phimosis and circumcision

[Mattl502]

hi. I was looking for some advice of tips if anyone has suffered with phimosis and of circumcision is the best way forward to treat it. Also if there is any complications or things i should know if i go ahead with surgery.

Many thanks

[Triumphbiker99]

Hi there. I had phimosis until I was circumcised about 12 weeks ago. It wasn’t bad enough to make sex impossible or to father children, but it did tend to vary, especially if it got infected so it got much tighter then improved. I did go to the doctor, tried creams, stretches and nothing really worked.

So I decided to go ahead and get the procedure done after seeing a urologist.

Overall I’m pleased I did it, it’s quite an involved recovery with the mental side tougher than the physical- the first few days especially are ‘what have I had done to me?’.

But that passes as recovery progresses and things get back to normal. I’ve got a follow up with the urologist on Friday to check progress.

The only concern I have is the remains of the inner foreskin are still ‘puffy’ behind the glans but all the research I’ve done points to that going down over time, and that can take some time.

Everything is now normal, no pain, no discomfort and once that ring goes down I will be delighted with the outcome.

Everyone’s different and it is up to you. I’ll paraphrase the urologist’ you have a choice, continue as you are and manage your symptoms or go ahead with circumcision and remove the cause and work through recovery’.

It’s not a perfect answer, but nothing in life is.

Hope that helps in some way.

[Yogs1]

In my opinion, circumcision is the best way forward. I lived with tight foreskin for too long and developed BXO as a result. Google “circumcision BXO” to get further info to learn more about it. Do the research according to your situation and make the decision that suits you

[Mattl502 in reply to Yogs1]

mines always been tight. It wasn't too bad just when fully erect it was painful, tight and restricting blood flow. So they gave me steroid cream to try stretch it, it made it worse and caused tears cuts and scarring. Now theres a white patch and the end has thickened and wont pull back not even in the slightest. Its sore itchy and burns. I didn't want surgery i tried to avoid it at all costs but now i dont see any other option other than to leave it, which i think is a bad idea

[Trystem in reply to Mattl502]

Sounds like you've gone past the steroid cream option (from my own experience, once the splitting got bad there was probably no way back).

If you're not on board with a full circumcision you could talk to your urologist about a "partial circumcision". There doesn't seem to be a lot of information about this and my first urologist flat out refused (but he was crao for a variety of reasons) and I sought a second opinion. In my case, the outer skin was cut below the scarring and rejoined to the inner skin (which was also cut shorter). The urologist described it as a "low and loose" circumcision. It means I have about 2/3rds or more coverage of the head and, as the skin has thinned over the past year it's getting more. The benefit is that I've retained more sensitivity that I would otherwise.

Everyone's preference is different, but this has worked better for me (psychologically) than a tighter and more traditional circumcision.

[roddythescot]

Steroid creams ansd stretching exercises can occasionally work, but are rarely successful past puberty when your foreskin has toughened up. There is also a distinct risk that the phimosis will return once the cream and daily stretching is ceased.

There is another matter that you need to think about as well. Very often, phimosis is accompanied by frenulum breve as both are developmental abnormalities. The phimosis will mask the frenulum breve. However, once the phimosis is relieved enugh to be able to retract somewhat, the frenulum breve will make itself known. Frenulum breve CANNOT be resolved with creams or stretching and so surgery becomes necessary anyway.

Circumcision is the only sure, immediate and guaranteed permanent cure.

[Norwich1 Moderator in reply to roddythescot]

The information about frenulum breve is not correct assuming the OP has it. It should not be automatically diagnosed as not every man which phimosis will have it. There are ways of dealing with frenulum breve that do not involve circumcision. See

steadyhealth.com/medical-an...

As OP only has phimosis a consultation with a urologist would appear to be the best path for deciding on next steps.

[Diabetic71]

For me, circumcision was the only cure for my Phimosis. But, it has been a nightmare of a two year recovering. I had symptoms ongoing for a couple of years before seeing an urologist. Then, it took me a year and a half doing the steroid creams before seeing the surgeon, and he told me I had waited too long for the circumcision. Two weeks after my surgery, I ended up in the hospital for four days with a nasty infection and continuing infections for the next nine months. I then had another surgery at ten months to remove a cyst and at one year, the surgeon did a redo of the circumcision.

That was ten months ago, and I still have internal and external scar tissue. Swelling just started to dissipated a few weeks ago. It has been an unpleasant journey, but one I definitely had to take.

[Norwich1 Moderator in reply to Diabetic71]

Sorry to hear that mate. Sounds like a nightmare of a time.