Phimosis- tight foreskin in adults

Patients would say “I think I have tight foreskin" 

In adults, tightness of the foreskin might cause no symptoms for most of the time. Problems usually become more obvious (and troublesome) when you get an erection and attempt sexual intercourse.

If you are unable to pull back your foreskin fully, especially if it becomes red or painful, you should contact your GP or Dr Khan. If a tight foreskin has been retracted and cannot be brought forward again (Known as Paraphimosis) you should seek urgent treatments at your local hospital.

In children, a tight foreskin is usually congenital, but in adults, it is often due to a scarring disease known as balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO, sometimes called lichen sclerosis). We do not know the cause of BXO. 

Stretching of a diseased foreskin is best avoided. There is no scientific evidence that produces a cure and it can actually precipitate further tearing and scarring. This might worsen a phimosis which will then requires surgical treatment later in life. Forcible retraction of the foreskin in children should be avoided.

Steroid creams might soften your foreskin, if the scare is mild; stopping the cream, however, this might result to return of the condition.

Antibiotics might be needed if swabs show any evidence of infection

Using a condom during sexual intercourse might make the penis more comfortable

 

SURGERY

Circumcision is the mainstay of treatment if the foreskin is scarred by balanitis xerotica obliterans.

Prepuceplasty is effective in children with congenital tightening of the foreskin. Several incisions are made into the tip of the foreskin to expose the head of the penis. The foreskin then needs to be retracted regularly until it has healed completely. Prepuceplasty is totally ineffective in most adults; it may be effective in some selective adults without BXO phimosis. 

Frenuloplasty is the best option if the tightness is due to a short penile frenulum, rather than a tight foreskin. However, a short frenulum may also be associated with scarring of the foreskin, so full circumcision is still needed in some patients. 

Partial removal of the foreskin is not recommended. Scare might return on the foreskin remnant, while the cosmetic results are often unacceptable, particularly during erection.

This information is taken from The British Association of Urological Surgeons website 

Source: http://www.baus.org.uk/patients/conditions/13/tight_foreskin_phimosis

First training in surgery for Dr. Khan started in 1988 at Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

Dr. Khan started his basic surgical post-graduate training at Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland UK. 

He attended the college during 1988-89 session with other doctors in training. 

 

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH 1988-89

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH 1988-89

According to our last audit at Thornhill Circumcision Centre, out of 1387 children (aged 0-12 years), 75% children were under 6 months

Audit of ring method circumcision in infants and children

Audit of ring method circumcision in infants and children

In view of Dr. Khan experience for last many years, he recommends the optimal age of circumcision in children is under 6 months of age. He advises to the parents to book their children for the circumcision as soon as posibble so that they will not miss this optimal age of an infant. 

Medical literature  supports this concept.

"Infancy presents the best age for circumcision. It is associated with substantially lower costs, lower risk of complications when performed by an experienced operator in a clinical or other appropriate setting, and lower lifetime risk of a variety of adverse conditions and infections"

Dr. Morris wrote in his recent review. 

BMC Pediatrics 2012 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-12-20

Complications after children circumcision

Complications of circumcision is rare in large series. It has been reported 1-2%.  Most of the patients in these series are under one month old (neonate). Neonates have low complication rate after circumcision as compare to older children. Complications in circumcision for older than one year old children reported more than 6% in the recent series. 

A 'snip' in time: what is the best age to circumcise?

BMC Pediatrics 2012 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-12-20

Infancy presents the best age for circumcision. It is associated with substantially lower costs, lower risk of complications when performed by an experienced operator in a clinical or other appropriate setting, and lower lifetime risk of a variety of adverse conditions and infections

Complications of circumcision in male neonates, infants and children: a systematic review.

BMC Urol. 2010 Feb 16;10:2. doi: 10.1186/1471-2490-10-2

Review found a median complication frequency of 1.5% among studies of neonatal or infant circumcision, compared to 6% among studies of children aged one year or older

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