Zhenxi Circumcision Ring
(Weihai Zhenxi Medical Equipment Corporation)
The company and its product range
The Weihai Zhenxi Medical Equipment Corporation is a South Korean company with facilities in the Shandong province of the People’s Republic of China, specializing in the manufacture and supply of circumcision rings for men. Originally available in a range of sizes covering all ages, the smallest size in current production appears to be 20mm diameter. That would be appropriate for mid-puberty.
Through their European sales outlet, the company offers a different product for infants and young children, based on the concept patented by Donald Kariher and Thomas Smith and commonly called by its trade name of
Plastibell.
“Plastibell” is the Registered Trade Mark of Briggs Manufactured Products LLC. The patent rights have expired, so it is perfectly legal for look-alike copies to be made, but they cannot lawfully be marketed under the same name.
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The Zhenxi Ring. Additional to the components shown is a length of spandex rubber string.
Avalable sizes:
20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30mm diameter. |
Note: This device should not be used to do a self-circumcision. Circumcision should always be performed by a trained and skilled healthcare provider.
Circlist’s advice to this effect is given despite the intent of the original designer (Lee Doo Euk) that his circumcision ring should be capable of use without medical training.
Illustrations of the procedure
1.
Foreskin retracted; apply inner ring with wider flange distal to patient.
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2.
Foreskin repositioned so as to cover inner ring.
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3.
Outer component fastened to align with groove in inner ring.
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4.
Spandex string tied tightly; it must stay within the distal edge of the inner ring.
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5.
(Later:) Excess foreskin removed, taking care not to cut the spandex string.
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6.
(Over next few days:) Scab forms under the spandex string.
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Images adapted from manufacturer’s publicity material |
Both the procedure for correct use of this device and its capabilities are frequently misunderstood by would-be DIY circumcisors. Note that there is no way to pull shaft skin through the ring under evenly-distributed tension, prior to affixing the spandex string. Partial closure of the locking screw does not result in an even grip right around the ring. This makes the device unsuitable for tight styles of circumcision.
Reader experience : An Unhappy Story of Self-Circumcision
I chose the Korean ring as none of the Sunathrone, Tara Klamp, or SmartKlamp folks would answer my emails. I did a self-circumcision, which in hindsight was ill thought out.
The thing is that, unlike other devices, you can’t cut the skin shortly after this ring is placed. I waited 12 hours for the foreskin to become fully numb before I started to cut. The result was that the cut skin slipped back from the ring, leaving live tissue wide open despite the ring being extremely well closed and the size exactly as they recommend. Excessive bleeding caused me to run to my urologist’s hospital; he cancelled all his appointments to save my penis.
Three major problems exist with this circ ring:
- The explanations are not precise enough, especially about how to calculate the right amount of skin to remove. (When you try this on, you understand...) and the video to be seen on their website is not really convincing.
- The second and perhaps most important problem is the size of the ring. If you follow their advice about the size, you end up with a ring that seems too large. I tried all possibilities during 5 hours.
- It is impossible to keep the ring in place (in order to choose your high/low style of circumcision) when pulling the foreskin forward to cover the ring. More hands are really needed.
One more detail is that, when you perform a high circumcision, you have to cut into a thick vein (most of us have a large vein that goes all the way from the base to the foreskin). Well, I cut in it of course and imagine how bloody everything became after the ring slipped back. The skin should NEVER slip back after being cut. I insist that the ring wasn’t too small and it was correctly locked (extremely tightly screwed).
This circ ring isn’t to be recommended, particularly in the hands of a novice. I’m still pro circumcision but what happened to me has happened to others too. I thought these people misused the ring, but I found out that it is difficult to use if you are not trained and experienced.
The result of all this is that I have a double cut... one at the base of the glans from the surgeon and mine, very high, 3cm from base of my penis. As a warning to others, please make visitors to the CIRCLIST website aware of this.
Anon
A more satisfactory outcome
Not every Zhenxi Ring circumcision ends in disaster. Here are some photographs illustrating a more satisfactory result. Click on the thumbnal to enlarge the image:
Acknowledgements
The following resources were used in the preparation of this web page:
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