At approximately one week after your son's circumcision, you will have a follow-up visit.  This can be done virtually or in person.

 

At the time of the follow-up visit, the circumcision will be mostly healed.  It is common for there still to be a diamond shaped area of wet scab on the undersurface.  The clamp mark on the undersurface is often still present.  These will continue to heal over the next few weeks. 

 

By this time, you should be bathing and wiping the penis normally.  Please continue to use petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the tip of the penis for one more month.  This is done to prevent scarring of the hole where the urine (pee) comes out (meatal stenosis).

 

There will be a new ring of tissue just below the head of the penis.  This is called the coronal sulcus.  It is common for it to look a little puffy.  Sometimes it will be swollen a little more on one side than the other.  The swelling can happen off and on for several months.  It can even look like there is a little fluid inside the skin.  You will know that it is normal if the skin remains soft and pink, and your baby does not seem to be in pain.  

 

As your baby grows, sometimes the skin of the shaft of the penis becomes a little baggy, and hangs over the head of the penis.   If this happens, it is important to push this skin back a 2 times per day to clean the whole head of the penis.  If ever you cannot push back the skin fully, please let us know and we will book you an appointment with Dr. Zwiers.  Rest assured that all of the foreskin has been removed and that as the baby grows, the skin will once again become less baggy.

 

Sometimes parents are concerned that the penis does not look perfectly symmetrical.  This is normal.  Just like the two sides of our face, nothing on our body is identical from side to side.   As the penis grows, any differences from one side to the other will not be noticeable. 

 

Sometimes the penis curves or bends a little towards the left or the right.  This is normal.  This has to do with the inner structures of the penis.  The circumcision does not cause this.  When the skin covering the head of the penis is removed, it does not affect the curvature of the penis. 

 

It is very normal for the tip (head) of the penis to be purple in colour.  

 

Please call the clinic at any time in the future if you have concerns.You will be  booked for a follow-up appointment with Dr. Zwiers (phone or in person).  Please do not contact Dr. Zwiers via cell phone or secure messaging for non-urgent problems after the first week.