Circumcision in men
The procedure
Circumcision is usually carried out on a day patient basis. This means you'll be admitted to hospital on the same day you have surgery and you won't have to stay overnight.
You'll be asked not to eat and drink for six hours before surgery if you're having a general anaesthetic .
After you've been admitted to hospital, you'll be seen by the members of the medical team carrying out the procedure, including your surgeon and anaesthetist.
This is a good opportunity to discuss any concerns you have and ask questions about anything you're not sure about. You'll be asked to sign a consent form to confirm you agree to the surgery.
You'll usually either have ageneral anaesthetic, which means you'll be unconscious throughout the procedure, or a local anaesthetic injection, which will numb your penis and the surrounding area.
In some cases, a spinal anaesthetic, where you're unable to feel anything below your waist, will beused.
The foreskin is removed just behind the head of the penis using a scalpel or surgical scissors.
Any bleeding can be stopped using heat (cauterised), and the remaining edges of skin will be stitched together using dissolvable stitches.
The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) has produced a leaflet that outlines the circumcision procedure (PDF, 970kb) in more detail.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about the medical reasons why circumcision in men may be necessary and what happens before, during and after the procedure.
Why circumcision is carried out in men
Circumcision may be carried out for: medical reasons in men,circumcision is most commonly carried out when the foreskin is tight and won't pull back(retract), which is known as phimosis ; however,
Medicalreasons for men to have a circumcision
In men, circumcision is sometimes considered a possible treatment option for the following conditions: tight foreskin (phimosis) where the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back over the head o
HIV prevention
There's evidence from several trials carried out in Africa that circumcised men have a lower risk of acquiring HIV from infected women. However, it's unclear whether male circumcision can help preven
The procedure
Circumcision is usually carried out on a day patient basis. This means you'll be admitted to hospital on the same day you have surgery and you won't have to stay overnight. You'll be asked not to eat
Recoveringafter male circumcision
When you're discharged from hospital, you'll be given advice about your recovery at home, including when you can drive, return to work and have sex. It usually takes at least 10 days for your penis t
Risksof male circumcision
In the UK, complications after circumcisions carried out for medical reasons are rare and most men don't experience any significant problems. Apart from the initial swelling, bleeding and infection a
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