Circumcision is a Surgery or Surgical Procedure
Circumcision is a surgery or surgical procedure which involves removal of foreskin or prepuce (the lose skin at the end of Penis).
Circumcision is done for various reasons which include:
- Religious Circumcision in boys.
- Phimosis : tight foreskin.
- Paraphimosis: the tight foreskin once pulled back, it becomes difficult to slide back to normal position and it forms a tight band around head of Penis leading to swelling of head of Penis.
- Balanoposthitis: means infection of foreskin and head of Penis. Commonly seen in diabetics and often the first sign of an underlying diabetes.
- Warts: skin coloured growths on foreskin. It is a sexually transmitted disease ( STD/STI).
- Cancer: cancer involving foreskin requires circumcision as a treatment.
Various methods of Circumcision in Adults are based on the method of Cutting the Foreskin
- Normal excision circumcision where foreskin is removed with knife or scissors and remaining skin stitched back with self dissolvable stitches .
- Laser circumcision: the foreskin is cut with laser and stitched back with stitches.
- Circumcision with a stapler device: the foreskin is cut and stapled at the same time by firing a stapler device on the foreskin.
The long term outcomes of all three are similar.
- Circumcision can be done under local or general ( full) anesthesia.
- Procedure takes anything between 10 to 30 minutes.
- A small dressing is applied around the wound which comes off the next day.
- A Painkiller and an antibiotic pill is prescribed for 3 to 5 days. An antiseptic cream is prescribed for application at the wound site.
- You are allowed to have shower the next day.
- However swimming should be avoided for 2 week and sexual activity for 4 to 6 weeks till wound is not completely healed.
- You may notice some swelling, color changes or sensitivity changes for a few days after circumcision.
- The Penis May look cosmetically different to you for few days as you are not used to looking at your phallus like that. However it appears normal after 4 to 6 week.
- Wear lose fitting clothes till the wound is sensitive for 3 to 5 days.
- Overall it is a very safe procedure in adults with no long term complications.
- It does not affect sexual potency or size of penis.