Botched circumcision and leaking

[Claki]

I have a baby now! I haven't had time to post about his arrival, but I'm hoping someone here has some insight about a problem we have.

He had his four day follow up with ped yesterday and apparently his circumcision wasn't done correctly and there is foreskin left and and an area where layers are separated. He said to wait ten days and he will try and retract it for us, which he said would be painful. And this is why every time he pees it leaks straight up the diaper. The foreskin won't let us point his penis down in the diaper. So everything is getting soaked.

Has anyone heard of this happening before with a circumcision? Or had this leaking problem?

[KrisM]

I don't know anything about it, really. But I do know I would not let the pediatrician retract it. Everything I've read says not to do that. I would get a refer to a a pediatric urologist. The urologist is the specialist on this.

ETA: Congrats on the new baby!

[Katigre]

Congratulations on your DS's birth!!!!

In terms of his circ - I would NOT let the ped retract it. A lot of circ's these days are leaving some foreskin b/c back in the 70's and 80's when they removed all the foreskin sometimes too much was taken off leading to issues like painiful errections as the boys got older (b/c there was not enough skin left to stretch during arousal - yeeeeoouch!). All that to say - a LOT of my friends with little boys have commented on how their circ's don't look like the circ's their dads' generation has, but it's not necessarily a problem.

In terms of the pee issue - I am having a hard time figuring out how the foreskin would force the penis to not point down and thus lead to diaper leakage. (My DS isn't circumcised and was able to point down in his diaper just fine)

Just to make sure i'm understanding - even when you physically point his penis down and fold the diaper over it to hold it in place, it won't stay in that position b/c the foreskin pulls it up? If that is the case, then I would go see a pediatric urologist (NOT the ped) because if they do need to modify his circ they should do it with some anesthesia (probably just local done in the office). Sometimes doctors brush off the need for infants to have pain management, but I think it is so important that for painful procedures a baby be given numbing agents because their nerves are sensitive even if they can't vocalize exactly where it hurts!

[JBaxter]

I agree with both the pp's I have both circ'd and intact boys. Do NOT let the ped retract him. It will be HORRIBLY HORRIBLY painful for him. If he has an issue take him to a ped urologist. A ped DID do that to my one son who has a super loose circ ( which BTW is MUCH preferable for later function -- taking to much forskin off can cause painful erections / impotence) He SCREAMED so hard he shook. He blew it off like OH well he willget over it. We never saw him again.

[kijip]

I just want to underscore that this situation calls for NO retraction and seeing a urologist who specializes in infants and children.

I am not sure how the foreskin makes the diaper leak. My boys are not circumcised at all and we could certainly point their penises down in the diaper.

[JElaineB]

I agree with the PP to see a pediatric urologist ASAP. It is not the foreskin, a normal part of the penis, that is causing the problem. It is whatever the doctor did to the foreskin that is causing the problem. Further manipulation could just cause further problems.

[citymama]

Congrats on your baby boy! I hope they remedy any problems with his circ. ASAP. All the best to you!

[AnnieW625]

Hugs to your little guy. I hope things go smoothly for him and that you find a urologist you are happy with.

[firsttimemama]

Yes please ignore the ped and get your son to a specialist asap.

[hellokitty]

Yes please ignore the ped and get your son to a specialist asap.

If the ped was the one who botched your son's circ, do NOT let him touch your child again! Change to a different doc and go to a urologist, not a ped or ob for your circ!

[billysmommy]

Congrats on your new little boy!!!

Definitely see a ped urologist, that's their specialty

[MrsZaz]

I have a great Pediatric Urologist in the NY are if you are interested. PM me!


Colleen

[Claki]

Thanks everyone for the input. I called the ped again, he is not the one who performed the circ. He said the issue is the adhesions need to be "liced" (I think that's the word he used?). Does anyone know anything about this?

I am going to call a ped urologist.

[schums]

A friend of mine had her ped tell her the same thing. She went to see a ped urologist, and he basically said everything was fine. Def talk to a specialist first!

[JBaxter]

SOME peds believe the adhesions need to be ripped loose and will forceably do it ( happened to my son). Other peds/drs believe if you leave them alone they will let loose on their own like an intact penis. They may be like that for years ( little intact boys sometimes dont fully retract till 5 or older).

[Jacksmommy2b]

It sounds like LO has a 'loose' cic and the remaining foreskin is still attached (or adhered to use the pedi's words) to the penis.

J is intact and he is still fully adhered. Like a PP mentioned, it isn't abnormal and there are some boys that aren't fully retractable until puberty.

I have to agree with everyone else and advise you to call a pediatric urologist when it come to penis issues. Peds can be all over the board in terms of opinions and education on intactpenis care (and if your little one did get a 'loose' circ than he still has a small amount of foreskin).

Retraction can not only be horribly painful (I have heard that the foreskin is adhered to the penis the same way fingernails are adhered to the finger.) but also dangerous. Forced retraction can cause scarring and infection.

[ThreeofUs]

Congrats and get your son to a specialist. This isn't the type of thing you want to leave to a non-expert, kwim?

[alirebco]

Sounds like a penile adhesion which is different than retracting foreskin. Just make sure you're putting lots of petroleum jelly on the area and it may resolve on its own. But definitely see a pediatric urologist. Adhesions are more common these days. My son had one and he's fine now. Good luck and congrats on your baby boy!

[MamaKath]

Congrats on your new baby BOY!!! So exciting!!! I would definitely get a second opinion from a ped urologist. I know my (intact) ds had some issues that have gotten better as the foreskin loosens up. Don't let them retract it either, let the specialist help you decide the best way to handle it.

[american_mama]

Three other points: first, I believe it's not uncommon for baby boys to pee up and out of their diapers, actually. That in and of itself is not a problem; I don't know why or how long it lasts because my son didn't do it, but I think it's common and short-lived.

Second, the word the doctor may have said is "lysed," if that helps with any googling. That's just a guess on my part, but I think that's the word.

Third, this may not be relevant to you, but if you pm me your email address, I will email you an article sent to me by our ped about care of the intact penis, written by a group of pediatric urologists. Perhaps there is some information in there about non-circumcised boys that will relate to your son's unusual circumcision. I found it very helpful in understanding how newborn and infant boys penis look and grow. Basically, a lot of things that seemed a bit odd to me actually pretty normal and most resolve on their own with time.

eta: here is the URL for the article http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/camille1/

[Fairy]

Whomever brought up the loose circ (jbaxter?) that's what it sounds like to me, with the adhesions, which is what my guy had. At the time, I just did what my ped told me, pulled it down, and used alot of vaseline till it worked itself out. If I could go back, I would have gone to the pediatirc urologist. Who knows what he would have advised, I'll never know. But I am sure I could have spared my lilttle guy some pain. In the end, he's totally normal now. But still, I didn't know at the time, and if only I had, I would have run to the ped urologist, no question. Please do that!!

[american_mama]

A few people PM'd me to ask about the article I mentioned in an earlier post, written by a ped urology group. I am attaching it here in case there are others interested:

http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/camille1/

In particular, I wondered if the steroid cream treatment mentioned in the article may be something that would help the original poster's son.

[hardysmom]

When DS was 4 we had to have his circ surgically re-done. They left too much skin.

When he was a baby, he had adhesions. We didn't force retraction and they did get better; however, as he grew past toddlerhood, the skin on the end just sagged down in an awkward way. It was like he was half-circumcised. We were concerned that he would be self-conscious about it.

Although she acknowledged that it didn't look "normal" our pediatrician thought we should just leave it. I believe her words were; "only his future wife will ever see it."

Um, OK.

She sent us to a pediatric urologist who revised the circ.

It was not as traumatic or horrible as we expected. That said, I wish we took care of it when he was younger and wouldn't have a memory of the whole thing.

[nfowife]

My DS has a very loose circ and has had some adhesions. When he was an infant I thought the circ was botched, but in fact it was just done as a loose circ purposely. I did see a ped. urologist and he gave me the steroid cream which I used a bit but he said I could "use it or not" and that the adhesions would separate on their own with time and DS "doing his own manipulations" :tongue5:. I would see a ped. urologist for sure.

[Nechums]

Pee leeking out of the diaper after circumsion is totally normal and may not necessarily be from an incorrect circumsion. DS's pee went up the back for a week or two after his circumsion. The mohel who did the circumsion actually warned me about this beforehand and told me it was normal for this to happen post-circumsion. He explained the reason to me (I'm sorry, I can't remember it!). But basically, it's totally normal for the pee to leak.

[Claki]

Thanks everyone for the input. The leaking has stopped, so I guess that was from the circumcision and not how it was done. Also I realized that DH wasn't putting his diapers on tight enough either.