surgery to remove fat pad around ds's "buried" penis?!

[babybirkel]

x-posted in Life With a Babe

so today we had our 6 months wbv. my ped and i don't really see eye-to-eye on...well, anything...but we live out in the boonies a bit and he's the closest for the time being. i mostly smile and nod with him. anyway, today during my son's exam he said something about having surgery when my son was 15 months old to remove the fat pad around his penis because it was "buried." i was like WHAT?????? he's not mobile yet, and EBF, and big (20 lbs 4 oz, 28 inches long). give him a chance to burn some of that baby fat off before we talk about baby liposuction!!

is my ped just psycho or is this really something i should be concerned about? has anyone else dealt with this?

pretty sure we're going to look for a new ped...this was just too much. but i do want to know if this is a legitimate concern or if he smokes crack.

EDITED to add: my son is circumsized. i feel really horrible terribly guilty about it and wish that i had known better. i would not have had it done. any future sons i have will remain intact. did i do this to him?? oh i will never forgive myself....i just read something about a buried penis sometimes being caused by an "aggressive circ" and almost threw up.

[Fyrestorm]

Remove the fat pad? Is he kidding?

Run...fast!

Yes, buried penis is often caused by circumcision. There was an episode of one of those plastic surgery shows about it.

Do not allow them to do anymore surgery on your son's genitals. Let him grow up and decide how he wants to deal with it. After all they are his and he has to live with the consequences. He will very likely outgrow this.

[babybirkel]

thanks for the reply. i will definitely begin the search for a new ped. this guy is a nutcase.

[hipmummy]

to the above! Get a second opinion. My nephew is circ'd and suffered from hidden penis as well. The urologist said it was from the circ but that it is important to wait until at least 2 when the child has started or has slimmed out. When the are chunky toddlers there is no way oftelling how "hidden" it is. Seek advice from a plastics person as well. There are a few plastic/urological surgeons in NYC.

[Fyrestorm]

You also might consider looking for a FP rather than a Ped (especially since you are in a more remote area, it might be easier anyway) They are much less likely to want to fix things that aren't broken.

[Night_Nurse]

I agree with not going forward with the surgery and just waiting it out. You are right that he's young and not mobile yet, and he will probably change a lot as he grows and the chunkiness thins out. As long as your son is urinating fine, I wouldn't consider surgery or even letting the doctor touch his genitals (other than if he needs to check for descended testicles). The problem will most likely resolve as he gets older.

[MyBoysBlue]

It seems your doc is not totally crazy, just partially.

From: http://www.circumstitions.com/Complic.html#buried

Buried penis can be corrected by (more) surgery, cutting out pubic fat and sewing down the skin of the groin and scrotum.

But you have to wait and give your son time to see if it will correct itself which often happens.

From Here:http://www.drgreene.com/21_1125.html

If the concealed penis can be easily exposed by gently pulling on it or by pressing down on the surrounding fat pad, the situation will usually correct itself over time.

[babybirkel]

oh good! yes, it "pops out" when i press down on the fat pad so that's good...hopefully it will resolve with time. i think it's crazy that the doc would rather have major surgery than just wait and see how things go.

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

You also might consider looking for a FP rather than a Ped (especially since you are in a more remote area, it might be easier anyway) They are much less likely to want to fix things that aren't broken.

Personally I'd go to my dog's vet before going back to that ped.:

[Yulia_R]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

Remove the fat pad? Is he kidding?

Run...fast!

Yes, buried penis is often caused by circumcision. There was an episode of one of those plastic surgery shows about it.

Do not allow them to do anymore surgery on your son's genitals. Let him grow up and decide how he wants to deal with it. After all they are his and he has to live with the consequences. He will very likely outgrow this.

:

to you, mama. Be gentle to yourself; every single parent on this planet makes mistakes, there is just NO perfect parent.

[PuppyFluffer]

A "Yeah that" to Yulia's post above!

Sarcasim ahead:
Ped: You want to wait to see what happens with this fat pad?
Parent: Yes
Ped: We can't do that, I've got a boat payment to make and the wife just ordered new furniture. I can't make any money if you wait.

Ok, sarcasim hat off!

[mjg013]

Yes, a buried penis is often caused by circumcision, most of the time it resolves on its own when the child thins out a bit. Yes, your ped is a nut and I would not go through with a surgery. FWIW, my sister's son also has a buried penis thanks to an aggressive circumcision and I told her that was why. When she went to her pediatrician he told her there was no such thing as a buried penis and I was full of it.