When is circumcision necessary?

My 5-year-old son has phimosis. I have consulted many medical facilities, but each place has different treatment advice and costs. Doctor, should I circumcise my son and where should I go to have it done? (Ngoc, Hanoi)

Reply:

Men are born with foreskin. Doctors recommend circumcision in cases of foreskin constriction, which means the foreskin cannot be retracted or is constricted, or if there is repeated inflammation.

Most cases of phimosis can heal on their own as they grow older, without intervention before the age of 6. This group is physiological phimosis, not dangerous, and will stabilize when the child grows up. Parents only need to pay attention to hygiene and daily bathing for the child. At an older age, if the foreskin is still tight, men need to take measures to handle it.

In Vietnam, circumcision is considered a minor procedure and should be performed in a minor surgery room and discharged the same day. However, in reality, complications have arisen, mostly because patients performed the procedure at unprestigious facilities that did not ensure sterile equipment, and because surgeons were unskilled and not properly trained.

The most common complications are infection, bleeding, frenulum ulcers, inflammation or narrowing of the external urethra, phimosis, recurrent phimosis... Some other less common but very serious complications include tetanus, penile tuberculosis, hepatitis B, C, glomerulonephritis, genital infections..., even death due to sepsis.

To ensure safety when intervening in male health issues, patients need to choose medical examination and treatment facilities that have operating licenses and are legally responsible for all services. Doctors at the facility must have practice licenses and be real doctors, not just "people wearing blue coats".

Doctors need to have a standard, specific, and public treatment plan for patients before deciding whether or not to provide that service. Be careful with places that provide unclear plans. The facility must be fully equipped with quality equipment and machinery of clear origin. On the other hand, people should research carefully to avoid being "trapped" by exaggerated advertising or offering cheap prices to "attack the psychology" of customers.

Doctor Nguyen Tuan Dat

Deputy Head of Andrology Department, 108 Central Military Hospital

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