Foreskin Restoration / Reconstruction
Welcome to Legacy Surgical Partners. We look forward to caring for you. We are here to help you make important decisions and know what to expect in the surgery planning and recovery process. Our team consists of:
- Surgeon
- A physician assistant
- Medical assistants
- Our surgery scheduler
- Office Team
We want to make your surgery and recovery as smooth as possible. We’ll answer any questions you have and make sure you have the best possible outcome.
Preparing for and recovering from foreskin reconstruction/restoration surgery can be a complex topic. We created this guide to help you understand and navigate the process. It has three sections:
- Before surgery
- Surgery
- After surgery
It is helpful to read this information before your first visit with your surgeon. This booklet outlines the surgical process. Because this surgery is customized to each patient’s anatomy, history and goals, the content in this booklet may not represent your specific experience.
I. Foreskin Restoration / Reconstruction Overview
We know this surgery is extremely important. It takes incredible trust to allow a surgeon to perform this operation. We want you to know we are humbled by that trust and take it very seriously.
The first step in this complex process is understanding your options and creating a plan that meets your needs. We’ve created this overview to help you make important decisions and know what to expect.
What is Foreskin Restoration surgery?
There is currently no surgery or procedure that can fully restore the sensation or function of the foreskin once it has been removed by circumcision. The goal of this procedure is to improve existing anatomy by increasing coverage of the glans, enhancing the function of the available tissue, and creating a more natural-appearing foreskin. This area of surgery is evolving, and techniques continue to refine as experience grows. As with any surgery, outcomes can be unpredictable. This procedure is offered only when there is a reasonable expectation of benefit.
Goals:
- Advance skin tissue to possibly give more coverage to the glans.
- Rearrange local tissue to a shape that can potentially allow for coverage when flaccid.
- Improve penile aesthetics.
Surgery and results will differ from patient to patient.
II. Before Surgery
Before your first consultation, we encourage you to:
- Consider your goals and priorities of surgery.
- Write down your questions and bring them with you to your visit.
- Consider bringing a support person to come with you. Ideally, this is the same person who will care for you after surgery.
Your First Consultation
Your first consultation is an opportunity for us to learn about your hopes and goals. Your surgeon will review various surgical options and explain the process.
Once we understand your goals, we will:
- Evaluate your anatomy.
- Pre operative pictures may be taken.
- Assess your overall health to see which surgeries can meet your goals. You may be asked to make lifestyle changes to prepare your body for surgery.
A fair amount of time is spent during the consultation with your surgeon, but you may also meet the other members of your care team.
Foreskin Restoration Options
This is a rapidly evolving field, and techniques will continue to advance as we learn from patient experience and long-term outcomes. While many approaches are described in the literature and offered by other surgeons, we do not believe all of them lead to consistently successful results. We offer the options that we feel provide the greatest likelihood of success and the best chance of achieving surgical goals.
Simple Foreskin Restoration/Reconstruction or Preputioplasty
Penile Shaft Advancement with Skin Graft
Penile Shaft Advancement with Flap
Scrotal Reduction or Reposition
III. Preparing for Surgery
Foreskin restoration options typically require limiting physical activity for 2 weeks, with return to regular activity at around 4-6 weeks postoperatively as tolerated. A large part of its success depends on your preparedness. This means being in the best possible physical and mental health before the surgery.
Above all else, it is critical to have reasonable expectations about what is possible for your body and what your surgeon can realistically accomplish.
Maximizing Healing
We like to think about surgery like running a marathon. You will be stressing your body and will have to do significant healing. In the weeks to months before surgery maximizing your health both mental and physical will help you recover more quickly.
- We recommend getting about 0.5 gram of protein per weight in lb a day to maximize healing Ex 150lb x 0.5=75g of protein per day.
- We also recommend reducing sugar and processed foods.
- We recommend keeping active before having surgery. Keeping up with or adding a workout plan will help your overall health and help heal more quickly. We understand that we all have different physical capabilities, but even adding daily walking, home yoga, or simple home workouts with body weight can help.
- If you are stretching, we do recommend continuing stretching up until surgery. You can choose to go back to stretching 4-6 weeks after surgery if this is not painful or uncomfortable. Remember to always listen to your body.
IV. Planning for Recovery
We understand the importance and urgency of this surgery. We also know your success hinges on being well-prepared. Remember, this is a lifelong investment in your health. Optimal preparation can improve your chances of positive physical and mental health outcomes.
V. Posteroperative Expectations
Complications
Our goal is to prevent complications. We do this by using careful surgical techniques, helping you to be in the best health, and ensuring that you have a safe plan for your recovery. However, this surgery has some potential complications. We recommend that you prepare yourself — both emotionally and practically — for the possibility of complications. Our team will help you with anything that may arise. We do everything we can to ensure your surgery and recovery are as smooth as possible.