Circumcision Aftercare

This guide is general information; the instructions you receive personally always take priority.

Circumcision is a surgical procedure performed under sterile conditions with appropriate anaesthesia. The skin edges are usually joined with fine stitches that dissolve on their own. This guide contains general preparation and care advice for both children and adults.

Before the procedure

• Any family history of bleeding disorders, medicines being taken and allergies must be mentioned at the consultation; blood tests are requested if needed.
• If you take blood thinners, do not stop or change them without talking to your doctor.
• If general anaesthesia or sedation is planned, no food or drink should be taken for the period you have been told.
• The procedure may be postponed for a child with signs of illness such as a fever, cough or diarrhoea; let us know beforehand.
• Explain to your child calmly and honestly, in words suited to their age, what will happen. Rather than promising “it won’t hurt at all”, it is more accurate to say that any pain will be controlled with medicine.

What to bring:

• An identity document
• Loose, comfortable clothes and spare underwear
• Spare nappies for babies
• A favourite toy or book for your child

On the day

The type of anaesthesia (local anaesthetic, sedation or general anaesthesia) is decided in advance according to age and circumstances. After the procedure there is a short period of observation, and most patients go home the same day. There may be mild stinging when passing urine for the first time. Adults who have had an anaesthetic should not drive for at least 24 hours.

After the procedure: the first days

The following are normal and usually ease within days:

• Swelling and bruising of the head of the penis and around the wound
• A small amount of spotting of blood on the dressing
• Mild stinging when passing urine
• A yellowish-white, moist layer on the head of the penis; this is a normal part of healing, not infection, and should not be scrubbed off

For pain, use only the painkiller your doctor has recommended, at the recommended dose. In children the dose depends on the child’s weight; do not add medicines on your own.

Care at home

• Dressing: The dressing is usually removed within 1–2 days; follow the timing you have been given.
• Washing: Once the dressing is off, wash the area gently with lukewarm water and pat it dry without rubbing. Avoid long soaks in the bath, swimming pools and the sea until the wound has healed.
• Ointment: Apply the recommended ointment regularly so that nappies or underwear do not stick to the wound.
• Babies: Change nappies often and do not fasten them too tightly.
• Clothing: Choose loose, soft clothing.
• Activity: Children should take a break from cycling, slides and rough play for a while. Ask your doctor when your child can return to school.
• Stitches: Dissolvable stitches usually fall out on their own within 1–3 weeks; do not pull them.
• Work and driving for adults: Most adults can return to desk work within a few days. You can drive once the pain has eased and you are not taking medicines that make you drowsy.
• Sex for adults: Avoid intercourse and masturbation until the wound has fully healed, usually several weeks. Night-time erections may be uncomfortable in the first days; this is expected.
• Diabetes: Keeping your blood sugar under control supports wound healing.

Follow-up

• You will be told on the day when your follow-up visit is due; please attend it.
• Once healing is complete, a thin or upward-spraying urine stream, or straining to pass urine, may be a sign of narrowing of the urinary opening in your child. This is not an emergency, but please book a check-up.

For more information, see the circumcision page.

Contact

• Appointments and follow-up visits: Özel Medicabil Nilüfer Hastanesi, 444 8 112 (weekdays 08:30–12:00); Özel Jimer Hastanesi, 444 45 67 (weekdays 13:00–17:00).
• Emergencies: Call 112 or go to your nearest emergency department. Do not use messaging apps (such as WhatsApp) for emergencies.