Phimosis is defined as a medical condition in which the foreskin becomes tight and does not retract over the glans penis. There are several conditions that contribute significantly to the development of phimosis. However, recurring urinary tract infections, rough or inappropriate handling of the foreskin, injury to the foreskin, eczema, genital herpes, lichen planus, psoriasis, gonorrhea, and syphilis are considered as the major contributors.
There are two types of phimosis; the first one is physiological phimosis and the second one is pathological phimosis. When a baby boy is born with tight foreskin, this is considered as physiological phimosis. 90% of the physiological phimosis are resolved on their own when the boy crosses the age of 15-16. However, pathological phimosis develops as a results of injuries, infections, pain, swelling, scarring or other underlying medical conditions. This type of phimosis can affect men of any age.
Be it physiological or pathological phimosis, proper and timely treatment is necessary as they can cause other serious complications. If you are suffering from phimosis, you can experience swelling, itching, soreness and redness around the penis. You can also feel severe pain and discomfort during urination and erection as well as whenever you try to retract the foreskin.
Therefore, it is important for you to get it treated timely and properly so that further complications can be avoided. Delaying in the treatment can also make it difficult for you to maintain hygiene in the penile region due to non-rectability foreskin. This leads to accumulation of sweat, microbes and dead tissues in the foreskin area, which can potentially cause serious health issues that need immediate medical intervention.
Below are the following conditions that can be developed as a result of delay in the phimosis treatment.
Balanitis
Untreated phimosis can turn into balanitis easily. This is a severe condition that needs immediate medical attention. Due to balanitis, the glans penis swells and inflames.
Paraphimosis
In this condition, the foreskin gets stuck behind the head of the penis and does not come back to its original position. This is considered as a critical urological condition that may obstruct the blood flow to the glans penis.
Balanoposthitis
In this case, the foreskin of the penis is inflamed that may cause pain, irritation, burning sensation, and unusual discharge from the penis. This condition causes pain and discomfort during sexual activities and urination.
Penile Cancer
Phimosis can potentially increase the risk of cancer in rare cases. Experts also suggest that uncircumcised or men with tight foreskin are twice at risk of developing penile cancer than those who are circumcised.
Not only this, delaying phimosis treatment can also cause gangrene and decreased blood flow to the penis which can eventually lead to permanent damage to the penis. In this critical condition, the urologist recommends circumcision.
Treatment Of Phimosis
Getting proper and timely treatment is extremely necessary if you are suffering from phimosis. Urologists are the best person to treat phimosis. After performing a proper diagnosis, the urologist recommends the method of treatment. If your phimosis is detected at the initial stage, your doctor would prescribe medications and topical ointments. This will soften the tissue of your foreskin, making it retractable easily. However, medications and topical ointments take a long time to show results and in some cases it may not even prove to be effective. They are known for improving the symptoms of phimosis in its early stages. In cases of severe phimosis or when no medications or topical ointments probe to be effective or show no positive results, circumcision comes as the saviour.
Circumcision is a surgical procedure in which the surgeon removes the foreskin of the penis surgically. Circumcision can be performed with open surgery or with the help of the laser. Open surgery involves cuts, bleeding, pain, discomfort and is a complex procedure where the chances of complication during or after the procedure are very high. The recovery after open surgery is also long and discomforting. But modern and advanced laser circumcision is comparatively a much easier, safe, precise and successful.
The surgeon uses a high-intensity laser beam to remove the foreskin during laser circumcision. It is a minimally invasive procedure that does not involve big cuts, bleeding, pain or discomfort. The chances of complications during or after laser circumcision are also very low. The recovery after laser circumcision is also quick and comfortable. The foreskin is removed precisely while leaving the surrounding tissues intact. The whole procedure is performed under the influence of local or general anaesthesia. Laser circumcision is a daycare procedure where you are discharged after a few hours of the procedure. It takes around 10-15 minutes to complete the laser circumcision.
Compared to open surgery, laser circumcision is considered as the most effective and permanent treatment of phimosis. You should consult a urologist as soon as you start noticing the symptoms of phimosis. You should get your phimosis treated timely to avoid the aforementioned serious complications. Pristyn Care offers modern and advanced treatment of phimosis at its clinics across major cities of India. Their urologists have mastered the art of laser circumcision. We would highly recommend you to contact Pristyn Care for laser circumcision as they have very recently been awarded as the Center of Excellence for Laser Circumcision In India.
