A short frenulum of the penis is currently one of the most common reasons for men to visit an andrologist. This is no coincidence, because about 5% of uncircumcised men have a short frenulum of the penis, which causes considerable discomfort in their daily life.
What is this problem?
The frenulum of the penis (frenulum preputii) is a part of the foreskin that forms a longitudinal fold of skin that does not allow excessive exposure of the head of the penis. The normal length of the frenulum of the penis is 1.5 - 2.0 cm.
The frenulum of the penis is a very sensitive, well-supplied place on the glans penis, the skin of the frenulum is elastic, which has a beneficial effect during sexual intercourse, but in turn makes this place susceptible to various mechanical damage, tears, scar deformation, in the presence of pathology of the structure of this plot.
A short frenulum of the penis is a congenital anomaly of the development of the penis, manifested by an insufficient length of the skin fold connecting the head of the penis with the skin of the foreskin and, when exposed, resulting in a deviation of the head of the penis by 20 degrees or more. If the deviation is too strong, sexual intercourse is simply impossible.
Very often, a short frenulum of the penis occurs with phimosis. Phimosis is a condition in which it is impossible to fully or partially expose the head of the penis. It makes it difficult to expose the head of the penis and can cause pain during an erection, which will be especially felt during sexual intercourse. Sexual contact itself, in the presence of this problem, often ends in tearing, and what is quite common is rupture of the frenulum with subsequent bleeding.
Unfortunately, many men prefer not to seek treatment for a long time if a frenulum tear occurs after sexual intercourse, because the bleeding stops over time and the tear heals. But, unfortunately, ruptures and tears in the frenulum are scarred, which leads to even greater problems; they shorten the already short frenulum of the penis.
Currently, it is no secret to many that a short frenulum of the penis affects the duration of sexual intercourse, leading to premature ejaculation. (a condition in which the length of sexual intercourse is less than 2 minutes) This problem appears because not only blood vessels, but also nerves pass through the thickness of the frenulum. During tension, the sensitivity of this area sharply worsens.
The treatment method for short frenulum of the penis is surgical. As with any operation, there are certain indications for surgical treatment of a short frenulum of the penis (that is, diseases when the operation is completely justified).
Indications for surgical treatment
- Pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) caused by the presence of a short frenulum of the penis.
- Difficulty in exposing the head of the penis. Often this problem is caused by the presence of phimosis (the inability to expose the head of the penis, or incomplete exposure of the head of the penis, which is often combined with the presence of a short frenulum of the penis).
- Repeated partial ruptures of the frenulum of the penis during sexual intercourse.
- Premature ejaculation (ejaculation).
Requirements
Circumcision is a minor surgical operation that requires compliance with certain prerequisites:
- Sterility. Outside the hospital, it is impossible to create conditions for complete antimicrobial cleanliness of instruments and dressings.
- Special equipment. Yes, it is possible to use only one knife, as a last resort, but the result may be cosmetically unsatisfactory, not to mention the risk of severe complications before or after manipulation.
- Anesthesia. Circumcision is a very painful procedure.
- Knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Simply put, only a specially trained specialist will be able to perform the operation at a high level, preventing deterioration in health.
Even in a hospital setting, the incidence of undesirable consequences after circumcision is up to 3%. If you perform circumcision at home, the likelihood of complications increases several times.
Purpose of surgical treatment
The purpose of surgical treatment is to create conditions for maintaining the frenulum in the anatomically correct position, eliminating its excessive tension and curvature of the penis. Also, achieving this goal is aimed at treating and preventing problems associated with sexual activity and inflammatory diseases of the penis.
The standard method of surgical correction of a short frenulum of the penis: transverse-longitudinal frenuloplasty. It is worth noting that for very severe pathologies of the frenulum, other surgical treatment methods are sometimes used.
Under local (local) infiltration anesthesia, the frenulum is dissected at its base in the transverse direction. The head of the penis is retracted, turning the transverse incision into a longitudinal one. Excess tissue is excised. The defect is sutured in the longitudinal direction with single interrupted sutures.
Get frenuloplasty from a genital surgeon
Advantages of frenuloplasty As a result of frenuloplasty, the frenulum lengthens, becomes strong and elastic. Pain, discomfort and risk of tearing disappear. Only in 10% of men the problem persists and they require complete removal of the foreskin with the formation of a new frenulum. Does frenuloplasty affect urination, erections or fertility? If the procedure is performed correctly, there is no risk to erection, urination or reproductive function. On the contrary, the man’s quality of life improves. He feels confident, gets rid of anxiety and unpleasant sensations.
How long does it take to abstain from sex after frenuloplasty? 7-10 days.
When can I return to sports after surgery? You can return to fitness the next day if you do not feel weakness or pain. To contact and heavy sports after complete healing of the wound.
Anesthesia To perform frenuloplasty, local anesthesia is used. The patient remains conscious, does not feel pain and can go home an hour after the procedure. None of the patients complained of pain during the procedure.
The essence of frenuloplasty is to cut the frenulum transversely and then stitch it along its length. The suture is made with absorbable material, which is used in facial plastic surgery. The suture technique is strictly controlled by a doctor using surgical glasses with magnification. The suture and wound are sealed with surgical glue at the end of the entire operation. It prevents bacteria from entering this area, and also additionally holds the tissues together. Minimizes the risk of wound infection and suture dehiscence.
The whole procedure takes place very quickly – 10-20 minutes.
You can shower 24 hours after surgery. There is no need to specifically soap or rub the wound, just let the soapy water roll over it. Do not dry the wound with a towel. Allow it to air dry without wearing underwear, or blot with a sterile paper towel.
The day after frenuloplasty, you can return to work if it does not involve heavy physical labor and high activity. Otherwise, a 2-3 day rest is necessary. Many patients choose Friday or Saturday for the procedure to allow for recovery time ahead.
During the first 48 hours, small drops of blood may be released. The use of surgical glue reduces such cases to almost 0, but if this happens: a few drops, this is the norm. Apply a sterile cloth, apply light pressure and observe the wound.
During the first day, swelling or a small hematoma may persist.
As we have already written, frenuloplasty does not affect urination in any way, so there should be no problems with this either in the first or subsequent hours after the operation. An erection can cause pain until the wound has healed, so use behavioral methods to reset an erection (get distracted, think about something unpleasant, apply cold to the perineum) or consult your doctor about what medications can temporarily reduce libido.
Alarming symptoms of complications: increasing redness, severe bleeding, increasing swelling, discharge of pus, increased body temperature
Patients often confuse short frenulum with cicatricial phimosis. In both cases, they experience difficulty exposing the head. But with phimosis, this cannot be done due to the narrow ring of the foreskin, and with a short frenulum, the foreskin, when lowered, creates a strong tension and even a downward tilt of the head.
There are several techniques for cutting, releasing and suturing the frenulum. Our goal is maximum functional and aesthetic results.
Rehabilitation period
The rehabilitation period after surgery takes about 14 days, which should take place under the supervision of the attending physician and with the participation of the patient himself. Adequate antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy is carried out. The key role is played by daily dressing changes for a short period, which help to avoid adverse events. In the vast majority of cases, patients return to sexual activity within 3 weeks after surgical treatment of a short frenulum of the penis.
Short frenulum of the tongue - what is it?
But let's look at the problem in more detail. So, short frenulum of the tongue - what is it? The bridge connecting the tongue to the palate, or simply a special ligament if not long enough, significantly reduces the mobility of the tongue. It would seem that this is a trifle. However, children with this problem very clearly suffer from inconvenience. Moreover, it gets worse with age. When baby teeth are replaced by permanent ones, a short frenulum will not allow the dentition to form correctly, which almost always carries a high risk of caries, gum disease and other unpleasant problems.
There are 5 different types of pathology, each of which brings specific discomfort to the child’s life:
- thin and transparent - limits the mobility of the tongue;
- thin and translucent - causes a semblance of bifurcation of the tip of the tongue when directed upward;
- thick - limits the mobility of the tongue;
- dense and very short, combined with the muscles of the tongue - along with cleft lips and palate;
- dense and very short, combined with the muscles of the tongue, severely limits the mobility of the tongue.
The next question naturally arises: who to turn to? If the baby is unable to stick out his tongue or reach his upper teeth, we can conclude that there is a possibility of pathology. However, the final verdict must be made by a professional. The specialist who will make the appropriate diagnosis must conduct an examination of the oral cavity. Most often this is a dentist, but doctors of other specializations can also evaluate the elasticity and length of the frenulum, the normal value of which is 8 mm for 5 years of age.
Most often, a short frenulum is a congenital pathology, including hereditary. The cause of the defect in the child can be viral diseases, stress, toxicosis or other factors during the mother’s pregnancy. It is important to understand that even in the absence of obvious discomfort, trimming is necessary to eliminate the risk of problems in the future.
How to fix the problem and who to contact? The decision on the length of the tongue frenulum is made by parents during a consultation with a dentist. The defect can be eliminated surgically or with the help of special gymnastic exercises for articulation.
The method of eliminating the defect is selected by the dentist individually depending on parameters such as the degree of shortening, the presence of consequences, localization, and the age of the child.
Which method is suitable in your case depends on the surrounding circumstances. So, if a short frenulum is discovered in the first days of a child’s life and directly affects his nutrition, surgery on the frenulum of the tongue is necessary, which is often performed right in the maternity hospital. Please note that for newborns the process will be completely painless! It is also worth operating if an incorrect bite is formed or has formed. After frenuloplasty, the child will experience some discomfort associated with a change in diction. This is a temporary phenomenon that can be easily eliminated by classes with a speech therapist and special gymnastics for the tongue.
If a child has a burr, speech therapy disorders associated with pronunciation and speech can be corrected by performing a set of exercises to develop and stretch the frenulum.
How is circumcision performed correctly?
Partial circumcision is performed under local or general anesthesia using a surgical scalpel or laser. The operation itself is performed as follows:
- the foreskin is fixed and stretched. Sometimes, for the convenience of the surgeon, the penis is put into a state of artificial erection;
- the prepuce is excised in a circle to the required extent;
- sutures made of self-absorbing materials are placed at the incision site, and an antiseptic bandage is placed over the sutures.
In general, the incomplete circumcision operation lasts no longer than half an hour. Full hospitalization after partial circumcision is not required; after 2-4 hours the patient can freely leave the medical center.
Where to go first
The penis is designed in such a way that there are a lot of capillaries and nerve endings in the frenulum. In addition, under the frenulum there is an artery through which the penis receives blood. That is why, when a rupture occurs, heavy bleeding and intense pain occur.
After healing, the frenulum will shorten, which, when excited, will cause severe curvature of the organ, causing an unaesthetic appearance and complexes in a man. In addition, repeated ruptures against the background of an already occurring injury will occur repeatedly, which will also not lead to anything good. Therefore, frenuloplasty is necessary to solve the problem.
The length of the frenulum is directly related to the control of ejaculation. After injury, the problem may also worsen. What will cause psycho-emotional difficulties in sexual life is fear of sexual contact.
How to treat such an injury? Of course, the skin heals itself. But it’s hard to say how many men will be able to properly treat an Uzbek woman at home in a stressful situation. Therefore, it is better to take control of this moment and go to the doctor. And before you get to the doctor's office, listen to the following recommendations:
- Do not worry. Even if a lot of blood is released during a rupture, this volume is not critical. Your health and life will not suffer from the breakup;
- Pinch the torn skin. Or press it into the head for about seven minutes. The pressure should be noticeable, but not excessive;
- Treat the wound. When the blood stops flowing, use hydrogen peroxide, miramistin, chlorhexidine or alcohol solution;
- Do not use healing ointments or medical glue. Antiseptic treatment is quite sufficient;
- Do not apply any bandages.
Any dressings, even those that are not at all tight, can lead to stagnation in the genital organs. After all, during an erection, the bandage will definitely begin to put pressure on the penis.
If you notice that you have a short frenulum, also consult a doctor. This will help improve the quality of your sex life. You will also greatly reduce the likelihood of traumatic injury. As a result, you will be able to relax during sexual intercourse. To make the frenulum longer, the following plastic surgery methods are used:
- Frenulotomy. The doctor carefully trims the skin fold. This eliminates all negative symptoms of sexual life and negates the likelihood of injury;
- Plastic surgery VY. Using this technique you can achieve the same effects. It is less traumatic than phlenulotomy. However, the risk of developing phimosis increases. If you are used to carefully monitoring genital hygiene, this method is ideal for you;
- Circumcision (circumcision). Quite often, a skin fold that is not long enough becomes the cause of phimosis. In this situation, this ancient surgical operation will become the main method of treatment.
