BXO and Phimosis

[Bburn]

I have posted on this forum previously with regards to my life long Phimosis that had not caused me any issues. I had my Urologist referral 4 weeks ago due to some inflammation of the glans and confirmed that I have BXO. I am booked in for a circumcision which doesn't really bother me too much as I have read lots of stories about circumcision on here which has really helped. My question is did circumcision help with any people that suffered with BXO and cure your symptoms.

[MrMan84]

hey!

Yes- I had circumcision for this reason and it has so far cured it. It’s been 2 years. There’s always a risk of recurrence but for me personally, it has helped.

Best of luck to you

[Bburn in reply to MrMan84]

Thank you so much for your reply, the only thing I'm a bit worried about is what my glans will look like after 40 years with phimosis, but I'm just hoping that after then circumcision over time my glans will return to normal/healthier looking.

[MrMan84 in reply to Bburn]

So, in my case the glans got better because the lichen sclerosis cleared, so red patches receded etc. But the skin damage didn’t fully reverse so it never looked quite the same as it once did.

That said, your skin changes anyway after circumcision.

I have got used to it and it has just never come up with any woman I’ve ever been with so kinda not an issue

Overall health comes first.

[Bburn in reply to MrMan84]

Are you glad you had the procedure done, and how long until you felt like the whole situation was back to normal

[MrMan84 in reply to Bburn]

For me personally yes I’m glad I got it done because the alternative was to worry about BXO progression forever. I’m healthier so I’m happy.

That said, it took around 3-6 months for everything to get better and there’s a new ‘normal’. I don’t want to give the wrong impression- it’s more than fine, but sex and particularly masturbation doesn’t feel the same and the skin doesn’t look quite the same.

But I still enjoy sex and I’m happier and healthier having got it done overall.

[Bburn in reply to MrMan84]

Thank you very much for your reply, I suppose the main thing is that you have stopped the progression and hopefully any issues later in life, which is the way I'm looking at it. Also you can clean the glans properly which is also healthier which is what I'm looking forward to, being able to keep the glans clean healthier and cleaner. Looking forward to the new look to be honest, probably this time in next year I'll be hitting myself wondering why I didn't get my issues sorted years ago.

[MrMan84 in reply to Bburn]

That’s how I ended up feeling. I prefer the look without foreskin and once it’s done, it’s done and you can get on with life.

Wish you the very best with it.

[Bburn in reply to MrMan84]

Thank you so much.

[Yogs1]

Yes I had it done too for that reason, was given a steroid cream afterwards to put on the glans.

[Bburn in reply to Yogs1]

Can I just ask, did you glans return to normal after the procedure and are you happy that you had the procedure

[Yogs1 in reply to Bburn]

I’m happy I had it done as the foreskin tightness was getting too much. Other than I have no symptoms. There is discolouration on the glans where I am applying the cream. So increased tightness was my only issue caused by BXO

[Bburn in reply to Yogs1]

How long are you having to keep applying the cream for, and have you been told that it will eventually return to a normal colour

[Arclight1979]

Heya, good luck with the circ, bro. I didn't have BXO, but I had areas of my glands covered by adhesions that I was really worried would be packed with smegma and gunk, maybe even permanent damage to the skin, and I had phimosis. Circumcision was the only way to cure both. I was really worried about how my glands would look after adhesion removal, but healing went well. I am so pleased I had the operation - it's gotten bigger, is easier to clean, sex feels better, no smegma or gunk, etc.

Keep us posted on progress.

[Bburn in reply to Arclight1979]

I'm currently getting a little bit of smega and also have some adhesions, which my Urologist said isn't an issue, it's easily resolved. I bath/shower daily to make sure I clean my glans the best I can, I have my pre op in a couple of weeks then hopefully the procedure will be in September. I am so looking forward to getting the issue resolved, at 42 years old, I'm not concerned about the procedure or any pain with the recovery, it doesn't last forever, I'm staying positive about the whole thing, this forum is a god send.

[Arclight1979 in reply to Bburn]

From one 40-year-old man to another, welcome to the mid-life circ bros club. The recovery doesn't last forever. I'm 4.5 months in now, and while the first few weeks were tough, it all eases up and new normal sets in soon enough.

[Bburn in reply to Arclight1979]

Cheers for your reply, im expecting the first few weeks to be tough, but because of this forum I kind of know what to expect even though everyone heals at different rates. I'm taking at least 3 weeks off work.

[Arclight1979 in reply to Bburn]

Yes! 3 weeks is definitely recommended. Get a comfy cushion to sit on, air it as much as possible, etc. You get the gist. Here for help if you need it.

[Norwich1 Moderator]

As was mentioned earlier, circumcision alone may not cure your BXO. You may need topical treatment to assist in getting rid of the BXO. If the topical treatment, rarely, does not resolve the BXO you may need to have a biopsy to rule out other problems. Wishing you well in your treatment.

[Bburn in reply to Norwich1]

Thanks for your reply, who knows what will be required until after my circumcision, I just hope that it's only a cream I need to apply and no biopsy is required because that really would freak me out

[Karlos_ in reply to Norwich1]

If the circumcision is poorly performed, it may not cure the BXO.

BXO is an autoimmune disorder against the EMX1 protein. It's in the inner foreskin. Autoimmune manifestation only occurs in the wet.

If the moist environment on the glans removed (tight circumcision), and also the inner foreskin is removed (low circumcision), the success rate of treatment is over 98%.

Choose an experienced surgeon!

[aManofKent]

Think you're well versed with the replies and what else is on this site. The only thing I'd add about the appearance is that mine was very flaky looking for a few days, maybe even a week, but then improved and has been smooth since. I also had 2 scabs on the head which I've no idea how / why they were there, but they healed quickly. Good luck.

[Bburn in reply to aManofKent]

Cheers for the comment. I'm just looking forward to the procedure and finally revealing my full glans, I'm expecting it not to look the best, but the human body is an amazing healer and I'm staying open minded about the time scale it will take for the appearance to look normal.