Circumcision is considered to be one of the oldest surgical procedures on earth, having been documented in ancient Egypt 6,000 years ago. The timing of circumcision varies around the world due to different customs and hygiene practices. Jewish boys are circumcised at birth, Islamists are also circumcised in infancy, and most American male newborns are operated on before the age of 3. In China, more and more parents and men are recognizing the importance of circumcision and are visiting hospitals to ask questions about the best time for circumcision. Should every circumcised male undergo surgery?
Let’s first understand the definition of circumcision and prepuce. Circumcision is a condition in which the glans cannot leak out of the penis without an erection, or is wrapped by the foreskin for more than 2/3. Circumcision is a type of circumcision, which is defined as the inability of the glans to leak out when the penis is erect, or the glans being encapsulated after erection. If bacteria enter the urethra retrograde, it will cause prostatitis and urinary tract infection. Adult men will cross-contaminate to their partners through sexual intercourse, causing female related reproductive diseases, and the most serious consequence is that long-term inflammatory stimulation will cause cell mutation, leading to penile cancer. Not only that, the bound foreskin will also affect the normal development of the penis (diameter, length), and even affect male sexual function, producing impotence, premature ejaculation, etc.
A newborn baby’s foreskin and penis head have a physiological natural adhesion, called congenital prepuce. A few years after birth, with the growth of the penis and intermittent penile erection, the foreskin and the head of the penis gradually separate, and about 90% of children’s foreskin can be retracted and turned up at the age of 3. Because of the poor cooperation of preschool children and relatively high risk of anesthesia, circumcision should not be performed before the age of 8.
For patients with prepuce, because prepuce can affect the normal development of the penis, it is recommended to operate before the appearance of the second sex characteristics, because of the problem of children’s cooperation, so the best time to operate for patients with prepuce is from 8 to 14 years old. If the prepuce is more serious, the circumcision can be separated and expanded at an early age.
For circumcised patients, because with the development of the penis during puberty, about 80-94% of patients will heal themselves because the penis grows faster than the foreskin, it is recommended that those with simple circumcision wait until the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics to have surgery.
For adult men, if the foreskin is too long and often inflamed, it is recommended that surgery be performed after the inflammation is controlled; for patients with prepuce, it is recommended that surgery be performed in a timely manner.