Plastic surgery of the frenulum of the foreskin (frenulotomy) is a cosmetic-surgical operation performed to change the shape and size of the foreskin of the penis - the frenulum, if they cause discomfort, pain, cause inconvenience in sexual life, increase the risk of injury to the penis during sexual intercourse or masturbation .
The operation consists of excision and subsequent suturing of the frenulum, which allows it to be lengthened. This eliminates the occurrence of discomfort and pain in the future, which is especially noticeable during an erection and during sex.
When is frenuloplasty necessary?
The main indication for frenuloplasty is its shortened size, which causes discomfort during erection. The cause may be both congenital features of the anatomical structure and injuries received during sexual intercourse or during masturbation. The most common are congenital pathologies of the foreskin. But it is impossible to diagnose them at an early age, since they appear only during puberty.
In some particularly difficult cases, an erection may be completely impossible due to pain. All this disrupts the quality of a man’s sexual life and can even cause psychological problems and erectile dysfunction.
Indications for plastic surgery of the frenulum of the penis:
- Pain when retracting the foreskin, erection, during sexual intercourse;
- Curvature, bending of the penis during erection;
- Various forms of phimosis;
- Significant change in the shape of the glans penis in an erect state;
- Rupture or cracking of the frenulum;
- Premature ejaculation.
Causes of increased sensitivity of the head
As already mentioned, there are 2 types of hypersensitivity - congenital and acquired. Congenital is caused by an increased number of nerve endings. This condition cannot be called a disease or pathology; it is truly an individual feature that a man will have to come to terms with. Acquired appears as a result of diseases:
- Phimosis can be either congenital or acquired. In this case, the head of the penis is always closed or semi-closed, since due to the short frenulum it is not freed from the foreskin. As a result, the skin on the head is too sensitive. In the acquired form, the cause of incomplete exposure of the head is scarring of the foreskin tissue. The result is the same - hypersensitivity and inability to have prolonged sexual intercourse.
- Balanoposthitis is an inflammation caused by infection, in this case staphylococci. This condition exacerbates the sensitivity of nerve endings, and as a result, the reaction to stimuli turns out to be too violent.
- Prostatitis indirectly affects the “work” of the penis, but in most cases makes ejaculation a painful process.
- Stress – nervous excitement ensures a constant erection, sometimes quite painful. In this case, the sensitivity of the head increases sharply, but under such circumstances the disappearance of stress returns everything to normal.
- Hormonal imbalance is most often the cause during adolescence. During the period of hypersexuality, constant arousal results in short sexual intercourse. However, over time, this hypersensitivity disappears on its own, due to the equalization of hormonal levels.
How to prepare for plastic surgery
Although the operation to correct (plasty) the frenulum of the penis is a simple one, it is performed under local anesthesia and usually takes no more than 15-20 minutes, before it it is recommended to undergo a full examination by specialists. This will identify possible contraindications, for example, problems with the cardiovascular system or blood clotting disorders, which may cause complications during the operation.
It is recommended to undergo the examination 2-3 weeks before the planned operation. This time is quite enough to, on the recommendation of a specialist, adjust your weight and give up (at least during the preparation for surgery and the rehabilitation period) bad habits - smoking, drinking alcohol, and certain medications that affect blood clotting.
What is a frenulum tear?
The bridle is an elastic fold of leather, longitudinal in shape.
It is located on the lower part of the penis and is designed to “return” the skin to the head of the penis after it has been exposed. The bridle has good extensibility. With a normal length, it does not cause any trouble to its owner. According to some estimates, a shortened frenulum occurs in 30% of cases. During sexual intercourse, due to intense movements, the shortened frenulum may tear or tear completely.
How is plastic surgery (correction) of the frenulum performed?
Frenuloplasty has no age restrictions and is usually performed under local anesthesia. In cases where the patient is a teenager under 12 years of age, it is recommended to perform surgery under general anesthesia. The first stage of the operation is a thorough treatment of the area of the glans penis to achieve maximum sterility. Depending on the characteristics of the anatomical structure of the foreskin, plastic surgery of the frenulum of the penis is of two types:
- Frenulotomy - lengthening of the frenulum. This type of operation is the most common; in the vast majority of cases it is performed;
- Frenulectomy is the complete removal of the frenulum, which is performed much less frequently in case of injuries to the foreskin and the formation of scar tissue, leading to loss of sensitivity in some areas of the penis, as well as phimosis and curvature of the penis.
With frenulotomy, the surgeon makes an incision in the frenulum of the penis in the transverse direction. This in itself allows you to increase its length by 1-1.5 cm. In most cases, longitudinal suturing of the frenulum of the penis is then carried out. The sensitivity of the organ does not suffer during such surgical intervention.
If the frenulum was previously injured and scarring of the tissue was observed, then the operation becomes more complicated, since there is a need for preliminary excision of the scarred flesh. Afterwards, standard suturing of the skin of the frenulum of the penis (penis) is carried out in the longitudinal direction.
During a frenulectomy, a specialist makes a transverse incision along the circumference of the penis or part of it. In this way, it is possible to eliminate the tension on the foreskin of the penis. This is followed by classic longitudinal suturing of the tissue, as a result of which, instead of the frenulum of the foreskin itself, only a small scar remains, coinciding with the natural suture located in the lower part of the penis. In cases of phimosis in a patient, frenulectomy is not always sufficient. Therefore, plastic surgery of the foreskin is often performed, which involves its complete removal - circumcision.
After plastic surgery of the foreskin frenulum and its complete healing, the patient usually does not experience any difficulties or discomfort in sexual activity. Complications after surgery are extremely rare and are mainly caused by non-compliance with specialist recommendations. A small scar remains on the inside of the frenulum, but externally it is virtually invisible.
Prevention
There are several methods to prevent frenulum rupture in all men:
- It is advisable to perform circumcision immediately after phimosis is detected. As a rule, the narrowing of the foreskin is noticeable at an early age, so do not delay the operation;
- Contact your surgeon if you experience discomfort during sex - this may be due to insufficient stretchability of the folded tissue;
- During sex, take time for foreplay to release natural lubrication from your partner, or use a lubricant - this will reduce the friction of the genitals against each other;
- Do not make too harsh frictions during sex;
- Choose the optimal position for sex, in which the friction of the head on the vagina is minimal.
If, even if you follow all the recommendations, the folded area is torn, do not invent your own treatment methods - contact a professional.
Laser plastic surgery of the foreskin frenulum
Today, frenulotomy and frenulectomy are often performed using specialized laser equipment rather than classical surgical instruments. Technologically, the procedure almost completely repeats the one described above, but radiofrequency exposure is used rather than a scalpel, and sometimes the edges of the wound are “soldered” rather than stitched.
The advantage of this method will be minimal bleeding and disinfection of the surgical wound due to exposure to high temperatures. Among the disadvantages, it should be noted the possibility of divergence of the edges of the “fused” wound during an erection, which in the period before complete healing can lead to the formation of scar tissue. Therefore, many experts recommend and use classic suturing of the flesh.
What part of the body is this, where is it located, what does it look like in the photo?
The frenulum connects the head of the penis to its shaft. If the genital organ is in an erect state, the frenulum is clearly visible from the urethra to the crown of the glans. This is a flat strip of skin, thin and shiny, but in color it does not differ from the skin of the head.
The frenulum contains a large number of nerve endings and small blood vessels. The frenulum consists of the same tissues that make up the head of the male genital organ, but since it is in a tense state, it is quite vulnerable.
In the pictures below you can see what the bridle looks like:
Postoperative care
A feeling of discomfort and pain is natural after plastic surgery of the frenulum of the penis has been performed. But usually 1-2 days after the operation the patient stops experiencing them. Erection pain in the first days of rehabilitation is also natural. To prevent the frenulum from being injured when excited, the doctor may prescribe sedatives. Also during this period, as prescribed by a specialist, the patient can take painkillers. To avoid inflammatory processes and infectious contamination in the frenulum area, general antibacterial drugs are prescribed.
For the first 12-24 hours after plastic surgery, you must wear a bandage. Then it can be removed. Penis care in the subsequent (postoperative) period is carried out using warm water and soap. Sutures are removed one week after surgery. This procedure is virtually painless. After this, you can gradually return to sexual activity. In this case, you should be as careful as possible.
Full restoration of sexual life is possible only after the frenulum of the penis (penis) has completely healed. This usually takes about 3 weeks. During this time, the patient can remain in the hospital or return home. In some cases, after plastic surgery of the foreskin has been performed, discomfort and periodic pain can be observed for 1-2 months. If after this period the pain does not go away, you need to consult a specialist.
After the frenulum has completely healed, the functions of the penis are restored in full.
How to care for your piercing?
Although everything is ready and sex is the main reason for this procedure, you will need to abstain from it for a long time (about several weeks), and if healing is slow, even months. This can be an unpleasant surprise for partners, so it is better to find out about such details in advance. You will also need additional care of the puncture site, frequent changes of bandages, and treatment of the piercing area with antiseptic agents. It is best to keep the area covered with a bandage to avoid unnecessary injury while walking or wearing clothing.
You also need to follow a few simple rules to avoid infection and inflammation, which is difficult to fight. Namely: do not swim, do not take a bath (wash only in the shower), avoid open bodies of water. When you are allowed to resume sexual activity, you will have to use condoms for about 2 months. This is necessary to protect against penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the puncture site.
If an infection does get into the wound, you should contact a medical facility. The doctor will recommend special remedies, for example, Levomikol, tetracycline ointment or baths and compresses with chlorhexidine. If after several weeks of fighting the infection cannot be defeated, then to maintain health you will have to get rid of the jewelry and heal the puncture site.
Causes of pathology of the foreskin
Almost all newborn boys have physiological phimosis - narrowness of the foreskin with the inability to expose the head. The pathology is combined with shortening of the frenulum. But by the age of 7, in 95% of children, congenital phimosis and other problems disappear. The remaining boys are diagnosed with a congenital form of short frenulum.
Acquired forms of pathology also occur. There are quite a few reasons for this condition.
In adolescents or older men, shortening of the frenulum of the foreskin can occur when:
- Injury to the head of the penis due to harsh sexual contact;
- Abuse of wearing tight underwear, trousers;
- Long-term participation in traumatic sports;
- Damage to the foreskin by piercing, after the introduction of ointments and Vaseline;
- Transference of infectious pathologies of the genital area - balanoposthitis, urethritis;
- Transmission of STIs - syphilis, gonorrhea, etc.
