and get a referral to an expert at least to get a more objective medical opinion

Thanks elibelly, I think from the limited amount I have found on the web that he doesn't have the condition too severely, and also he is a very fat baby so things could improve once he is moving! I have just been so exasperated by the lack of information, seems to be a taboo subject. Can I ask how old was the little boy who was having the operation? I am in the SE, so seems I am in luck if he does need an op.

He was 18 months old I seem to remember, my ds was 13 months at the time and this little boy was a bit older. This consultant has successfully implemented a new technique for releasing buried penis - he's really excellent and very sympathetic to aesthetics and being minimally invasive.

If I were you I'd seek out an expert opinion anyway, from my experience of gp's and hv's they rarely get to see this sort of thing and really don't know enough about it to give you the best advice. The only thing is you will need your gp to refer you, you can't refer yourself.

Someone else I met through all of this was told by a hospital paed no less that their little boy (who actually only had hypospadias) was really a girl and he was given female hormones for 3 months before the dad did some more research and managed to get a referral to this consultant! It's shocking how ignorant some medics are and how reluctant they are to admit it when they just don't know.

All I can say is don't leave it too long to get your son assessed, it's easier and preferrable to get these things corrected when the boy is little for both physical and psychological reasons.

As for you, don't be ashamed of changing your ds with other people around, I was never concerned about this and no-one ever commented about my ds's odd looking willy.

My son was a really fat baby and his willy used to disappear almost completely into the fat. Now he's nearly 3 and has slimmed down he looks completely normal. I don't think you should worry too much at this point.

Gallileo, you can ask your GP to refer you to a paediatrician if you are concerned.

To anyone having to contemplate non-urgent surgery for anything other than routine matters I would say don't go ahead without getting a second opinion. My DS has complex leg condition, and we sought a 2nd opinion at the v wonderful Gt Ormond St Hospital (GOSH) before going ahead with surgery. Our consultant, in fact, suggested and arranged it.

It sounds as if you won't have to worry too much in the longer term, tho'.

I must come across as a mad pro-surgery loon, I'm really not honest, I'm just pro-information.
I think the more expert input you can get the better informed your decision about next steps will be. And personally I would rather have my ds go through an op before the age of 2 than after the age of 5 if an op is necessary. However, if there is a chance that he may not need an op at all, then that presents a strong argument for waiting.

In my ds's case surgery was necessary, hopefully that won't be the case for you.... I'll go away now and stop hogging your thread.

Our consultant is at GOSH too, so he's no quack.... ok I'm really going away now

Thanks everyone for your comments they have been a big help. I think I will consult my GP again but I think it is certainly worth waiting to see what happens in the next couple of years. Really reassuring to know that others have experienced this and that some of your Ds's have been fine without surgery.

LOL at mad pro-surgery loon, eli!

Gallileo, I hope this doesn't make me sound pervy, but as a childminder I have looked after lots of baby boys and some of them have had none existent willies, they tended to be on the chubby side, as they grew it seemed to resolve themselves. The skinny boys all had long thin willies, bigger than I've seen on a 5 year old! The bay I have at the moment is 28lb, 1 year old and you can't see his willy very easily, because of the folds.

Hopefully this will put your mind at rest, but just to be sure get it checked out.

Alibubbles, thanks so much for your message, exactly the sort of person i needed to hear from. My only experience of little boys is my other son, who does not have the problem. I find myself spying when other people are changing nappies, makes me sound pervy now!!!

Beetroot I think you were more help than me...

gallileo - I've done a lot of spying too, not pervy, purely for research purposes of course

You were all a great help! Sorry didn't mean to thank one person more than another!!! Just that there is nothing quite nicer than someone saying they have seen lots of boys like that. One person saying it is reassuring, but having several has been great.
Thanks again I am so much less worried I felt like he was the only one before.

galilieo, my first experience of this was as a nanny at 18, I went to change the baby and I thought where's his willy? I was very concerned, and too embarassed to ask the mum about it, but I soon learned they ccome in all shapes and sizes!

Galileo, did your DS grow out of this? my little one has just 'developed' this at 4 months - he's rather podgy and i'm wondering what happened in your case.

ok i'm now worried bout ds1 who is 7. Never really thought much of it but now i have read this thread he may have this too. Will have to go to the docs and get it checked out. Again he is quite chubby around his genitals and just thought that he had small penis, but now i'm not conviced. Thanks for starting this thread will definatley follow this up.

Hi everyone I have my first baby of 2 yr old with buried penis realized after having circumcision and now I have 2nd baby of 25 days old and we went for circumcision but doctor deny to do by saying he have concealed penis I'm too much worried about it why this happens with my both babies

Hi Elibelly...
Could you please share the name and practice of this surgeon. I would like to book an appointment to see this Doctor.
My son has burried penis. He is 11 years old and Gp not seems to help.
Thank you

Has your babies penis come out now, my son was born with a penis, but after Circumcision it became a buried penis, I thought it would come out by itself, he is 10 months now, and I have contacted the Circumcision clinic. Appointment booked for next week. I hope they don’t do anything to harm my boy. Anyone ever come accross this

Hi everyone, my son was born with a penis, 10 months ago, and was circulated 2 weeks later, but after Circumcision it became a buried penis, I thought it would come out by itself, and didn’t worry too much, my husband at the time told me to take him back to the Circumcision clinic, and with myself being a headstrong women, I didn’t listen, he is 10 months now, and I have contacted the Circumcision clinic. Appointment booked for next week. I hope they don’t do anything to harm my boy. Anyone ever come accross this, they have now advise me to put vaseline on the penis head and keep pushing the penis out every nappy change, has anyone come accross something like this, it’s so son was born with a penis, but after Circumcision it became a buried penis, I thought it would come out by itself, he is 10 months now, and I have contacted the Circumcision clinic. Appointment booked for next week. I hope they don’t do anything to harm my boy. Anyone ever come across anything like this, I am so worried, Will his willy come out, I know I have to be patient and wait until next month, but I am too worried, I can’t sleep, I am up late at nights with worry. Pls come in and let me know if anyone has come across this situation, I wish I had taken responsibility when my husband said to go back to the clinic back in March, my husband and myself said let’s go in 3 years time if it hasn’t come out, oh believe me I am glad I made that call now. Does this make me a bad mother, I feel awful not doing the right thing straight away. Please help.

Was your son circumcised?

Hello All,
my son was circumcised when he was 2 months now he is 7yrs and he has buried penis, when he was 4 yrs doctors said that it will be ok when he grow up , but it is the same no improvement,i think surgery is the solution. I live in Dubai, do you know any good doctors for operation.
please advise.