How old a boy should be circumcised should be determined on a case-by-case basis. Circumcision may be considered if the phimosis or circumcision persists after the age of 5 years. If the phimosis or circumcision improves spontaneously after the age of 5, surgical treatment is usually not necessary.
Congenital phimosis and circumcision are physiological phenomena that occur in all boys after birth. With the gradual development of the boy’s reproductive system, the phimosis usually improves on its own after the age of 5, and the glans will be exposed on its own. If, after the age of 5, the boy is still circumcised and cannot improve on his own, circumcision can be considered.
If the phimosis improves on its own after age 5 and the glans is fully exposed, circumcision is not necessary. Circumcision may also be considered if the child has frequent episodes of glans phimosis before the age of 5 years, in order to reduce the likelihood of glans phimosis.