There may be some pain and discomfort following circumcision surgery which can be easily treated with over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.
During your recovery, you should drink plenty of liquids as this will dilute the acidity of the urine your produce and will also reduce any soreness or stinging when going to the toilet. The penis will be red, swollen and sore for the first few days after surgery but this will ease.
Swelling: You can expect a little swelling and bruising at the wound site. There may also be a bit of oozing yellow coloured fluid. This is normal and nothing to worry about, although it may take about three to four weeks for your wound to heal completely.
Stitches: These will dissolve or fall out on their own somewhere between 14 and 21 days after the operation. Some of the last pieces may take four to six weeks to dissolve or disappear. They do not need to be removed.
Wound dressing: You will have a dressing on your penis following your operation. However, this will be removed either before you leave the clinic or you will be instructed to remove it later that day if there has been no bleeding from the wound site. You should not require a dressing after this time.
Bleeding: It is possible you may have some bleeding from the foreskin, although this is unusual. If bleeding does occur, use a clean cloth and press firmly on the area that is bleeding for 15 minutes. If the bleeding does not stop, get in touch with your surgeon.
Glans sensitivity: The glans (the head or tip of your penis) will feel extra sensitive for the first two weeks after the operation. This will then settle down and over time you may notice that the glans becomes less sensitive than it was before the operation.
Wound appearance: In the initial six weeks after the operation, the head of the penis and the skin around the wound site may appear swollen but this will settle down. By six months post-surgery this will have returned to normal.
Sexual activity: It is important that you refrain from all sexual activity for four weeks after the operation.
You should follow all the aftercare instructions issued by your surgeon. Failure to do so ma hamper the healing process.