Patient's question:
I have excessive foreskin, but I always pull it back when I urinate. Is it necessary to have it removed?Doctor's answer:
Hello: It is recommended that the surgery be performed! Excessive foreskin does not hinder sexual life or fertility, and therefore it is not a disease of the reproductive organs. In fact, this view is not scientific. Because, whether it is phimosis or excessive foreskin, it can cause certain harm to the human body.(1) Hinders penis development and affects sexual harmony: Phimosis affects the growth and development of the penis. During puberty, since the glans is tightly covered by the foreskin and lacks the necessary external stimulation, the development of the glans is severely restricted, leading to a significantly smaller circumference of the corona of the glans after sexual organs mature, which affects sexual pleasure. In adults, excessive foreskin or phimosis can hinder normal sexual life. Especially for men with excessively tight foreskin, when the foreskin retracts and cannot return to its original position, it becomes tightly stuck at the corona, forming a paraphimosis, causing great pain. In severe cases, the glans may swell due to poor blood flow, and in extreme cases, it may even lead to glans necrosis.
(2) Causes inflammation of the penis: The foreskin contains a rich supply of sebaceous glands, which secrete a large amount of sebum. In phimosis or excessive foreskin, the sebum secreted by the sebaceous glands cannot be expelled, mixing with urinary precipitates to form a cheesy, foul-smelling substance called "smegma." Smegma is conducive to bacterial growth, which can lead to inflammation of the glans and foreskin. Bacteria can also enter the urethra, causing urinary tract infections. Inflammation at the urethral opening, if left untreated, can lead to a narrowed urethral opening, causing difficulty in urination.
(3) Damages kidney function: Due to inflammation of the penis, the urethral opening or the anterior urethra may become narrowed, leading to difficulty in urination. Long-term difficulty in urination can impair kidney function.