Aftercare: Ultimate Guide to Adult Circumcision Recovery at Home

Recovering from adult circumcision requires careful attention to aftercare to ensure a swift and complication-free healing process. Whether you’re one of the many adults choosing circumcision for health, hygiene, or personal reasons, understanding how to care for yourself post-procedure is crucial.

What to do After an Adult Circumcision

1. Dressing and Bandage Management:

The initial dressing applied by your doctor is critical in protecting the circumcision site. Before leaving the circumcision clinic, ask your doctor when is the best time to remove the dressing. It is usually removed between the first 24 to 48 hours. To remove the dressing, simply soak it in a warm bath and refrain from pulling or scratching while it’s healing.

2. Stitch Care:

Stitches used in adult circumcision typically dissolve on their own within 1 to 2 weeks. If they remain beyond this period, consult your doctor. Avoiding the formation of stitch tunnels is essential for a smooth healing process. The sutures or stitches must be in place for 1 to 2 weeks to ensure that the cut edges are knit together to allow the skin to heal fully.

3. Dietary Considerations:

Returning to your normal diet post-surgery is advised. However, if you experience nausea or an upset stomach, opting for bland, low-fat foods like toast and yogurt can help. This is usually because of the anesthesia given before the surgery.

4. Bathing Guidelines:

While full showers should be avoided for the first 48 hours to protect the bandage, sponge baths are an alternative. After bandage removal, you can resume showering, taking care to gently clean the circumcision site.

Bandage Removal and First Shower

Once you’re ready to remove the bandage, typically after 48 hours, prepare for your first post-surgery shower. Here’s a step-by-step guide to make this process smoother:

Start by standing under a gentle stream of warm water. Allow a few minutes for the water to soak through the dressing. This softens the bandage, making it easier to remove without pulling on the sensitive skin.
Carefully unravel the bandage. If it does not come off easily after soaking, do not force it. Consider soaking a bit longer or consult your doctor for advice.

Caution: while healing, it’s important not to take baths or submerge in water (such as in a bathtub, pool, etc.). This can introduce bacteria to the wound and potentially delay healing.

5. Bruising and Swelling

It’s normal for the penis to be swollen and look bruised after a circumcision. But if it’s still swollen and bruised after 30 days, ‌contact your doctor or the circumcision center. Patients can also put an ice pack on their groin for 10 to 20 minutes every 2 hours to relieve swelling. Make sure to put a thin cloth between the ice pack and the skin to prevent skin irritation and burning.

6. Bleeding/Secretions

It’s also common to notice small spots of blood after the procedure. However, you should call your doctor or the circumcision center when you see continuous bleeding or excessive swelling around your penis. Additionally, it’s normal to see a yellow-whitish film around the penis in the first few weeks after circumcision and it is not a sign of infection.

7. Medications

If you’re taking aspirin or any blood thinning medicine, ask the doctor when you can start retaking them. Be sure that it’s clear and you fully understand what your doctor tells you to do.
If the doctor gives you a prescription medicine for pain management, take it as prescribed. If there are no prescribed medicines, you can ask for over-the-counter pain relief medication to help relieve pain.
Do not take two or more pain medicines simultaneously unless directed by your doctor. Taking too much pain medicine (especially medicines containing Tylenol) can be harmful.
If given prescription antibiotics, see ‌that you finish the complete cycle of antibiotics. Don’t stop taking them when you think you’re feeling better. If you stop taking antibiotics before the full course, you might become resistant to the antibiotic in the future.

If you’re still experiencing pain or the medicine makes you sick to your stomach, try taking them after your meals or ask for different pain medicine from your doctor.

8. Antiseptic Cream

Patients should not put any antiseptic cream on the surgery site. Additionally, they should not add any antiseptic cream to their bathwater because even though it kill germs, it can harm new skin and slow healing.

To soothe the pain, patients should soak the wound for about 10 to 15 minutes in warm water with a teaspoon of salt, and they can do this multiple times a day.

9. Sexual Activity

It’s best that you don’t engage in any sexual activities, including masturbation, for 4 weeks after circumcision to allow the penis to heal fully. After that, it is recommended they use condoms for 2 more weeks during any sexual activity to prevent damage and irritation.

10. Alcohol or Smoking

As with other surgical procedures, patients cannot drink alcoholic beverages for at least 1 week after the surgery. Likewise, they should refrain from smoking or vaping for 1 month. This is because drinking and smoking can slow down the circumcision recovery, and the longer the wound heals, the more prone it is to infections.

11. Work or Fitness

Some patients may not need time off school or work after circumcision, but it’s common to find it challenging to focus on work for the first few days. We often suggest to take a week off if possible. However, it’s more recommended if your work requires heavy lifting or more strenuous physical activity.

When it comes to fitness, patients should also avoid intense exercise activities for 4 weeks or until your doctor says it’s okay.

Proper Aftercare For Better Circumcision Recovery

Following these aftercare guidelines can significantly influence the speed and quality of your recovery from adult circumcision. If you have further questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to your circumcision clinic for advice and support.

Remember, circumcision is a common procedure with a high success rate, and with proper care, you can expect a smooth recovery. For more information or to discuss any concerns, schedule a free consultation with us today.

Schedule a free phone consultation with us to learn more about adult circumcision. Contact us today!

References:

Aftercare For Older Boys and Adult Men (circumcisioncentre.co.uk)

Circumcision in men – NHS (www.nhs.uk )

Adult Circumcision: What to Expect at Home (alberta.ca)

Adult Aftercare – Gentle Circumcision

Post Circumcision Aftercare and Advice for Adult Men (circumcisioncentre.co.uk)

Microsoft Word – Website Circumcision Adult Post Op.docx (alaskaurology.com)

Medical Male Circumcision (kznhealth.gov.za)