How to treat Frenulum breve

December 23, 2007 7:18 PM

Penis problem: Frenulum breve to be exact. Or in simpler terms, problem retracting the foreskin due to the band of tissue under the glans of the penis is too short.

I want it fixed; due to the area I’m a bit worried about going about it in the wrong way. What should I be thinking of? What kind of operation, what kind of follow up treatment and what expectations should I have? Personal experiences or general advice much appreciated.

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (9 comments total)

Been there, done that. Seems to run in the family maybe. I had a full circumcision when I was 26, when brother managed to convince them to just cut a V-shape. But perhaps you are thinking of other solutions. I think the V-shape would be a better idea, as sex is not as good after circumcision, you lose a lot of feeling in the head. Just a personal opinion mind you.

Any questions?
posted by lundman at 7:30 PM on December 23, 2007

Simple excision fo the frenulum with a laser scalpel, and a few days with no sex and an antibiotic ointment. That's all, really.
posted by _dario at 8:24 PM on December 23, 2007

Don't listen to anyone telling you to get a circumcision. Nine times out of ten, it's totally unnecessary. Three years ago, I had the same problem as you: a foreskin which would never, under any circumstances, retract, not even a little bit. Worse still, when having sex it would sometimes get stuck behind the head of my penis. At the time, I was told that the only solution was a circumcision but my aversion to doctors and medical procedures encouraged me to find another way. A few months of stretching in a hot bath and copious amounts of sex with my girlfriend cured what, in my opinion, was an extremely bad case of phimosis. I can't give you my girlfriend, but a hot bath shouldn't be too hard to find. Good luck!
posted by Zé Pequeno at 1:52 AM on December 24, 2007

You don't mention how old you are, or whether you're actively having sex. I had this problem to a small degre, but I guess it eventually 'stretched', although one time I succeeded in tearing the frenulum just slightly. I found it eased up after having sex a few times. This might not apply in your case though. I talked to a doctor and I was prescribed a steroid cream which I was to apply and stretch regularly, I didn't actually do it as often as prescribed but perhaps that might have assisted in easing it up.
posted by chrisbucks at 4:59 AM on December 24, 2007

Yeah, more info needed - specifically about what you are hoping to achieve.

The frenulum isn't naturally stretchy and accomodating, especially if you've never spent a good period of time stretching it out. Patience, and daily attention will probably solve your problem, but don't expect a quick fix unless you are going the surgery route. I recall more than a year of stretching before my frenulum was sufficiently stretchy.

Meanwhile, I'll just echo the anti-circumcision sentiment. No matter what you are doing down there surgically, you will damage the sensitivity to your glans or the area around it. In my opinion, keeping my little guy feeling good is worth a long-term (but ultimately slowler) solution.
posted by greekphilosophy at 6:08 AM on December 24, 2007

I posted the question and to answer the questions. I'm 27 and I am having sex regulary.

When I googled this i came across 2 surgical methods: scalpel and z-plasty or tying a knot (NSFW: http://www.male-initiation.net/library/gallery/frenuloplasty/frenulum.html#start).

I haven't really contemplated the steroid cream route. I'd like to know more about that. How severe a problem can it alleviate?

Another question: I've learned to associate (in this area only) pangs of pain with pleasure (towards the end mostly). I'm a bit fearful that i will miss that. Am I alone in having formed that association?
posted by JeNeSaisQuoi at 6:42 AM on December 24, 2007

Yeah, cutting things off should always be the last choice and avoided unless necessary. But once you've torn it a few times, and it does not heal very well (easier to tear next time, etc) and then you can get further complications from that. Chose well:)
posted by lundman at 1:42 AM on December 25, 2007

Necessary treatment depends on the severity of the condition. I had the condition, discovering it after an excruciating (albeit hilarious) sexual experience when I was 19. I looked up the various methods of treatment online, and as a result, was quite nervous about seeing a doctor.

The doctor took one look at it and said I was fine, and that if I stretched it out every time I had an erection the problem would solve itself. Surgery is only necessary on the more severe forms, especially if the frenulum has been torn and there's scar tissue.

Have you ever torn your frenulum in the past? If so, is there any scar tissue? Have you ever stretched it regularly? Like I said, it all depends on the severity of the condition. If you can afford it, I'd recommend seeing a urologist and getting a professional opinion.

As for the pain/pleasure association thing, I always found the pain distracting, so I can't help you there.
posted by Ndwright at 12:03 AM on December 26, 2007

http://www.male-initiation.net is the best resource I've seen.

Steroids will help with phimosis, but generally not frenulum breve.

For anyone with phimosis, who reads this in the future: the steroid betamethasone works very, very well. Speak to your doctor. If your doctor is ignorant of the subject (many of them are - hence the circumcisions), speak to another doctor.

Good luck!
posted by BeaverTerror at 10:38 PM on December 26, 2007