When your little boy is born, you must be very happy as a mother and father. At the same time, you can feel a little fear about small things. You may notice that your son's penis is slightly stretched or turned to one side. Don't panic when you see this. This may be a condition we call (Penile Torsion) in medicine. Let's talk about this in detail today.
What is this (Penile Torsion)?
Simply put, (Penile Torsion) is when your baby's penis, especially the male child, rotates to one side and twists. This is a congenital condition. This means that when the baby is still in the womb, when the penis is developing, sometimes the skin and related tissues are not formed properly. Most of the time this rotation is to the left side (counterclockwise). This is not as serious as you might think, and is a common condition.
How to recognize this?
Most of the time, parents see this condition (Penile Torsion) when the baby is circumcised, or when a doctor examines the baby. If you also see this pulling and rotation of your son's penis,
the first thing to do is to delay the circumcision. Then
see a pediatric urology and reproductive system specialist href="https://nirogilanka.com/urologists-what-do-they-do/">Urologist`) is the best thing to see and check the baby. These doctors are the ones who treat the problems of urinary system and reproductive system of children.
Are there different types of (Penile Torsion)?
Yes, (Penile Torsion) can occur alone or it can occur together with other
birth defects related to the penis. Some such situations are:
- Hypospadias (`Hypospadias`): This is the tube through which urine and sperm exit the body, that is, the urethra (`urethra`) is not located exactly at the end of the penis, but located somewhere else.
- Congenital penile curvature (``Congenital penile curvature'' or ``chordee''): In this, the penis, especially when it is active, bends strongly to one side and rests on the bed.
Is this a serious situation?
(Penile Torsion) condition can range from mild to severe. If your child has severe penile torsion, the penis may be rotated more than 90 degrees. But most of the time this is at a small level.
How common is (Penile Torsion)?
According to doctors and researchers, between 1.5% and 27% of male children can be affected by this condition (Penile Torsion). But severe cases where the penis rotates more than 90 degrees are very rare - less than 1% of boys.
What are the symptoms?
The main characteristic of (Penile Torsion) is that the penis is turned to one side and looks stretched. Apart from that, other symptoms are usually not seen, especially if the penis is rotated less than 90 degrees.
Does this cause pain?
Most of the time (Penile Torsion) does not cause any pain. Therefore, the baby may not feel any discomfort.
Can (Penile Torsion) cause reproductive problems?
This is a problem for many parents.
No, no evidence has yet been found that (Penile Torsion) affects the ability to have a child (fertility). So don't worry about it unnecessarily.
What are the causes of (Penile Torsion)?
To be honest, neither doctors nor researchers have yet been able to find the exact cause of penile torsion. However, it is thought that this condition may be related to excessive exposure to female
hormones such as ``estrogen'' during the baby's development in the womb.
Also, it is suspected that the lack of skin on the shaft of the penis and the connective tissue of the shaft, foreskin and scrotum are abnormally connected.
What complications can arise from this?
More than half of people with penile torsion can see
abnormalities of the urethra. Because of this, things like this can happen:
- Changes in pressure during urination.
- Direction of the urethra upwards, downwards or to both sides.
- Urine divided into two, and thrown in different directions.
Some adults may be dissatisfied with the appearance of their penis due to untreated penile torsion. It's a psychological thing.
How is (Penile Torsion) diagnosed?
This is very simple. When a doctor conducts a physical examination, he can usually tell whether or not he has penile torsion.
How to treat (Penile Torsion)?
Most of the time, especially if the rotation of the penis is less than 90 degrees, (Penile Torsion) does not require special treatment. However, many parents may want to treat their child for cosmetic reasons.
(Penile Torsion) is treated by
surgery under general anesthesia. If your child has other conditions like hypospadias or congenital penile curvature, the surgeon can use different surgical methods because they also need to be treated. The doctor will advise you on the best treatment method for your child.
The most commonly used surgical method for this is
degloving surgery. This is a type of plastic surgery. In this, the surgeon removes part of the skin of the child's penis and reattachs the skin so that the condition of (Penile Torsion) is less visible.
Is (Penile Torsion) surgery safe?
There is some risk in any surgery. But, in general, (Penile Torsion) surgery is
safe. Doctors usually recommend this surgery for your baby
between 6 and 18 months. The risks are a little higher when giving anesthesia to babies under 6 months. For example:
- Nausea and vomiting (`nausea and vomiting`)
- Problems with learning, memory or behavior (these can happen very rarely)
But, (Penile Torsion) surgery can be done at any age. Some people decide to undergo this surgery after getting older due to their personal reasons.
Does (Penile Torsion) heal on its own??
No, the condition (Penile Torsion) does not heal on its own, nor does it get better with age. It is just the way it is.
How soon will you recover after treatment?
(Penile Torsion) It usually takes at least 10 days for the penis to heal completely.
What kind of future can a person with (Penile Torsion) expect?
People with (Penile Torsion) can be
hopeful about their future. Minor conditions of (Penile Torsion) do not cause any health problems, sexual problems or reproductive problems in the long term. Even in severe cases requiring surgery, the results are usually very good. So there is nothing to fear.
How to take care of the baby after surgery?
(Penile Torsion) The doctor will explain to you how to take care of the baby after the surgery. Those instructions should be followed exactly. It usually says to do something like this:
- Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly (`Vaseline®`) or a skin protectant (`Aquaphor®`) to the surgical site at each nappy change. This prevents bacteria from entering.
- Give an infant pain reliever, recommended by the doctor, for example acetaminophen suspension (`acetaminophen suspension (Tylenol Infants'®)`).
- Wash the wound frequently with soap and clean, warm water until it heals.
When should you see a doctor?
If your child's urine flow is abnormal and you think it may affect his quality of life later,
be sure to consult a doctor.
When do you need to go to the Emergency Unit?
If your child has had surgery to correct the condition (Penile Torsion),
If you see signs of an infection, you should immediately take him to the hospital emergency room. Such features are:
- Frequent bleeding.
- Inability to stop bleeding.
- Feeling of pus-like liquid with bad smell.
- Not urinating for 12 hours after surgery.
If there is - fever.
- If the body is cold and shivering.
- If there is pus around the surgery area.
- Skin color has changed (red, purple or darker than normal skin color) and looks like a rash.
What are the important questions to ask the doctor?
When you visit the doctor, ask any questions you may have. Here are the important questions to ask:
- How serious is the condition of my child (Penile Torsion)?
- Does my child need surgery to correct the condition (Penile Torsion)?
- What are the total risks of (Penile Torsion) surgery?
- If my child has penile torsion, should he be circumcised?
The most important thing is to talk to the doctor and resolve all your doubts and fears.
What to remember from the things we talked about
Well, we talked a lot about (Penile Torsion) today. Here are the main points you need to remember from this:
- (Penile Torsion) is a condition that comes from birth and can be seen normally.
- Most of the time this is nothing serious, and there is no pain.
- Minor conditions do not require special treatment.
- If necessary, this can be corrected with surgery, which is also usually safe.
- Due to this condition reproductive ability will not be affected.
- If you have any doubts, see a pediatric urologist.
So, if you see something like this in your son, don't panic, take medical advice and work very hard. Everything will be fine!
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න