When you're discharged from hospital, you'll be given advice about your recovery at home, including when you can drive, return to work and have sex. It usually takes at least 10 days for your penis to heal after circumcision. You'll probably be advised to take at least 1 week off work to recover.
This pain often gets better in 3 or 4 days. But it may last for up to 2 weeks. Even though your baby's penis will likely start to feel better after 3 or 4 days, it may look worse. The penis often starts to look like it's getting better after about 7 to 10 days.
Incision care
Wash the area daily with warm water and pat it dry. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the area with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and gauze bandage if it weeps or rubs against clothing. Change the bandage every day.
Recovery from an adult circumcision may take up to 6 weeks. The penis may feel very sensitive for the first 2 weeks, and dissolvable stitches may last for 2–3 weeks. It is also advisable to keep the area dry for 48 hours and avoid swimming for up to 2 weeks.
It's best to avoid full-body bathing until the second day after surgery, but sponge baths are fine. After the second day, you can shower or bathe as normal, but don't scrub the incision site — just let the soapy warm water run over the incision and pat it dry.
You can shower the day after the operation, and showering daily is recommended to keep the wound clean. Apply the antibiotic ointment to the wound lightly twice a day. Continue to use this each day until the tube runs out (usually 5-7 days). You may return back to your normal activities when it is comfortable to do so.
Bathing/Bandage Removal:
Showering is permitted after 48hrs. Remove the bandage 48hrs after your procedure during the first shower. Stand in a warm shower for several minutes allowing the bandage to moisten. This will allow you to unravel the bandage easily.
Most babies recover quickly from a circumcision. At first, the incision (cut) will be red and the glans (head of the penis) will look like it has been scraped.
Normal Circumcision Healing
The incision starts off red and tender. The tenderness should be much less by day 3. The scab at the incision line comes off in 7 to 10 days. If a Plastibell (plastic ring) was used, it should fall off by 14 days.
After the circumcision has healed:
Occasionally a small piece of the foreskin remains. You should pull back this skin gently each time the child is bathed.
Is it possible? Foreskin restoration is possible through a variety of surgical and nonsurgical techniques. However, a person should note that foreskin restoration does not restore the original foreskin. Instead, these techniques aim to produce a layer of skin around the head of the penis to mimic a foreskin.
Conclusions: Pain is mild to moderate after circumcision in adults under general anesthesia with an intraoperative penile block. Severe pain is rare and mostly related to complications. Younger patients generally have more discomfort.
Newborn Circumcision Healing Signs
The wound might also bleed slightly, Scott says, “but there shouldn't be any active bleeding.” As baby's penis starts to heal, parents can expect to see certain signs of healing, the biggest one being a yellowing scab or a thin, yellow film developing over the area.
Urine will not hurt the circumcision and should not cause pain since surgery was not performed on the area where the urine comes out. Urine is sterile and does not cause infections. It is not unusual to see a small amount of bleeding from the incision for the first day or two.
The possible medical benefits of circumcision include: A lower risk of HIV. A slightly lower risk of other sexually transmitted diseases. A slightly lower risk of urinary tract infections and penile cancer.
The Stitches
Although soluble (Vicryl Rapide) stitches have been used and will fall out between 3-4 weeks, they can be removed after 2 weeks. You should avoid getting the area wet for the first 3 days, you can then take a shower bath but do not bath for 3 weeks.
You should remain relatively inactive the first 72 hours following surgery. We do encourage walking around for a few minutes every two hours to maintain good circulation, but otherwise, no activity.
Excessive Foreskin Removed
In most cases the denuded area will epithelialize spontaneously and give a satisfactory end result, but the inital appearance can be quite distressing to both parents and practitioner.
In circumcision, the foreskin is surgically removed, exposing the end of the penis. Some families choose to circumcise based on cultural or religious beliefs. Others choose to for hygiene or appearance. And some choose not to circumcise.
As the circumcision heals, you will probably see a red "bloody" scab; more likely you will see a white to yellow to gray "wet scab" - this is not pus - it is a normal healing process. Do not mistakenly wipe it off - it will take the penis longer to heal if you remove it!
It's best to avoid full-body bathing until the second day after surgery, but sponge bathing is fine. After the second day, you can bathe your baby or toddler as normal; with newborns, you should wait until the umbilical cord has fallen off, at about two weeks. Avoid very warm water.
Clean the circumcision site with warm water and a cotton ball once or twice a day. Apply Vaseline for several days. This helps keep the area clean and keeps the wound site from adhering to the diaper.
Though circumcision makes the penis a bit less sensitive to touch, it has no negative impact on sex life. The removal of foreskin increases the time of ejaculation, thus making the male last longer during sexual intercourse.