Preputialplasty: can be considered an alternative to circumcision? When, how, why? Experience of Italian centre

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Urology
• Surgical Techniques

Background:

• Phimosis, the inability to retract the foreskin, is common in children.
• Pathological phimosis can result from inflammation or trauma.
• Circumcision is a common but controversial treatment for phimosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate preputioplasty as an alternative surgical treatment for pathological phimosis.
• To present a specific preputioplasty technique.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-one pediatric patients with pathological phimosis were enrolled between 2015-2017.
• Patients presented with conditions including balanoposthitis, painful erections, and urinary discomfort.
• All patients underwent a preputioplasty procedure.

Main Results:

• Preputioplasty was successfully performed on all enrolled patients.
• The study focuses on the application of this surgical technique.

Conclusions:

• Preputioplasty is a viable alternative to circumcision for treating pathological phimosis.
• Other alternatives include manual retraction and topical steroid therapy.
• The study details a specific preputioplasty technique for clinical consideration.