Northern California Babies
partial circumcision?
has anyone heard of this or gone thru with it for their DS?
Im not looking for any pro or con circ arguments. Im just heard about this and am curious about this seemingly 'in-between' option.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: partial circumcision?
Umm. I didn't even realize it was an option. I thought it was when Dr's make an *oops* mistake and don't circ everything.
lol - well that figures. it couldnt be that easy could it??
this is part of what I read about it (maybe not the best of sources)
https://www.askmen.com/dating/dzimmer_100/127_love_answers.html
Yup, the only person I know (who is an adult) who has a partial circumcision certainly wasn't intended to have one, it was a mistake on the doctor's part. It's nothing that needs "fixing", so to speak, though.
the secret blog
https://www.enotalone.com/article/3509.html
This is a nice article explaining the anatomy of the penis skin system.
There is really no such thing as a partial circumcision... circumcision literally means "to cut around" and everything from a tiny little piece- to a very large piece of penis skin can be removed and that is still a "complete" circumcision. The foreskin is not a separate piece of anatomy that is either removed, not removed, or partially removed... the foreskin is a part of a continuous sleeve of skin that covers the penis- and this sleeve of skin is longer than the penis itself to accommodate erections.
You may hear some mothers (and doctors) say- "partial circumcision" but that's really a way of focusing on the length of the skin on the outside of the penis (something they can change) rather that focusing on the volume of erectile tissue on the inside of the penis (something they can't change)...and possibly totally ignoring the volume of FAT PAD that is on the child's pubis which is pushing his entire penis skin system forward on his penis- causing the remaining skin to overlap his glans (something that WILL change) . Kids who have a "partial circumcision" didn't get a half circumcision... if they have a circle of scar tissue all the way around their penis- they are circumcised. Period.
Which begs the question... what is your goal in circumcising a child? If you have a specific goal to tether their adult erection inside a very tight sheath of skin and to make sure that the entire glans is exposed even when their penis is flaccid...that all internal aspects of their sex organ are artificially exposed through surgical skin tightening- well- maybe you will say that the Dr. Didn't do a good job. If you goal is to just do what you have gotten the message is supposed to be done, or to satisfy a religious dictate... maybe the going through the motions of the act of genital cutting is enough- and the actual bio- mechanical and physical outcome is not that important.
The very tip of the penis skin is specialized anatomy- and cutting that off is going to amount to a large loss of highly innervated sexual anatomy. There is also a ring of muscles in the skin at the tip, the dartos faschia, which hold the foreskin closed and relax upon sexual arousal. The stretching of this tip over the glans is also a part of sexual stimulation- which would be lost. A scar on the other hand is not elastic like the natural anatomy- so you run the risk of causing phimosis (acquired phimosis listed in circumcision risks in the AAP circumcision policy statement) Now you have a foreskin which is ineffective at keeping dirt OUT because you removed the natural closure.
Also- when you have scar tissue that touches the glans- you run the risk of developing a severe form of adhesions called skin bridges- These do not separate like the normal adhesions that were present at birth- but the skin actually grows together and the two surfaces become one- trapping debris under the bridge... not very hygienic since you can't just wash it.
Lastly- removing the protective cover of the urinary meatus while a child is still in diapers- will expose him to the risk (10%) of developing meatal stenosis. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1016016-overview
The foreskin has a purpose and messing with the natural design causes more harm than good. More circumcised children will be circumcised a second time- than intact children will ever be circumcised a first time.
I thought the same exact thing. Thank goodness I'm not the only one!
Pros and cons are a matter of your own making. Facts exist regardless of how they integrate into your decision making process. Since the OP gave no information about why she was interested in circumcision... and "partial" circumcision at that... and her question was rather vague about what information she was seeking by posting - I simply gave her some facts. No one else had any information for her at all... so why would it be scandalous to post the only real information in the whole thread? Most parents have no idea about meatal stenosis when they research circumcision. Most parents also have very little information about circumcision aftercare and the risk of adhesions. Because I have awful images like these...
GRAPHIC! https://www.circumstitions.com/Restric/Botched1sb.html
....seared in my mind's eye... I have a really hard time thinking that anyone who knew about this would have any trouble figuring out for themselves what facts balance to the side of pros- or cons... I don't have to spell it out... and when the question regards a circle of scar tissue around the glans- the risks of adhesions and skin bridges are much higher than you'd find in circumcisions done where the scar is well behind the glans. (not that there aren't a different set of potential complication from the other option)
The bump's search feature sucks. I found this thread by putting this:
site:community.thebump.com (circumcision)
as a google search query. If facts are off-putting.. maybe you'd do better to simply use that search option for a couple of consecutive days and see what sort of issues and questions other mothers are posting about.
the secret blog
P&T's description of the anatomy and process seems pretty thorough to me. I'm not sure what else I could add on what is considered "partial" and what is considered "complete". I don't find it off putting for someone to answer the question of what the goals of circumcision are. Certainly everyone who has chosen to do it or has chosen not to do had a goal in mind.
NorCalMOMS bio* NorCalBOTB* babywearingBIO
Harmony Doula
Ok - so this feels like a good answer to your question.
The rest was opinion - fact based - but opinion nonetheless. Because the millions of people who do this ritualistically/to prevent infections have their own facts supporting the other side.
If you want to talk about it - or if you just want our (completely non-medical or moral) reasons for not circ'ing Bunny, just let me know.
Just remember: no matter what you decide your boy will be happy and healthy. Either way you approach it, penises (penii?) are special snowflakes that require special attention...just like the boys they're attached to.
alibee- I'm sorry I was dismissive of your post. I guess my frustration had more to do with the fact that I didn't understand what information the OP was looking for if pros and cons were not to be included in that information.
Your experience was that, yes- it does happen/is done... and no it doesn't need fixing... both perfectly reasonable helpful comments... I'm sorry for not recognising that.
Yesterday I mentioned the situation with the fat pad- about the fact that many little kids may not look circumcised- but when they mature that will change... and I also mentioned that adding scar tissue into the mix- can be problematic. Today a mom posted on all the baby stages boards asking about "hidden penis" and she has gotten a lot of helpful feedback and advice from other moms.
the secret blog