Primary phimosis and secondary phimosis
Phimosis can be a problem with which the child is born or develop when he is an adult, we will tell you each of the possible cases.
The phimosis is an anatomical problem of the foreskin that occurs when the skin covering the penis ( foreskin ) is adhered to the glans and is unable to fully or partially retracted manually on it, preventing discover completely. Thus, in phimosis there is a mismatch between the size of the glans and the opening of the foreskin. making it impossible to retract the skin of the penis. Thus, a healthy foreskin should be able to fully retract, leaving the glans completely exposed during erection, without discomfort or pain. There are two types of phimosis: congenital (primary) and acquired (secondary). If you are interested in learning more about this anomaly, keep reading!
Index
PRIMARY PHIMOSIS (CONGENITAL)
The primary phimosis congenital or acquired at the birth. Babies with this type of problem represent 8% of the population , their cure has a probability of 50% in the first 2 years and about 90% at 5 years. However, it must be taken into account that in young children it is normal for the foreskin not to allow the skin of the penis to retract (adhesion of the foreskin). Thus, it is not advisable to forcefully remove the foreskin at an early age, unless in the first years there are infections or difficulties in urination (swelling of the foreskin).
After 3 and 5 years it should be possible to fold the skin behind the glans and, if not, we are facing pathological phimosis . 18% of 7-year-old children have primary phimosis and only 1% of young people between 16 and 18 years of age suffer from this anomaly. If after 5 or 6 years the child continues to have phimosis, it will be a pathological case.
SECONDARY (ACQUIRED) PHIMOSIS
For its part, secondary phimosis appears over the years and occurs in a person who previously did not suffer from this problem, being more frequent in diabetic people . To begin with, the foreskin of those affected (children or adults) has a normal length but, through repeated infections or by being subjected to tears or wounds, a phimosis secondary to the foreskin scarring can occur: the scar tissue makes retraction difficult . In this case, it is advisable to resolve this narrowing.
Possible causes of secondary phimosis are repeated infections or healed tears and wounds . A phimosis can be caused by violent and premature pulling of the skin in infants and children, or when the foreskin or glans become inflamed, triggering scarring. This scar tissue contracts and hardens slightly, leading to the appearance of phimosis.
To prevent secondary or acquired phimosis from developing, you should not force traction on the foreskin when your child is a baby, as the healed wounds mentioned above can occur. Children must have proper hygiene of the genital area (glans) to avoid the accumulation of urine. In case of inflammation in the area of the glans or foreskin, you should go to a doctor to give you the most convenient treatment so that phimosis does not appear.
TREATMENT OF PHIMOSIS
Phimosis is treated by lengthening or removing the foreskin, thus enabling good body hygiene , urine evacuation and proper sexual activity. A treatment with a specific ointment for this type of anomaly is only recommended if it is a mild phimosis. If this is the case, you should apply the cream to the tip of the penis twice a day for four to eight weeks. When two weeks have passed, you must retract the foreskin and repeat it successively to stretch it, thus avoiding tearing of the skin. This treatment is very successful, as between 50% and 75% of people find it effective.
If the phimosis is more severe, surgical intervention is required. The most widely used is a technique called circumcision , which leaves a part of the foreskin intact or it is completely circumcised to free the glans. A circumcision can be done through cordon off with a plastic bell (Plastibell method). The rest of the foreskin falls off after a few days. In the case of acute phimosis and especially narrow braces, this method cannot be applied, then resorting to prolongation , where the doctor prolongs the opening of the foreskin with a special incision and suturing technique, the foreskin remaining intact.
With circumcision, the intervention is small and, in general, can be performed on an outpatient basis, lasting only a few minutes. In children, cases of phimosis are better operated from the age of 3, since in some cases there may be the possibility that the foreskin will stretch spontaneously. It should only be done before 3 years of age if the narrowing is extreme and leads to difficulties in urination , repeated inflammation or scarring of the foreskin. The operation must be accompanied by a subsequent treatment of the wound.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.