Why is circumcision necessary? When should circumcision be performed?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Le Phuc Lien - Urologist - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
The foreskin is the skin that surrounds the penis. This area of ​​skin surrounds the tip of the penis when a man is young and will usually drop automatically by the time he is 4-5 years old. However, when the foreskin has not retracted on its own by puberty, surgical intervention may be necessary.

1. What is circumcision?

Circumcision is the surgical removal of the skin covering the head of the penis. This surgery can be performed on adults or children. For very young children, circumcision is usually done if the baby is healthy. In adults, circumcision is usually performed when a man has a diagnosis of balanitis, stenosis (when the foreskin does not fully retract from the glans), or strangulation of the foreskin (when the foreskin is not fully retracted). foreskin cannot be pulled down).

2. Perform circumcision

Circumcision is a simple surgery and usually takes only a few minutes. Men who are circumcised usually go through 3 basic steps:
Step 1: Clinical examination, the doctor advises on circumcision procedure
Step 2: The patient is anesthetized, the doctor performs the procedure. surgery
Step 3: The patient is monitored and cared for after circumcision
The doctor may use different techniques during the operation, but the steps are similar as follows:
Penis and the foreskin is cleaned. The foreskin is cut

3. Recovery after circumcision

When the patient is discharged from the hospital, the patient will be instructed on how to take care to quickly recover. It usually takes about 10 days for the penis to heal. After 3-4 days, the tip of the penis may feel uncomfortable or swollen and the doctor will prescribe pain medicine for the patient before leaving the hospital.
You may need to stay off work for 1 week and abstain from sex for at least 4 weeks after circumcision. To limit rubbing on pants, patients can use Vaseline to apply around the head of the penis and wear thin and loose pants for the first 2-3 days after surgery.
If the patient has a mild fever, redness or bleeding, persistent pain or throbbing at the tip of the penis, it is necessary to contact a doctor immediately as it may be a sign of infection.

4. Benefits of Circumcision

Circumcision has been shown to have many benefits including:
Reduces the chance of infection in the head of the penis: circumcision can reduce the amount of bacteria under the scalp of the penis, thus reducing the risk of urinary tract infections. urethritis or balanitis. Reduces HIV risk: circumcision has been shown to partially reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in adults. Lowers risk of penile cancer: Circumcision can reduce bacteria and chronic inflammation, so the risk of cancer will be lower. Improve the quality of safe sex: the risk of sexually transmitted infections such as herpes, HPV is usually lower in circumcised men.

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The article references the source Acog.org, Nhs.uk