Adult Circumcision: I Did It So I Can Tell You What You Should Know

Writer: Mr. X (Guest writer)

Is circumcision suitable for any age?

Yes absolutely. But, it is always a dilemma of when you or your son should get circumcised. There are myths that adult circumcision is painful.

Circumcision is the process of removing the foreskin from the head of the penis. Circumcision has been practiced for centuries in many cultures to help with personal hygiene.

Being a non-Muslim, I always thought circumcision is for Muslims or Jews only. But besides cultural preferences, it brings a lot of benefits.

BENEFITS OF GETTING CIRCUMCISED

Circumcision for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is a disease where the bacteria accumulating in the foreskin spread into the urinary tract. These will cause inflammation, pain when peeing, and unpleasant liquid coming out from your peeing hole. Ouch!

It makes us easier to clean the penis by removing the foreskin altogether, thus decreasing the risks of bacteria developing.

Circumcision to Reduce Sexually Transmitted Disease (STDs)

It would be hard as a parent, seeing your little boy growing up and ending up being in a relationship and having sexual activities. However, this is a possibility that we cannot avoid.

Sexually transmitted disease (STDs) comes in many symptoms namely gonorrhea, syphilis, genital warts, and HIV/AIDS. Studies have shown that via adult circumcision or toddler circumcision, the risks of getting the STD reduced to 50% – 60%.

Circumcision Avoids Foreskin Problems

Getting circumcised also means that you don’t have to worry about getting foreskin issues like untractable foreskin, foreskin getting stuck in the zipper, or foreskin infections.

METHOD OF CIRCUMCISION

We have gone through some questions of whether circumcision is good or not, and now we dive into WHAT METHODS are there in circumcision.

Traditional Cut

Traditional cut is a procedure of removing the foreskin using a scalpel. Doctors will pull the foreskin upwards and use the scalpel to cut. Then, a piece of suture is tied directly around the foreskin, which cuts off the blood supply to the foreskin, thus closing the wound.

PROS: Economically saving, accessible (a lot of doctors can do).

CONS: Longer healing time, uneven cut (scars), painful, lengthy procedure.

Price: RM300- 500

Clamp/Plastibell Circumcision

Plastibell Circumcision

A bell-like device (probe) is placed underneath the foreskin, to separate the foreskin from the head of the penis. Then it is pulled up, and a clamp is placed and tightened to reduce blood flow to the area. Then a scalpel is used to cut the foreskin around the bell-like device. Last but not least, using a suture to stop the bleeding.

PROS: Better cut than traditional, medium-length procedure.

CONS: Long healing time, bleeding.

Price: RM400 – RM 1000

Stapler (ZSR Circumcision)

ZSR Circumcision

Using a stapler-like device, this method cut short the time, and minimize the bleeding. It cuts and placed a silicone ring on the wound, which will drop in a few days after the wound healed completely. Because this method is a sutureless circumcision, no suture is needed.

PROS: Excellent cut, minimal bleeding, less pain, short recovery time.

CONS: More costly compared to other techniques.

Price: RM2399

DECISION PROCESS

After getting the information needed, I contacted some clinics and got their prices to compare. I ended up going with choosing ZSR Circumcision from Premier Clinic (ZSR Circumcision – Sutureless, Painless), based on the reasons below:

The doctor is knowledgeable and qualified. There are videos of him doing ZSR on other patients, and the result is impressive.
The clinic is conveniently nearby to me. There are two branches near my house.
There are not many clinics doing ZSR circumcision.
The result for ZSR is a very nice circular cut.
The price is within my budget range.

You may also be wondering about the changes before and after ZSR circumcision, which I will reveal later.

Circumcised Vs Uncircumcised Penis

CIRCUMCISION PROCEDURE

The procedure itself was very brief and comfortable. At first, Dr. Azizi (the doctor who treated me) gets me dressed in a surgical robe.

Then I am put onto a treatment bed, and my ‘down there’ area was numb using numbing cream for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, the doctor walked in again and was ready to start the procedure. First, he gave me local anesthesia, which is a brief stinging. Then I felt nothing throughout the process.

Then, he put the bell-like thingy on the head of my penis and inserted the clamp. The clamp tightened (I could feel the tightening), then voila! Finish! I got my foreskin cut just like that.

ZSR Circumcision at Premier Clinic

CIRCUMCISION POST SURGERY & RECOVERY

After the procedure, the doctor gave me some pain-killer and creams for applying to the wound.

They said the silicone ring would fall off by itself after a week. Personally, for me, mine fell off only after 3 days.

No bleeding, no keloid. Just a normal nice circular cut.

Doctors tips: To heal faster, Dr. Azizi recommended avoiding any alcohol during the healing period. Apply ointment from time to time to avoid any infection.

WHAT WOULD I ADVICE TO THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET CIRCUMCISION?

As a person who undergone this procedure recently, there are few things you need to remember:

Do your proper research. Knowing more about the procedure would prepare you for better decision-making.
Not all doctors are qualified to do circumcision. Better choose the right doctor who has the experience and the right skills to do this.
Self-circumcision at home is very rare, and it is un-recommended. According to my Malay friends, MANY of them with botched surgery lead to infection or scarring.

So, here is my take on circumcision. If you have any questions regarding the procedure, you can contact them at this number +6012-662-5552. Everyone needs to start somewhere.