Patient's question:
HelloHow long is considered excessive foreskin?
I am 35 years old, married, and does it affect sexual life?
Can the surgery be done now?
Is it complicated?
Doctor's answer:
Hello: The current situation depends on your symptoms. Since you are already married, you are the most aware of whether it affects you! The skin of the penis is thin and movable. The penis skin folds into two layers at the head of the penis, called the foreskin. Before the age of 7, the foreskin is long enough to completely cover the head of the penis and the external urethral orifice. With the development of puberty, the penis grows in size and length, and the foreskin retracts backward, exposing the head of the penis by adulthood. However, about 30% of adult foreskins still completely cover the head of the penis. Only when the foreskin is manually retracted or when the penis is fully erect can the head of the penis and the urethral orifice be exposed, which is called phimosis. When the foreskin opening is too small and tight, unable to retract or become erect, and the head of the penis and urethral orifice still cannot be exposed, it is called paraphimosis, accounting for about 8%. Due to phimosis or paraphimosis, the secretion of a foul-smelling white substance from the sebaceous glands of the foreskin cannot be expelled. If it accumulates for a long time, it becomes smegma. If not properly cleaned, excessive accumulation of smegma can irritate the head of the penis and the foreskin, causing inflammation or even adhesion. In addition to causing sexual pain and ultimately hindering sexual life between couples, it can also lead to the occurrence of penile cancer. Statistics show that over 90% of penile cancers are caused by phimosis or paraphimosis. Men who follow Islam are circumcised (circumcised) at the age of 7, so the incidence of penile cancer is extremely low. In developed countries, where hygiene conditions and habits are good, the incidence is also low. Conversely, in developing countries, the incidence is high, such as in Vietnam, India, etc. Before and in the early years after the liberation of China, the incidence was also high. Due to the improvement of living standards and the development of good hygiene habits, the incidence of penile cancer has declined significantly. However, it is still common in remote and underdeveloped rural areas.