Circumcision: postoperative in adults and children

Circumcision is a procedure that involves removing the foreskin or skin that covers the tip of the penis. It is a practice that has been carried out since ancient times, based on religious and cultural beliefs. Some doctors currently recommend it and attribute some benefits to sexual and men’s health, although little has been scientifically proven and much debate about it.

Due to different beliefs, there are countries where most men are circumcised; such is the case of countries whose religion is Judaism or Islam. On the contrary, in many other parts of the world, Circumcision is a rare practice, as in European countries, where the procedure is done only for medical reasons. Suppose you want more information about this operation and the following days in the following FastlyHealarticle. In that case, we bring you closer to the subject of Circumcision and postoperative in children and adults.

What is Circumcision

The male sexual organ is covered by a hood of skin known as the foreskin. Circumcision is an intervention consisting in removing this skin and leaving the exposed glans or head of the penis. It is a simple procedure lasting between 10 and 30 minutes, which will leave a small wound, which in babies will not require stitches, but in adults, it does. A doctor usually performs it in the hospital or at home as part of a religious ritual. Recovery will not take more than two weeks, as long as specific care is maintained.

In general, this practice is carried out in newborn boys, even before leaving the hospital, although Circumcision is not required by medical prescription. Still, it can be performed throughout life. To avoid discomfort when manipulating the penis, different forms of local anesthesia are usually administered. In babies, there are several ways to circumcise. They all have in common that they first separate the foreskin from the glans and protect the latter before cutting. When it comes to older children, this is a bit complicated, and the operation can be more delicate within its relative simplicity.

In countries like the United States, it is a procedure that has been in vogue since the 1960s, when it reached a 90% rate of men subjected to this practice. Today the pace in that country gets 60% of newborns to undergo the procedure. So, most of the time, the decision rests with the parents, who are based on their beliefs and, not always, on medical recommendations.

Why is Circumcision done?

It must be said that there are two different reasons why Circumcision can be practiced. On the one hand, many men are circumcised for religious reasons. For practitioners of Judaism, Circumcision is part of their bond with God, and in this case, it is practiced during a religious ceremony when babies are eight days old. The practitioners of Islam, in general, are also circumcised because, although it is not mentioned in the Qur’an, it is part of the tradition of Muhammad.

On the other hand, and this is the one that concerns us, Circumcision should also be practiced for medical reasons; more specifically, this intervention contributes to the prevention of certain diseases, such as penile cancer and urinary infections; in addition, it is an inescapable part of the treatment of these diseases :

• Non-retractable foreskin in children: The foreskin in newborns is usually not retractable, but by four years, it should be. If at this age it is not, it is recommended to do circumcision to avoid greater evils as the boy grows.
• Phimosis: It is a condition that refers to the fact that the hole in the foreskin is tiny and does not allow it to retract. It affects 1.5% of males, and symptoms include the irritated or slightly bleeding edge of the foreskin, pain, and difficulty urinating normally.
• Acute balanoposthitis: This is a common condition that can be painful. It includes, among its symptoms, a red and swollen foreskin, sometimes with pus, which causes a lot of pain and warrants a surgical intervention to remove the foreskin as soon as possible.
• Paraphimosis: This condition occurs from phimosis, at the moment when the foreskin is forcibly retracted. Then, because the hole is very narrow, it cannot return to its original position, and it remains to squeeze the glans, which is very painful.
• Penile cancer is a sporadic disease, but circumcision may be recommended when it appears.

Care after Circumcision

Postoperative phimosis day by day

After any surgical intervention, it will be essential to consider particular care after a circumcision, whether in children or adults. Without a doubt, it should be an issue to discuss with the doctor before doing the procedure. In general, the postoperative period of this intervention lasts between 7 and 10 days in babies and up to two weeks for adults. During that time, the penis will be:

• Swollen.
• Flushed
• Sore

These symptoms will diminish as the days go by.

In general, care for children and adults is the same in terms of hygiene of the area. The most crucial thing after Circumcision is to keep the place clean to avoid infection. This does not require unique solutions to wash the penis; use warm soapy water. In the case of babies, they can be cleaned with each diaper change from the first moment, especially if it is stool. In adult men, the penis can be washed after removing the bandage, 24 or 48 hours after the intervention, according to the doctor’s instructions. It is advisable, after washing, to let the penis dry well in the open air before putting the bandages back on.

Postoperative phimosis children

Particular recommendations must be taken into account in each case. In babies, the most significant difficulty is that they still do not communicate through words, so you have to be very attentive to the other manifestations that they may have:

• It will likely hurt if the baby is uncomfortable or tearful after the Circumcision is completed. According to what the doctor indicates, you may be given some analgesic or apply another suppository to calm the discomfort.
• You will be able to see a little blood when you remove the first gauze or diaper, as the wound may bleed a little, but it is usually so light that nothing needs to be done to stop the bleeding.
• The damage can be covered with a petroleum jelly-type ointment to prevent the penis from becoming more irritated by contact with the diaper or gauze. This will also prevent the diaper or gauze from sticking to the wound.
• The doctor may recommend renewing the gauze each time the diaper is changed.

Postoperative Circumcision in adults

For adult males, the procedure includes stitches, which are usually reabsorbed within two weeks. During this time it is essential to try to do what is necessary so that the penis is deflated and the points stay in place:

• It is recommended to cover the glans with gauze, wear tight but not tight underwear, and keep the penis up to avoid movement and friction that can irritate the penis.
• You will be able to urinate normally. You have to keep in mind that if you get the gauze wet, you should dry it or change it.
• It is advisable to return to your regular activities, as long as they are not activities that require a lot of physical effort. To do sports or have sexual intercourse, you will have to wait between 3 to 4 weeks, especially since erections can be painful and even pull the skin and make the stitches jump in the first days after the intervention.
• To counteract nocturnal erections, it is recommended to have a container full of cold water next to the bed and put your feet in it when you feel an erection to make it pass. In some cases, nighttime erections may leave a slight trace of blood on the gauze.

Any other doubt that may arise is essential to discuss before with the doctor who will perform the intervention so that it can be resolved quickly.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Circumcision: postoperative in adults and children , we recommend that you enter our category of Male reproductive system .