Every summer, many parents take advantage of the two-month vacation to address the concerns of their young boys regarding foreskin issues, commonly known as “circumcision.” Of course, they have many questions, such as, what kind of foreskin needs surgery? Is pediatric circumcision safe? In the face of the parents’ “ten thousand whys,” today we are here to provide answers and dispel doubts for all parents~
How to determine if it is normal foreskin? The foreskin, also known as prepuce, is a double-layered free circular fold of skin in front of the penile neck, surrounding the glans penis (the head of the penis). The foreskin is connected to the ventral side of the glans penis through the frenulum (a skin fold). When the penis is erect, the glans penis becomes exposed through the foreskin. Foreskin redundancy: when the foreskin completely covers the glans penis but can be freely retracted upwards, it’s termed as foreskin redundancy. Phimosis: refers to a narrow foreskin opening, or adhesions between the foreskin and the glans penis preventing the foreskin from retracting beyond the corona.
Almost every male child aged 0-3 years has situations of long foreskin, small foreskin opening, and the inability of the glans to be exposed. As long as urination is normal and there are no repeated infections, observation without treatment is sufficient.
Baby’s “little birdie” grows continuously with normal development stages, and between ages 3-5 the foreskin can gradually retract to expose the glans penis. However, if after this stage, the baby’s foreskin remains overly long preventing glans exposure, with difficulty in urination due to a small foreskin opening, recurrent foreskin-glans infections, frequent urination, or even engaging in manipulating the genital area, then it’s considered abnormal! Parents should promptly seek medical consultation and diagnosis for their child and opt for early surgery.
Someone may ask, why choose to circumcise in the summer? This is because the hot weather in summer and high humidity promote bacterial growth in the foreskin cavity, easily triggering conditions like balanitis and urethritis. Therefore, many health problems associated with long foreskin arise in summer. Timely surgery in summer will provide a fresher experience. For students, who are usually busy with studies and have little leisure time, opting for surgery during summer vacation provides ample recovery time. Summer accelerates the body’s metabolism, aiding in faster wound healing with less visible scarring compared to other seasons. Clothing in summer is minimal, enabling many patients to stay naked post-surgery at home, facilitating effective wound care to reduce infection risk. Do you understand now?
