Seek immediate medical treatment for paraphimosis

Paraphimosis is an urgent medical condition in which the foreskin is pulled back behind the head of the penis and cannot be pulled forward over the tip. If you are unable to put your foreskin back in position, our North Austin men’s urological specialists urge you to see your urologist or go to the emergency room.

It will not go away on its own. Do not force your foreskin back into place. Without treatment, paraphimosis can lead to permanent damage to the penis. The sooner a patient receives treatment, the less likely permanent damage will occur.

Why your foreskin is pulled back and can’t be moved forward

In addition to the foreskin being “stuck” in the retracted position, other symptoms include a painful and swollen penis and a dark blue, purple or red tip of the penis. Because circumcised men do not have foreskin, paraphimosis occurs only in uncircumcised men.

It is common for a man’s foreskin to be pulled back briefly, but if the foreskin is pulled back for a prolonged period, the head of the penis can become swollen. That swelling can make it difficult to replace the foreskin to its normal position, causing it to become stuck in that position. Certain situations can lead to it staying in the retracted position.

• Foreskin not returned in place by a healthcare professional after an exam or procedure
• Foreskin not returned in place by the patient after cleaning, urinating or sex
• Foreskin tighter than normal (phimosis)
• Trying to stretch a tight foreskin
• Injury to the penis
• Infection

The importance of immediate treatment

Without treatment, paraphimosis can stop blood flow to the tip of the penis, possibly resulting in damage to the penis or gangrene.

The immediate goal is to reduce swelling in the penis to be able to replace the foreskin. Treatment methods include ice, squeezing the tip of the penis, or injecting enzymes to reduce swelling. Once the swelling is reduced, the doctor will try to replace the foreskin.

If the swelling does not reduce enough to move the foreskin, the doctor may perform a partial circumcision to release tension on the foreskin.

Finally, if the foreskin is still not released into position, the doctor may need to do a total circumcision and remove the foreskin.

What to do if you have symptoms of paraphimosis

If your foreskin is pulled back and won’t return to its normal position without pain or effort, contact our North Austin men’s urological specialists immediately for medical direction. If this occurs outside of regular business hours, go immediately to the emergency room for treatment.