Foreskin stenosis: When to dilate, when to cut?

The article is expertly consulted by Master, Doctor Le Phuc Lien - Urologist - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Most babies are born with physiological narrowing of the foreskin, but over time, the foreskin will separate from the glans without intervention. If daily hygiene and care of the genital organs are good, the child will be able to stop narrowing and the penis will expand by itself.

Foreskin stenosis is a phenomenon where the penis cannot be pulled down even when erect (the foreskin does not slip off the foreskin), only revealing a small urinary opening that makes urination difficult, urine is easily attached, Falling into the crevices of the foreskin causes inflammation of the penis.
Most male children are born with a narrow foreskin. When they grow up, the glans will retract on its own. If the foreskin does not fall off on its own, surgical circumcision will be required. Pay attention to dilating the foreskin of the child when bathing from a young age, if the foreskin is not over 10 years old, surgery is required.

Medical experts recommend that, for boys under 4 years of age, not to try to dilate the foreskin because it can cause adhesions and fibrous scarring leading to secondary narrowing of the foreskin. For boys with abnormal symptoms such as difficulty urinating or the foreskin is often inflamed and red, parents should take their children to specialized medical facilities for timely examination and treatment.
Dilation of the foreskin is not necessary if the child does not have adhesions of the foreskin, but also damages the external genitalia. In the long run, it can lead to erectile dysfunction, difficult erection because when the blood vessels were damaged at a young age.
In addition, should not be dilated when the child is too young, because at that time the child's penis is not fully developed, it is difficult to determine whether there is narrow or excess foreskin or not. Often children are only accurately identified when they reach adolescence, at which time the penis is relatively fully developed and has sexual needs.
There are many people who take their children to hot tub as soon as they are a few months old without knowing the harmful effects of this practice. If dilated early, the penis can be scratched, painful and cause psychological panic for the child.

For children with stenosis, proper dilation is an ongoing process. Parents can do it themselves by manually stretching the foreskin every day.
The foreskin dilatation should be done when the foreskin is soft and can be moved easily. To reduce friction and relieve pain, parents should combine topical steroid ointments on the foreskin. Accordingly, gently pull the foreskin forward a few times, then gently pull back so that it does not cause pain to the baby. Customers pulling should stay in a pulling position for a few minutes, repeat this movement several times per day.
Baby will feel more comfortable if they can do this exercise while they are in the water.
If not dilated properly, the baby will feel pain every time he urinates, the foreskin narrows again. In addition, surgical interventions can also lead to complications such as bleeding, edema, infection, and damage to the glans or urethra immediately after surgery.
Therefore, before deciding whether to dilate or circumcise the baby, it is necessary to go to a specialist facility to be examined and choose the best solution.

When a child comes to the doctor, he or she will usually order a dilation of the foreskin first. If the foreskin stenosis can be successfully treated with circumcision, then circumcision is not required. On the contrary, if dilation fails, surgical intervention is required to circumcise the foreskin.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment. Resident doctor Le Phuc Lien has more than 12 years of experience in the field of urology and specialized urology, successfully performing many high-tech techniques such as urology endoscopy, urology, urodynamics, neurogenic bladder. terrible. Currently, he is a Urologist at the Department of General Surgery, Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.