The Adult Circumcision Surgery and Things You Should Know

Circumcision in the medical world remains one of the oldest surgical procedures in existence. There were several reasons why people would perform this surgery, either for cultural, health-related reasons, religious or simply for the sake of personal preference. The adult circumcision surgery today remains an option for those men who did not opt for the surgery when they were infants. The good thing is that circumcision surgery today is common and the CDC (U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reports that about 79% of men in America have gone through circumcision.

The circumcision surgery helps to remove the skin that covers the head of the penis (the foreskin). Your surgeon will carefully “push” the foreskin away from the head of the penis and trim it. Once the excess skin comes off, they sew down the edges. Your surgeon can also use a number of different ways to carry out this procedure. With medical, dissolvable sutures, they stitch the incisions. Most men get the permission to leave on that very day after the surgery.

There are many reasons why you may choose to opt for this surgery because you can’t roll back the foreskin. This condition is what doctors call “phimosis.” You may need the surgery because the foreskin remains stuck at the back of the head of the penis (paraphimosis). After the surgical procedure, rest assured that these problems go away. Some men may also choose to have this surgery for social or religious reasons. Note that you can go back to your work routine within a week or depends on the kind of job.

How to Prepare:

A week before your surgery:

• Ask your doctor or Circumcision Center surgeon about the precautionary measures you need to take
• Ask your friend or family member to be ready to take you home after the procedure, since you won’t be able to drive home by yourself
• Ask your health care provider whether you need to stop the use of aspirin and other over-the-counter medicines before the surgery or procedure
• Give your doctor a complete breakdown of the medications you take, whether you have any allergic reactions, take food supplements, or herbs
• If you have any other diseases, some wound, sore, or infection in your genital area, make sure that you discuss with your doctor. Diseases can also include kidney problems, bleeding disorders, heart problems or diabetes. It is important to address these issues before the surgery
• You may also need urine and blood tests. Other tests may include chest x-rays or an ECG. You can ask your doctor about these and other relevant tests you may need. Make sure that you note the dates of each test.

What to Expect During the Procedure:

• An hour before the procedure, your doctor may give you medicines to help you relax. They will move you to the operating room and providers may give you regional, local or general anesthesia to numb the area and put you in a sleep. If they give you general anesthesia, they will put an ET (endotracheal tube) into your nose or mouth to help you breathe during the procedure
• They will also apply a numbing cream to the skin of your penis about 30 to 60 minutes before the surgery. This helps to decrease the pain when they inject anesthesia into your penis during the surgery
• They will use water, soap, and antiseptic liquids to clean the genital and abdomen area
• They may carry on with the dorsal slit technique, where the surgeon will grab the foreskin with forceps. He will make an incision at the top area of the foreskin. With a special knife or scissors, they will make an incision. After making the slit, he will pull the foreskin back to expose the head or glans. He will cut off the excess foreskin and use electrocautery or pressure to control the bleeding. With the help of dissolvable incisions, he will stitch the area and bandage it with petroleum jelly on the incision to boost healing
• If your surgeon goes with the sleeve technique, he will draw a line around the base of the foreskin. This will serve as a marker or a guide to where he needs to make the incisions. It also helps to measure the correct amount of foreskin that needs removal. Your surgeon will then make two cuts around the foreskin base and inside it. This helps to release a tube or sleeve of the foreskin, which then comes off by pulling it over the glans. The surgeon then fills the cut edges of the gap (ring-like) by pulling up the remaining foreskin. Electrocautery or pressure then helps to control the bleeding. With stitches and adhesive glue along with petroleum jelly then helps to close the incision and aid healing.

After your procedure, it is best that you take care of the incision area as much as you can. Avoid leaving moisture in the area, pat it dry and avoid wearing tight underwear. If you experience any further discomfort, make sure that you consult your doctor and ask him for the best care tips to follow at home.