Frenulum problems in the UK

In my early twenties, I was told that I would have to be circumcised. My problem resulted from my frenulum being too short which resulted in its tearing. I am not a medical expert, but it seemed to try to repair itself by extending its width. Gradually bridges or adhesions developed between the corona and the sulcus. A band of tissue associated with these also developed on the sulcus. This gradually extended further around it and with intercourse it would tear creating small lesions which could be sore. My doctor thought I would have to be circumcised but I was relieved when the urologist I was referred to decided that a lesser operation (frenuloplasty) should be tried. This failed to correct the problem and I learnt that eventually I would have to be circumcised. The prospect did not appeal to me and so my doctor agreed that the operation could be deferred until it either became a necessity or I was ready to have it done. I resolved to delay it for a long as possible. I was not going to condemn my foreskin to eliminate some soreness after intercourse.

By the time I had reached my thirties, I was married with two children. Intercourse continued to result in discomfort and the adhesions between my glans and sulcus were increasing. Like us, many of our friends had completed their families and an increasing number of the guys I knew were electing to be sterilised. All talked positively about their experiences. Initially vasectomy was way off my horizon but the idea began to gel in my mind that since they had performed their intended job, perhaps it was also time for my balls to be decommissioned. My wife's response when I mentioned that I was thinking of having the snip left me in no doubt, and so I made an appointment to see my doctor. He agreed to refer me for the vasectomy and suggested combining it with the long overdue circumcision. He asked why I was so unwilling to be circumcised yet so willing to be sterilised? I had no answer and could not fault his logic. I also knew my wife would agree with him; she had been pestering me to get it done for a long time.

Shortly afterwards I found myself in a treatment room with a doctor and an alarmingly young nurse. I was naked except for a hospital gown which the nurse had earlier told me to put on back to front. I was directed to an operating table where the nurse covered my groin with a surgical drape containing a round hole. My balls were passed through this hole and laid to rest on the drape. Their exposed vulnerable state left me questioning my judgement. Was this really a good idea! The doctor began by anaesthetising my right vas deferens, and within a few minutes, I was shown a segment of it which he placed into a specimen jar. He then cauterized the cut ends of what remained of it and returned them to my scrotum. The process was repeated on my left vas deferens and a segment from that joined its friend in the jar.

My balls were allowed to escape back through the hole in the surgical drape and seek refuge between my legs. Their place was now taken by my penis. The anaesthetic injections into both vas deferens were less painful than the several I now had to endure into its base. While the anaesthetic took effect, the doctor marked up the extent of foreskin he planned to remove. He showed me his markings and explained that all my outer foreskin, together with some shaft skin and most of the inner foreskin would be removed. The residual inner foreskin would be joined to the remaining shaft skin leaving me with a moderately high and tight cut. What remained of my frenulum was also going to be removed together with the adhesions. The circumcision technique used was sleeve resection.

My wife collected me from the hospital and took me home. I had not told her about the circumcision, and she was delighted when she found that it had finally been done. She inspected and approved the two small cuts in my scrotum and told me she could not wait to test my modified kit. She had not seen a circumcised penis before, and her immediate comment was that although it looked puffy and sore she could see that when it was healed it would look neater and better than it used to! She liked the fact that my glans and its corona were no longer hidden and the adhesions were no more.

Although I was told that we could not have sex for six weeks my wife's curiosity resulted in erections. When these occurred my shaft skin had very little mobility, erections seemed harder than before and although they were not painful I was more aware of them. My balls were also pulled up much closer to my penis. My wife became increasingly desperate to try out my modified tool. When she finally did she judged that it exceeded its pre-modified performance. Her satisfaction and approval led her to suggest that we should arrange for our sons to be circumcised before they got much older. Aside from her newly acquired preference for circumcision, she thought they should avoid them having to endure the problems I had experienced. As a result, they were both circumcised a few months later during their summer holidays. As a result of mine being done there were no more lesions after sex and no more soreness and there has been none since.

Why did I put off the operation for so long? If I had not had the vasectomy, I suspect I would still be struggling to avoid it. I would have no hesitation in recommending it to someone else in my position.

JT (UK)