What is an adhesion?
An adhesion is a piece of skin or tissue that forms between your penis and a scar left after your circumcision. Adhesions join the glans, or head of your penis, to that scar, which can cause discomfort or pain when you get an erection.
Circumcision removes the foreskin of the penis, the loose covering of skin that surrounds the organ at birth. Circumcisions done by qualified professionals or an expert like Dr. Pittman are very low risk and rarely lead to any complications.
However, if the circumcision isn’t done quite so expertly, it can trigger the development of an adhesion. So much skin can stick to the glans it appears almost as though the circumcision never took place.
An adhesion can develop if there’s excessive foreskin left behind after circumcision. Adhesions are particularly common in babies who have what’s known as a hidden penis, where their penis seems to vanish as the child gets fatter in their pubic region.
What types of adhesions are there?
There are three types of adhesions:
Granular adhesions
Granular adhesions occur when the skin attached to the glans covers the purple line called the coronal margin that separates the glans and the shaft of your penis.
Penile skin bridges
Penile skin bridges are thicker adhesions that can be permanent.
Cicatrix
Cicatrix is a type of adhesion that might develop after circumcision when the penis goes back into the pubic fat pad. The surgical area contracts, which traps the penis. This makes it impossible to uncover the glans at all.
How is an adhesion treated?
If your baby has a granular adhesion, applying petroleum jelly helps keep it soft. A substance called smegma, which is a mix of oils from the skin and dead skin cells, then forms. The smegma helps to separate the adhesion from the head of the penis. Baby boys also experience spontaneous erections, which helps ease the adhesion away from the penis.
Cicatrix and penile skin bridges require Dr. Pittman’s expert care. Cicatrix adhesions usually respond well to treatment with a corticosteroid medication like betamethasone. The medication helps soften the cicatrix adhesion, making it easier to pull the skin away from the penis.
Skin bridges often need surgical separation, which is an outpatient procedure. In severe cases, Dr. Pittman might need to do a revision circumcision.
To find out more about adhesions or book an appointment, call Gentle Circumcision, or schedule an appointment online today.
