Paraphimosis, What Is It?

Paraphimosis is a medical condition that denotes a blockage of the foreskin behind the glans penis. The foreskin is then unable to return to its original position, which causes an obstruction of blood flow.

Paraphimosis is a disease that affects the male reproductive system. More concretely, the foreskin adopts an abnormal anatomical position. The foreskin is the fold of skin that extends over the penis and covers the glans.

When a man suffers from paraphimosis, the foreskin becomes retracted behind the glans and strangles it and is unable to return to its normal position. This is an emergency situation because blood from the penis cannot flow to the rest of the bloodstream.

It is important not to confuse paraphimosis with phimosis. Phimosis is a condition of the penis that is characterized by excess skin preventing retraction of the foreskin behind the glans.

Phimosis is a physiological phenomenon that affects babies, but as the individual grows, the retraction increases.

Paraphimosis: the causes

Several factors can cause this medical condition.

The most common factors are:

• incomplete development, as in babies
• forced retraction of the foreskin that forms a fibrous scar
• a narrow foreskin that tends to get stuck easily
• incomplete circumcision
• trauma to the penis
• an infection related to a lack of hygiene or to a foreign body, such as a piercing

Paraphimosis: symptoms and warning signs

Logically, the inability of the foreskin to retract is the quintessential symptom of paraphimosis. The patient feels severe pain and observes swelling if he tries to force the maneuver.

If paraphimosis continues, blood accumulates. The skin then begins to take on a bluish color due to the obstruction of blood flow.

Since this is an obvious medical condition, affected patients usually treat this problem in time. It is therefore rare for a patient to go to the emergency room with  advanced gangrene. Paraphimosis is an extremely painful medical condition, which causes the patient to quickly go to the emergency room.

Pharaphimosis: the treatment

The treatment will depend on the degree of constriction of the glans. In the initial phase, pressure on the glans is generally enough for the foreskin to unblock and return to its original position. To facilitate the process, the patient is given pain relievers to relieve the pain. Ice cubes will also be applied to the inflamed area for the same reason.

If, despite all these precautions, the swelling continues, the specialist will need to facilitate the drainage of the blood using a needle or by creating a pressure gradient. This should allow the blood from the penis to flow easily by means of a tight bandage.

To unblock the foreskin, a small cut on the area of ​​the retracted foreskin is also possible. This process is known as dorsal slitting because it frees the foreskin and thus allows it to return to its original position.

If we’re dealing with a bigger strangulation, the most common option is to have surgery. The circumcision is a surgical technique that aims to remove the foreskin.

By eliminating the fold that covers the glans, the latter is found in the open air and paraphimosis cannot take place. Nevertheless, it is necessary to ensure that the foreskin has been completely removed, in order to prevent the formation of scars after the operation.

In addition, if the patient has an infection, he or she should start antibiotic treatment as soon as possible. In the worst case, if the infection is very extensive, it will be necessary to drain the pus and apply an antibiotic cream.

Keep in mind …

The prognosis for patients is excellent if this medical emergency is treated early on.

In any case, faced with any inconvenience of this type, we advise you to immediately consult a doctor or go to the emergency room for a physical examination to be carried out as soon as possible. The time factor is an important element to take into account because it conditions the evolution of the patient.