Greetings to all the brothers here. The topic of circumcision has been covered pretty well here but I thought I would describe my own personal experience to give some added input.
First of all, thanks to the bros who contributed to earlier discussion on the the topic as I found their thoughts very useful before I had my own operation.
My experience went like this...
Why I had it done:
I had been aware for some years that I had a problem with phimosis - where the foreskin is too long and tight to retract back over the head of the penis. To be perfectly honest, this didn't give me any problems at all. I never had infections or tearing. Sex was no problem, even without a condom. But I was aware that, medically speaking, it would be best if I had a circumsision. I kept putting it off for years and years until I finally decided to get it done about 10 days ago at the 'ripe old age' of 40...
Pre OP:
My GP referred me to a surgeon at SGH who turned out to be the head of surgery there. I had one consultation with him (cost $80) and he recommended that I go ahead with the procedure for hygenic purposes. The date of the 'snip' was fixed for about one month later.
The Op:
So, 9.00 am one Wednesday morning I reported in to the ambulatory surgical centre at SGH for my appointment with the knife. The surgery would be under general anesthetic, so I had to fast (no food and no liquid) from midnight the previous evening. At the reception I registered and paid $710 by NETS for the cost of the surgery.
I was led into the post operative resting area and instructed to change into the typical surgical gown. My belongings were put in a locker. They took my blood pressure and weight. Then I walked into the section where the operating theatres were. The staff are VERY kiasu and keep asking whethere you have taken any food or liquid since midnight. About 10am I walked into the operating theatre where I met the surgeon again and he explained possible risks: veins not sealing properly so that there might be excessive bleeding which would necessitate more surgery. I laid down on the operating table and the they attached the drip and injected the stuff that would send me into dreamland. (I was most nervous about beein unconscious!). They put a mask over my face and asked me to breathere deeply in and out... then I was been awoken by a gentle patting on the face and feeling fine - apart from a slight prickling sensation around my penis and numb mouth and throat. (This because of the local anasthetic they use when they put tubes down your throat while you are unconscious.)
After checking that all was okay, they wheeled me back on a trolley to the post operative area so that i could rest for about 2 hours. While Iwas lying there they gave me some Milo and a snack. A while later they gave me a single photocopied sheet explaining what I had to do to care for the wound.
About 3 hours after the op, a doctor came out to examine the wound. I could see nothing because of the dressing. He assured me that all was well and encouraged me to pee while I was still in the hospital to make sure that could do so comfortably. After that I was cleared to leave and given a 10-day hospitalisation leave MC. I had lunch with my girlfriend and took a taxi home.
Post Op:
I rested in bed at home and peed (carefully) as and when I needed to. (They had told me that the dressing would come off by itself in a couple of days.) Unfortunately, the dressing can get quite soaked with pee when you urinate so it gets very damp.
The next morning, when I went to pee, the dressing fell off and I saw my newly revealed glans (penis head) for the first time. Not nice! I could see the stitching and bloody scabs below the base of the glans where they stitched the wound up. The glans itself was very purply in colour, moist and swollen. And of course VERY delicate!
As per the written instructions, I washed my penis/wound in a a basin of water with a teaspoon of salt added. (I was supposed to do this after every time I peed.) I couldn't bear touching the head so I simply dipped it in the water and swirled it around. I let it 'air dry'.
The Recovery Process:
I won't kid you. Having a circumcision is NOT fun. But it really isn't that painful. Just VERY uncomfortable. I live alone so I was able to walk around my apartment naked, letting it all hang out. Any contact against the head of my penis was VERY uncomfortable so I had to arrange myself very carefully when I laid down to sleep. I had been given painkillers in capule form which I was to take very 6 hours for the first 24 hours and after that, as and when I needed them. I experienced little or no pain from the would itself but my exposed penis head was very sensitive. (A little bit like geeting an 'electric shock' as one brother described it in another thread.)
Day by day, things got a little better and less uncomfortable. I still found it hard to put on even baggy shorts though as I had to keep holding the material away from my penis.
Panic Stations!
I had my op on a Wednesday. On the following Sunday, I started to worry about the colour of my penis head which looked green in places. I noticed as well that the there was a yellowish coloured, dried pus around one part of the stiched wound. In a bit of a panic, I put on a pair of boxer briefs and baggy shorts and went to see the nearest GP. (Not the one who had initially referred me for the op.) The GP assured me that every thing was healing just fine. The pus was because of a minor infection (probably caused by the urine soaked dressing) and was considered perfectly normal. He told me that infection was already gone but gave me some anti-bacterial powder to put on the wound just in case.
Healing continues:
Day by day, my glans became less sensitive. The really only painful part of the process was on the second and third days after the operation. I had the usual nightly erections that all healthy males have and they hurt... I could feel the stitches pulling! But, after a few days, they stopped hurting.
10 days after the op, I can wear normal clothes and breifs and walk normally. Another 3 weeks or so and I shall be back in 'action' again... hehehe...
That's all I can think of at the moment. If any of you have any questions about my personal experience with circumcision, please ask and I'll do my best to answer them! Cheers.
