Need some opinions, please, on older intact son with phimosis?

[Milo]

my son, 12, is small for his age, and just beginning to start physical changes for puberty.....some tiny body fuzz.  And at his physical for the last two years, the doc has mentioned that his foreskin is "too tight".  

He's had ONE slight infection under the foreskin, at about two years old, that cleared completely with homeopath cinnabar remedy.

Now, he has no trouble urinating, and no infections.  He's a very clean and tidy person, so hygiene isn't an issue either.  But, the foreskin does not pull back at all.  The skin slips around farther back from the opening, but doesn't stretch at all.

We've consulted a urologist, who prescribed a steroidal topical cream to encourage the skin to loosen and stretch.  So far we're four weeks into this treatment with no noticeable results.  

The urologist recommended a circumcision, which we'll consider if truly needed, BUT is there anything I'm missing??

Thanks for the time - all opinions and advice welcomed,

Milo

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

At 12 years old he is still to young to worry about him not retracting. Since he is just starting to show signs of puberty odds are it will be awhile yet before he becomes retractable. The steroid cream even if it had worked his foreskin would have went back to its natural state ie not retractable until his body was ready to make the change.

He in NO way needs a circ what he does need is time and for Dr's to stop messing with his penis. You said it yourself he has no issues at all other than not retracting which isnt an issue just how he is right now.

Give it time and he will get there and if by the time he is fully into puberty and still cant retract then you can try the cream with stretching. And remember there are men out there that never fully retract that go on to lead normal sex lives so it isnt a requirement for him to retract at any time.

I am assuming that during his life no one has been trying to force his foreskin back since you said he only had one minor issue when he was 2. So there is no reason to think that his phimosis is anything but normal phimosis that all boys have until they naturally retract.

[Milo]

Thanks, my other sons are not circ'd and they all separated "normally" by three years old. So I wasn't really worried, but still.....I didn't know of any boys/men not retracting so far past toddlerhood.  And although he's pretty sure he'll NEVER do THAT with his penis, I'm glad to know it wouldn't pose a problem when he does become sexually mature.

He'll be glad to cancel the follow-up appointment - and we'll just wait for a few more years.

Thanks.

Milo

[mama24-7]

I'm sorry you (& possibly your son) have been worried.  Very often the recommendation is made to circumcise boys when the doctor really just doesn't know what is normal.  Circumcision is what they're trained to do, unfortunately, so that's the recommendation they make.  There are other places in the world that don't routinely circ infants & then most men die w/ their foreskins intact.  

You said he's a very clean & tidy person.  Not sure this is relevant, but wanted to mention it just in case.  If he is using soap down there, it could irritate things.  ALso, sometimes boys get irritated once they are retractable because they're washing too vigorously, leaving soap behind, etc.  When he does retract, the saying goes: retract, rinse, replace.  So, in the shower, he'd retract, rinse w/ clear water, & replace the foreskin back over the glans.  No need for soap.  

He's lucky to have a mama who left him as he was born & who is researching this on her own.  Not every boy is so lucky!

Best wishes,

Sus

[hakunangovi]

You have nothing to be concerned about. Sadly your doctor and the urologist are both very ignorant of normal male genitalia.  Circumcision should never be the remedy for a tight foreskin.  You mentioned being prescribed betamethasone cream.  From what I have read this does sometimes take quite a while to deliver results - like about 2 months at least.  It not uncommon for boys to unable to retract until well past puberty.  You might be interested in the following for future reference:

www.cirp.org/library/normal

www.cirp.org/libray/treatment/phimosis

www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2490/8/6

[DJay]

Note misspelling of library in the second link.  Correcting the spelling will get you to the desired page.