Unusual Styles of
Circumcision
The Buttonhole Circumcision
Arguably a buttonhole circumcision isn’t really a circumcision at all and should properly be classified as a ritual body modification. A hole ("the buttonhole") is made in the dorsal surface of the foreskin and the glans is repositioned so as to pass through it. The foreskin, none of which is removed, subsequently hangs down like a drooping flag on a windless day. The procedure has obscure tribal origins the supposed benefits of which are unclear.
The Partial Circumcision
In a partial circumcision, equal amounts of inner and outer foreskin are removed but less than required to fully expose the whole of the glans. Exposing just the urinary meatus avoids spraying of urine, but the procedure confers none of the other benefits of circumcision.
The Dorsal Slit
A Dorsal Slit is most commonly encountered as an emergency procedure to relieve paraphimosis. The normal expectation is that a full circumcision will follow once the immediate symptoms of the paraphimosis have been stabilised. However, in rare cases a dorsal slit is either done as a stand-alone procedure or the emergency treatment is not followed through to its intended conclusion.
Radically High Circumcision
A radically high circumcision removes the whole shaft skin from the penis, placing the scar line tight against the abdomen. What covers the shaft after circumcision is entirely what was inner foreskin prior to circumcuision.
Radically Tight Circumcision
A radically tight circumcision removes almost as much shaft skin as a radically high one, but additionally removes the inner foreskin. This places both the scar line and the rim of the glans close to the abdomen, producing a pronounced shortening of the whole penis. Especially in the context of Judaism, this style is sometimes called Bris Periah.
Japanese Adult Circumcision
According to Ohjimi et al., adult circumcision “causes esthetic problems with scarring and color change, especially in Asian patients”. A team at Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Japan, developed a new style of adult circumcision done with the intention of relieving phimosis whilst at the same time avoiding such cosmetic problems. It is described thus:
“...a longitudinal incision of the prepuce along the constricted area ventrally to release constriction, followed by transverse closure of the wound; removal of excess skin by pinching at the dorsal root of the penis, incising circumferentially except for 2 cm. of ventral skin, and closing the dorsal wound. Functional results in all cases were satisfactory and preputial constriction was fully relieved. Cosmetic results were superior to those of conventional circumcision and dorsal slit methods of adult circumcision because contrasting coloration was obscured behind pubic hair and scarring was coincidental with or beneath the pubic hairline.”
More recently, in 2008, the same basic technique has reportedly been used in China in cases of redundant prepuce. To date, published accounts seem only to have been written in the Chinese language (Reference below).
[Photographs wanted - Editor]
Figure 7 : Unusual / extreme styles of circumcision
Buttonhole Circumcision CIRCLIST Member’s photograph |
Partial Circumcision CIRCLIST Member’s photograph |
Dorsal Slit procedure Copyright © 2009, eMedicine |
Dorsal Slit result CIRCLIST Member’s photograph |
Radically high circumcision |
Radically tight circumcision |
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Acknowledgements
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