Day 13 - Smell from Penis After Circumcision

It's day 13, 1 day left til my stiches come off. I've been noticing the past couple of days that my penis has a weird fishy type of odor smell coming from it. It also feels quite moist. Underneath my head, where my frenulum used to be, there's still yellow stuff which isn't really leaking or sticking to my underwear anymore thankfully. From what I've read online, I hear the yellow stuff is some sort of serum that covers the cut area and facilitates tissue growth, and is perfectly normal.

Smell From Penis Post Circumcision

However, I am getting more and more concerned about the weird smell. It's not very strong, but I definitely notice it. It kind of reminds me of the fishy smell my penis would have before I was circumcised on certain hot summer days. Proper hygeine usually took care of that though.

Burning Sensation on Tip of Penis after Circumcision

There is also a mild burning feel toward the tip of the penis in addition to the smell. Is this an infection? The sources I've read recommend contacting a doctor if a strong foul odor is apparent following the circumcision. I'm guessing I have been affected. I hear this is not unusual and another batch of anti bioitics should do the trick.

As far as the look of it, there it is still pretty swollen. I'm continuing my salt water baths 2x a day to help aid that. If anyone has any tips or similar experiences dealing with the smell & slight burning feel, please comment!

Getting Answers from my Urologist

I am seeing my urologist tomorrow to get the stitches removed and of course I will ask him about the penis smell and possibility of infection. I will post his response and the results tomorrow, stay tuned.

update after visiting urologist

My urologist said its not an infection without conducting any tests He explained the smell/burning feeling would be more extreme if it was. He said the smell is from the lymph fluid that is leaking as it tends to have an unfavorable odor. So if you have some wet tissue or are leaking with a bit of a smell, it very well may not be an infection after all. I have also noticed (1-2 weeks later) that the smell is starting to disappear as the wet tissue reduces, and the fluid slows down on the leakage.

11 Days - Extreme Swelling Post Circumcision

Sadly, the hope I have been carrying thus far has been hammered by some bad news. My penis is still very swollen. The mass & size in general is swollen (just the shaft area), and there is a big puffy swollen ring around my head.

Cause of Swelling after Circumcision

I've been doing a lot of research and deciphered this is a complication referred to as lymphedema - swelling that occurs because the lymph vessels are obstructed and does not allow the lymph fluid to drain back into the veins. I guess it usually happens after surgery that leaves trauma to skin & vessels that have been cut off. I did have a large vein on the top side of my penis that went up to the tip of my foreskin, I suspect this was primary cause. However, I've read cetain people simply just rerspond this way to circumcision so I unfortunately might be one of those people. Is the circumcision worth it so far? Heck no. I wish I could have my tight foreskin back and masturbate and have slightly painful but still possible sex. I am frightened I have irreversibly damaged my most precious part of my body, but only time will tell.

Symptoms:

-Very swollen & fat size penis
-Puffy ring around head

Circumcision Gone Wrong, or is it Normal?

It's hard to say if this was caused by poor surgical technique, or if this is simply just how certain peoples bodies response. If you read my prior posts, you'd know I went to see a highly specialized doctor of circumcisions in Florida, Dr. Reed. I am sure he is extremely skilled & experienced, that is why I saw him. I'm hoping he didn't have an off day on my procedure though. Here are the photos I've showed Dr. Reed, and his e-mail response to my concerns.

My Doctors Response to my questions about the swelling:

Me: Question I have - after I take warm baths, there is a black scab forming around the part of the incision where the wound seems to have come slightly loose. It is illustrated on the "right side pictures" - the warm water seems to soften up that area and makes it feel like its more prone to separate throughout the night.


Doctor: Warm tub baths with a 1/2 cup of table salt is helpful to increase capillary blood flow and draw fluid. out the swollen areas. That the fluid would open the crust for me is not consequential now as most likely that area will heal secondarily.

Me: I noticed the next morning it was slightly coming loose with some remnant hints of fresh blood underneath. Do you still recommend I take warm baths 2x a day, will this be okay?

Doctor: Yes, in a clean tub of course. And shower afterwards to rinse off bath water.

Me: Would applying ice on a daily basis help the swelling?

Doctor: Absolutely the wrong thing to do. Coldness causes vasoconstriction and retards wound healing. Only advised with some patients for the first 24 hours in certain situations, to reduce bruising.

Me: Is this swelling possibly considered lymphedema?

Doctor: Yes.

Me: Do you foresee a skin graft or any other procedures being necessary because this is lymphedema? How long do you think the healing will take?

Doctor: In 40 years, I have not known any circ I have done to require a skin graft. Plan on 4 to 6 weeks for the swelling to come down considerably. It will probably max out in another week or so. If the lymphedema does not subside in 5 or 6 months I have removed wet tissue. This is very remote.

I will have to sit tight and wait to see what happens these next few weeks.

Is Lymphedema Common Following Circumcision?

I have also read forums of other people facing lymphedema. Many of these people were swollen up to 5-6 months, with some that have reported the swelling finally came down by then. I am really hoping my recovery will not take this long. I did not anticipate this type of result at ALL and I am extremely upset about facing this consequence. I really hope once the stitches come out in a few days, the swelling will begin to subside more quickly as the foreign materials will be removed from the skin. I am also hoping I am not required to have a second procedure done to treat this lymphedema. Whatever the result is, I will be regularly updating my blog. Also, if there is anyone reading this which is currently dealing with post circumcision swelling or has dealt with it in the past, PLEASE comment and provide some info =(

Is the swelling painful after 11 days?

Besides the very unfortunate degree of swelling, the pain is going down a lot (except when erections occur, they are painful and take a while to go away). I can move around a bit more comfortably and I am walking less funny. Also, my penis head is starting to slightly keratanize and it is becoming less sensative to touch. Wearing nylon boxers (snug fit) are comfortable enough to be mobile. However, I am still not exercising or any thing of that sort just yet.

1 Week After Circumcision - Taking Off Bandages

It's finally been a full 7 days after the procedure and I am glad it seems as if time is going by quickly. I have been in slight discomfort almost persistently throughout the days and nights this past week, but things are slowly but surely getting more tolerable. The biggest problem so far had been the frenulum area on the penis head. There has been a white yellow colored ooze forming going up to the bottom of my urethra trip. After visiting a local urologist and researching on line, I foudn out this is normal and can continue up to a month. It has been bothersome because the sticky residue makes my penis head get caught to my underwear, so when I pull it off to pee it hurts. I've had to do this very carefully.

Here are some symptoms I've been feeling:

- Itchy very light pain around incision line
- Flaccid penis state is still very swollen and much larger than my pre circ flaccid state (maybe 2-3x as big!)
- Walking carefully and slightly irregular 
- Hyper sensative head
- Brownish/clear secretions left on underwear (yikes! but I guess its also normal.. the lymphatic fluid mixed with blood or so)
- Penis head getting stuck to underwear
- Urethra can sometimes feel slight pain when peeing
- Itchy/uncomfortableness at base of penis from the shaven hair growing back and pricking me

This was not the painless easy recovery I was hoping for, but with carefulness, it's been pretty bearable and I am looking forward to my recovered improved penis.

Wearing Underwear after Circumcision

So as my penis head was getting stuck to my regular underwear and was not very comfortable, I went out and bought some boxer/brief silk nylon material undergarments. Wearing that alone wouldn't be sufficient as the penis could be bumping around my inner groin area, possibly getting caught to the hair. So what I ended up doing is wearing a soft cotton boxer with an opening around the penis area. I'd position my penis to protrude out of this area. I then would wear the nylon/silk boxer briefs over the boxers for a protective soft layer of comfort. This has been the best solution I could think of and it has worked pretty well.

Taking Off the Bandages

As instructed, I soaked my penis in a cup of hot water for about a few minutes. The bandage was definitely stuck around the frenulum and head area as there is dried up blood and residue from the secretions. After soaking it in water, the bandages came off pretty easily with a few areas around the frenulum which I had to slightly pull off with minimal pain. I think looked at my full my penis and let it finally breathe after a whole week, whew.

Swollen Ring around Penis Head

The appearance was not exactly what I was expecting. There is a HUGE ring around my penis head and shaft. The right side is bruised with red/black marks, the left side is clear. I've seen, there is similar stuff I've seen that eventually healed and changed in appearance a whole lot. For example, visit this guys blog and look at his recovery pictures. He also had a swollen ring around his head which finally smoothed out. I am hoping this will happen for me as well. I spent a lot of time and went thru a huge hassle seeing a doctor in Florida to ensure my chances of obtaining my desired cosmetic result would be at its highest. I'm also hoping I'm swelling up and recovering this way because this is just how my body heals, and because of the nature of my skin, the previous small size of it being in its flaccid state, and because of the amount of tissue removed.

Besides the swollen ring (which isn't painful), everything else feels and ok and my penis head seems to feel better. The sutures are also a bit prickly and I am fearful they might get stuck to my undergarments. I think the blood flow should be a lot better without the bandage on, and the head is tolerating more and more touch. It is no longer sticking to my undergarments anymore even though there is still yellow/white stuff around the frenulum area. The most uncomfortable parts now is the suture area feeling a bit prickly sometimes, and the head is still nonetheless sensitive to touch.

Here are some pictures, very unsightly, I really hope things look decent when all healed...

Stay tuned for next week when I remove my sutures on the 13th day (as instructed). If my penis appearance changes much in the mean time, I will take pictures and update my blog.

Day 1 - First Day Post Adult Circumcision Surgery

I was feeling okay and a little out of it after I got back from the room. Dr. Reed's wheel chaired me out and put me in a taxi that took me one block away to the hotel I was staying at. A bit over the top I thought, but I guess it was because I was woozy from the 'twilight' anesthesia I was given. I wasn't really in pain because I started taking the pain killers already, but my penis just felt like it was semi hard down there and there was a tight sort of feeling. It was fully bandaged and only the head was exposed. It was tight and filled up with blood I suppose following the operation. I laid down for the next 8 hours with my penis positioned upwards to help reduce the blood flow.

Bleeding for up to a Day

There were already blood stains on my underwear as soon as I arrived back from the procedure. Blood was very slowly spotting and oozing out of the bandage, but I was told this would happen and it is normal. However, it continued for me til the next day. The first night i kept wrapping towels around it and they would get stained with the spotting blood, I went through about a few of them through the next day. I got nervous enough to call the nurse advice line at my local hospital back home. The doctor on call said to put pressure on it for 15 minutes at a time a couple of times in a row with little breaks in between, and that seemed to lessen the oozing a bit. Pretty scary sight, but it was pain less and the pain killers and laying down the whole time helped.

Was it painful?

There was no real pain really, it was pretty securely bandaged. The oozing blood stains was just mentally disturbing and its a memory you'll want to forget. The only part that was discomforting at times was the penis head. The tip area was exposed and the entire head felt tight and hard. Peeing was a bit nerve wrecking the first half dozen times or so as well..

Getting through it

I was booked to stay two nights and fly out the third. How anyone could ever flight out immediately after the procedure is beyond me. It is not that minimal, it wasn't for me at least. I had to lay down flat as much as possible the next couple of days. I watched tv most of the time and ordered take out for all 2 meals of the day. Good idea to bring plenty of snacks and drinks if you plan on traveling to see Dr. Reed in Miami. The oozing blood and being unable to move rapidly made it difficult to be mobile. I didn't feel mobile enough to leave after the 2nd day yet so I actually stayed an extra night, for a total of 3 days before I came back. I had to start learning how to wear comfortable underwear but tightly secure it so I can move around. I had to definitely move slower than usual and it was a bit uncomfortable. Wearing silky/nylon boxers with underwear over it works pretty well and you should definitely prepare by bringing some of those. They will be your best friends.

Wearing the Right Underwear & Peeing

Just be aware there is quite a bit of white stuff and woundave on the underside of the penis head (if you get your frenulum removed), so there will be some oozing of white stuff that makes your penis head get stuck to the underwear. It gets in between your urethra so when you pee after a while, its dried up and forced to rip open. That stings and hurts a bit, so be prepared! I'd probably try dipping your penis head in warm water for a bit first to loose and open it up. It didn't really hurt, but it'd kinda spurt around and the urethra was feeling tight and sore. This was maybe for the first 4-5 days or so.

Adult Circumcision Surgery: Procedure & Pain

The moment of truth had finally arrived after 6 years of deliberation. I walked into Dr. Reed's office in Bay Harbor Islands Florida. Sucked to be in such a nice tropic place, doing nothing but getting my dick hacked up. It's all for the greater good is what I kept reminding myself, and how tired I am of my penis and its tight foreskin, sensitive head, strange smell at summer times, & etc...

Circumcision Pre-examination

I had been e-mailing and talking to Dr.Reed for about 1.5-2 weeks before I came down, so a lot of communication was already established. First the doctor examined me, marked the areas on my foreskin he would cut based on my preference of circumcision style - I chose a moderate/low cut, so the incision line would be a little bit behind the head, and it wouldn't  be too tight or too loose of a circumcision, but somewhere in between. I did not want to have a super tight dick where I need lube to masturbate, and I didn't want it to be too loose with the risk that the foreskin would roll back over the head, so I went with moderate.

Is the Circumcision Procedure Painful as an Adult?

I chose to be slightly sedated with local anesthesia. I didn't feel much pain at all besides the shots, which were pricks and 1-2 seconds of mild/moderate pain. I was conscious but at a very sleepy mellow state & was fully aware of everything going on. They hooked me up to an IV, strapped both my arms down, put some medical covers over my body with an opening near my Penis area. They shaved the surrounding pubic area and where my upper thighs are, then they began with the procedure as my penis was 100% feeling-less and numbed. I could not dare look even though the Doctor insisted I should hold a mirror and look the whole time so I can tell  him if he's cutting off too much or too little. I couldn't bare to see my penis being cut up and bloody, sorry Doc, but I'm not a surgeon and this is my penis we're talking about here..

Anyways, it went on for about 45 minutes to an hour. Snipping, some burning smell (I think they burned certain areas to make the bleeding stop - pretty common I think for bleeders), and then finally the stitching. No pain at all. He then bandaged it completely, moved me onto a different bed and rolled me into the recovery room where I lay flat for about 2 hours with my penis positioned straight upwards.

Appearance & Feeling of the Penis immediately after Surgery

I finally took a peek at it and to my surprise it looked neat and bandaged. However, it was unusually large, like I was semi erect, and it was pretty thick! Wow I thought, I hope this is the new flaccid state of my penis. However I remembered that there can be quite a bit of swelling that happens after wards so I didn't get too excited yet. I felt pretty okay, and pretty good. The doctor walked up to me and in a goofy way told me "congratulations! you're now a clean cut American boy" -- I chuckled and thought that was a strange comment, but I was glad it was all over with and I felt no pain, and that the appearance looked bearable for sure. At the end of the 2 hours, they gave me my first dose of anti biotics & pain killers, a sandwich, and wheel chaired me to a taxi that could to me 1 block away to Daddy O hotel.

Tight Foreskin as an Uncircumsied Male - Teenage Years to Adulthood

This is my experience of going through an adult circumcision at the age of 27 years old. I've been uncircumcised since birth and didn't fully retract my foreskin til I was about 23. In my teens and up until then, it seemed impossible to retract my foreskin. I realized by age 21 that I must either get circumcised or figure out a way to stretch my foreskin. I saw a urologist and started using topical creams because circumcision seemed too extreme and painful. I kept slowly stretching during the shower and thru having sex (which was a bit painful because of the tight foreskin). I was finally able to retract my foreskin when flaccid fairly easily, but very tight when erect. It would roll past back the head when having sex but it felt like a tight grip on my penis head and it would cause me to lose my erection at times, unless I was super stimulated. My head was also very sensitive from not being exposed most of the time and felt uncomfortable to dry touch.

It didn't seem like it'd stretch anymore & my head didn't seem like it'd desensitize where it'd only feel good anymore. Sex just became difficult and kind of painful so I really wanted to remedy the problem immediately. It was making my sex life not too enjoyable and it prevented me from having fulfilling relationships.

I've read a lot of people's positive experiences in similar situations that got circumcised which ended up making the penis a much more enjoyable part of the body. After 6 years of considering going through this procedure, I finally decided to get a circumcision.

Pictures of My Penis before it was Circumcised

Figuring out who the best doctor for adult circumcision

Choosing the right surgeon was a tough choice. I didn't want to see a urologist because they don't pay attention to the cosmetic appearance, won't ask you about style, and just circumcise you as they medically see fit. This could leave an uneven scar and not so great cosmetic appearance. The next option was a Cosmetic Surgeon or a Genital Reconstructive Surgeon (cosmetic surgeons of genitalia - male & female).

I debated between Dr.Cornell in Atlanta or Dr.Reed in Florida. Both of these professionals are Urologists that heavily market online on providing cosmetic circumcisions. They've performed a lot of these procedures. I decided to see Dr. Reed because he was more open to communicate and explain things over e-mail, whereas Cornell was not so friendly or helpful providing more info over e-mail.
Both have good reviews and no real bad comments but I am sure there are unhappy outcomes for some people that see them as well.

You should read their bio's and read info about each before you make your decision. Dr.Cornell is about 56, Dr. Reed is 70. I have no idea which surgeon is better and if you're considering circumcision, you should research who you see, understand their credentials, read their reviews & biography, and talk to them. You need to feel comfortable and confident with the surgeon who performs the surgery. It was a very important part of the process for me at least. However, I am also quite positive other skilled genital reconstructive surgeons around the country would do just fine as well. Circumcision is a very routine procedure for them.

Continue reading to see how my experience with Dr.Reed was and how the process of healing from circumcision is.