Post Circumcision Instructions
Post-Circumcision Care: A Comprehensive Guide to Recovery & Comfort
Brisbane Circumcision Clinic
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General Care in the Weeks Following Circumcision
Do’s And Don’ts After A Vasectomy
Please follow your doctor’s instructions for post vasectomy care in order to speed healing and recovery.
- For the following week after circumcision, put a generous amount of Vaseline on your finger / depressor and rub it over the gauze and place over the head of the penis (tip of the penis)
- Get baby circumcised fast - brisbane Here you see a part of the mucosa attaching to the head of the penis. This is an example of mucosal adhesion that requires a simple adjustment by our doctors. It is important to avoid mucosal adherence (see image) and/or skin bridging which results from the mucosa and/or skin respectively attaching to the head of the penis. If you are unsure of the appearance of your son’s penis please contact our office to make an aftercare appointment.
- Most babies like to nurse in a quiet environment following a circumcision. A baby who cries for more than a few minutes is usually suffering from air swallowed during the circumcision and needs to be burped.
- Most babies sleep quite well following the circumcision. The best sleeping position for your baby is on his side, supported by a blanket roll.
- Healing is promoted by keeping the area clean and dry. Avoid moistened towelettes, alcohol, powders, and lotion since these may cause irritation. Don’t give your son a bath before the doctor has said that it is ok to do so (generally after 7 days).
- Disposable nappies are strongly recommended for the first week since they tend to be less irritating, and they help keep the area dryer and cleaner.
- It is better both before and for about three days following the circumcision to restrict the handling of your baby to just a few people. Also, avoid unnecessary travel as car seats can be irritating to the new circumcision.
Healing Post Circumcision
Healing is usually rapid and occurs in several stages. Remember that a circumcision is like any other cut. There are many factors that influence healing; but most importantly, every child heals differently.
First, the cut edge seals and bleeding ceases within minutes, hours, or even over the course of an entire day. The area just behind the glans (especially the underside) will become swollen. This inflammation will subside within a week or two. In the first two days, there may be an off-white or yellowish, patchy appearance of the glans. These patches are a type of scab and are associated with normal healing.
After a few days, the area where the skin was cut look green and yellow. This is NOT pus. It is healing tissue. It can look this colour for up to two weeks after the circumcision.
You will also notice that the glans appears red and glossy sometimes purple. This is because the skin covering the glans of an uncircumcised penis is mucous membrane (like the skin inside your cheek). Once exposed, the mucous membrane will toughen (or keratinise), and, in time, take on a normal appearance. It takes about a month for the penis to take on a normal, healed appearance.
You will notice yellow patches on the head of the penis as it heals. This is a normal part of healing.
The head of the penis can often be purple, blue or red after circumcision. This is normal.
You will notice a mucosal ring at the base of the penis head. Sometimes it is more prominent on one side than the other. This is normal and no cause for concern.
Circumcision Scar? – Appearance of the Baby’s Penis
A common concern for parents is aesthetics. Remember that penises come in all shapes and sizes. While most penises “look normal” within days of the circumcision, some do not take on a “completely normal appearance” until after the penis starts to grow. Furthermore, although the penis may appear smaller after circumcision, it is not! This appearance is mostly due to the relaxation of skin surrounding the penis, which prior to circumcision holds the penis more erect.
After a few days to a week, some parents notice swelling of the mucosal tissue behind or under the head of the penis and believe it looks “like a blister”. This type of swelling is normal. It is not a blister, and it will gradually subside. Scarring from infant circumcision is rare, even if there is swelling in the first week.
On occasion, a poor aesthetic result occurs when too little or too much skin is removed, or more likely when the cut edge of the skin attaches too high or too low along the length of the penis.
The latter is sometimes caused by the presence of a hydrocele or penile erections.
In nearly all these cases, the penis will heal properly, and, in time, take on a normal appearance. If you are concerned in anyway about the appearance of your son’s penis, please call our Brisbane clinic to consult with Dr Hunt, an appointment will be scheduled for you.
The Pollock Technique™ is associated with good cosmetic outcomes. Scarring on the penis is very uncommon, but do share any concerns you have in the weeks after your boy’s procedure.
Frenulum – Band of skin underneath the penis
Sometimes parents come to us worried about a band on the bottom of the penis fearing that it needs to be cut. This band is called the frenulum which carries the Frenular artery and is normal (see image). It is similar to the band under the tongue (the part that is cut in some babies with tongue-tie).
You may notice a band on the bottom of the penis after circumcision. This is normal and no reason for concern.
It is normal to use some force to pull off the gauze bandage. To make this easier, you can soak the gauze with warm water and Vaseline before pulling it off. In the end, you just may have to pull a little more firmly to get it off. Remember the direct pressure method if you observe any bleeding. See detail below.
An infant circumcision is often undertaken for cultural, religious or medical reasons.
Our Muslim families circumcise their sons in accordance with their traditions, and many other families simply choose to carry on a family tradition or seek the health benefits that may come from circumcision, some of the benefits include:
- It reduces the risk of urinary tract infection.
- It reduces the risk of penile infection also called Balanoposthitis, potentially preventing a painful problem and its treatment.
- It eliminates the need for circumcision later in life when up to 6% of boys will require a circumcision because of various medical problems.
- It reduces the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases including Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and AIDS (HIV).
- It reduces the risk of penile cancer and cervical cancer in women.
- Circumcised men have less risk of sexual dysfunction later in life.
No worry. Try to clean it as best as you can using warm water. Then place a fresh white gauze with Vaseline over the penis until the 24 hours are up.
A small amount of bleeding is normal. Take some gauze with Vaseline on it and squeeze the bleeding area of the penis with your fingers for 3-5 minutes. Repeat if necessary. Call Dr. Hunt directly if bleeding persists despite pressure.
If you are concerned, come back to have the baby examined at our clinic. Usually it is very easy for us to make any required adjustment.
For newborns, our physician will let you know at your follow-up when you can start giving your baby a full bath where he goes under water.
Post-Circumcisions Issues and Treatments
Circumcision is associated with few and infrequent complications, although with any surgical procedure there are occasional problems. For example, bleeding. In almost all cases bleeding is controlled by direct pressure. The frequency of complications after infant circumcision varies with the skill and experience of the physician amongst other factors.
Even though complications are rare, do not hesitate to consult Dr. Hunt at our Brisbane circumcision clinic if you have any questions about the appearance of the penis. Remember, early treatment (if any is needed) is always best.
Keep in mind the following things:
- If your child has any medical problems or significant jaundice, discuss this with Dr. Hunt before giving him more painkiller.
- If you want, you can sponge bathe your baby following the circumcision, but do not totally submerse him in water for four days after his surgery.
- If you have any other comments or questions, do not hesitate to call the office. In case of an emergency, call Dr. Hunt.
Bleeding Post-Circumcision
Please check your baby’s nappy for any bleeding every hour or so for the first 24 hours after circumcision. If the baby is sleeping, you can just look at the front edges of the nappy from the outside. If it is not discolored, he is likely not bleeding abnormally. When you open the nappy, it is normal for the covering gauze to be a little red from bleeding. You need to remove the gauze to check for active bleeding only if the whole gauze has become soaked with fresh, red blood. You treat active bleeding from the penis the same as you would for the tip of a finger:
- Apply pressure to the penis for 3-5 minutes; no less. Do this by grasping the penis between your thumbs and two fingers using a piece of gauze with some Vaseline to prevent sticking.
- After applying pressure, inspect the area for continued bleeding and repeat step one if necessary.
- Once the bleeding has stopped, apply a fresh gauze square with Vaseline and close the nappy. Recheck the nappy after 10 minutes for any signs of more blood on the gauze.
It is reasonable for you to try the pressure technique twice, for 3-5 minutes at a time, before calling Dr. Hunt as most bleeding will stop with this.
If the penis is dripping any blood, and you cannot stop the bleeding with the pressure technique that we have demonstrated to you, call us.
Concealed Penis
When the length of the penile shaft is no greater than its diameter or when there is a good amount of pubic fat, the penis will tend to retract inward. This is normal. This characteristic is only a concern for the first month or two since the healing circumcision can adhere to the surrounding skin resulting in a “concealed penis”.
If your son fits this profile, you can reduce the chance of concealed penis by applying a very thin layer of Vaseline to the entire glans, once a day, until the glans takes on a healed appearance (about 1-2 months). To expose a glans that has retracted inward, place gentle downward pressure on either side of the base of the penis.
Consult Dr. Hunt if the penis cannot be fully exposed, or if any connecting skin bridges form between the shaft skin and the head of the penis.
Infection
Sticking Bandage:
There will be a long gauze strip (1/2×8 inches) wrapped around your son’s penis. This strip may fall off within the first 24 hours. If it falls off early, do not worry, this is normal, just leave it off. You can place the small gauze given to you at our office (with some Vaseline on it) on the penis for the remainder of the 24-hour period. If after 24 hours the gauze strip is still in place, it will have to be removed.
To remove the gauze strip:
- Apply Vaseline liberally and completely over the stuck surface.
- Close the diaper and allow 10-15 minutes for the bandage to soften.
- Gently peel away surfaces that are no longer stuck. Repeat the process as necessary. It is okay to do this a little at a time over the course of the day – it always comes off.
Sticking Bandage:
There will be a long gauze strip (1/2×8 inches) wrapped around your son’s penis. This strip may fall off within the first 24 hours. If it falls off early, do not worry, this is normal, just leave it off. You can place the small gauze given to you at our office (with some Vaseline on it) on the penis for the remainder of the 24-hour period. If after 24 hours the gauze strip is still in place, it will have to be removed.
To remove the gauze strip:
- Apply Vaseline liberally and completely over the stuck surface.
- Close the diaper and allow 10-15 minutes for the bandage to soften.
- Gently peel away surfaces that are no longer stuck. Repeat the process as necessary. It is okay to do this a little at a time over the course of the day – it always comes off.