Those who are circumcised and remember the surgery: did it hurt?

To those of you who are circumcised and can remember the surgery: did it hurt? (Was there anesthesia, did it hurt afterwards, etc.)

When I was a kid I was told by my cousin about his circumcision for phimosis. He was put to sleep using some kind of mask (I think probably not a general anesthesia, more like something to make him sleep) and woke up with a huge bandage on his penis. He did not mention pain at the time, except, I think, some itching due to stitches.

Yes circoncision is painfull

The first night after the surgery when you got à erection it so bad.

You dont sleep and you feel pain for 1 or 2 week.

I certainly cannot recall any pain , the itching during the healing process was very uncomfortable .

I haven't been there but I don't see how there could be no pain after the anesthesia wears off.

I remember many years ago listening to my police scanner when there was a motorcycle accident. The cop was calling for a rescue unit saying the girl was OK but the guy had been circumcised recently and his stitches had been torn. I could almost feel that just listening to it.

@roscoe A few people told me that their circumcision hurt:

- One had been circumcised as a child in Indonesia with only some kind of local ointment as anesthesia.

- Another was circumcised as a child without anesthesia in Turkey (or perhaps only some local ointment).

- Others mentioned painful erections afterwards.

It seems however that those circumcised in childhood (when there are fewer erections than in teen age) with proper anesthesia etc. only tend to mention itching, apparently due to stitches.

There is however a long-term issue: some circumcised males mention difficulties with masturbation, or even intercourse, with irritation near the scar, especially if no lubricant is used.

@Pecan_nutjob I can see that scar being quite a problem. The scars on my chest, arm and leg after heart bypass surgery were very sensitive to being touched for several years. The one on my arm still feels strange when touching it and the surgery was 27 years ago.

@roscoe It seems also that there may be difficulties with the fragile former inner foreskin, which gets exposed and gets tight, depending on where the scar is placed and how tightly the circumcision was done.

With respect to the scar, indeed, I expect that a scar that gets rubbed directly during sexual stimulation could be a problem. I don't know exactly it happened, but my cousin described some kind of small micro-cuts that would bleed a bit, in rare cases.

I myself got the snip at 8yo. During the procedure I felt the doc pinching and tugging and could like feel (and see for that matter) the clamp as it was affixed. Overall I'd say I was definitely aware of what the doctor was doing down below.

@VladimirFox Thanks for your testimony. Why were you circumcised at that age?

@Pecan_nutjob am new here. Made a post sharing my experience.

@VladimirFox Yes, but the question is: why were you circumcised? Religion?

@Pecan_nutjob as far as I know it was my mother's decision and I wasn't consulted. Nothing as elaborate as hygiene or religion just one women's decision.

I was circumcised about ten years ago, unfortunately time fades the details.

The anasthesia didn't really hurt, but unfortunately they put me in a mild sleep so I have no remembrance of the procedure itself.

The healing process was painless as well, maybe once a bit itchy but that's it.

Anyway, very happy with the outcome.

I don't remember the operation consciously but must remember it unconsciously as it still has a psychological effect on me. In the 1960s in the UK it was done routinely for "hygenic" reasons depending on which hospital you were born at. I was born in a Wakefield hospital rather than in my home town - the boys in my class who were born in my home town seem to have been uncircumcised. It would be interesting to talk to the doctors who took this decision back then, but they are probably all dead! Did they ever think of the psychological effects?

I don't remember and I'm not sure if my son does but there is a picture of him taken shortly after and he does not look very happy. In the mid 80's a professional photographer took newborn baby pictures in the hospital. It was not a scheduled portrait and luck would have it, they showed up right after the circumcision. His face was all red and scrunched up. We always comment on the timing when we see the photo.

I don't remember it hurt! Except for some itching around stitches afterwards, if my memory is correct - that was 40 years ago! I was put to sleep during surgery!

I was partially sedated and locally anesthetized, so the operation itself did not hurt a bit. When the anesthetic started to wear off, I had a dull pain around the glans for a few days, and very painful erections for a couple of weeks, especially at night. I remember that I was prescribed painkillers, while my parents were instructed to keep three bags of frozen peas in the freezer. For whatever reason, the local supermarket was out of frozen peas, so they brought home frozen vegetable mix and corn kernels. I still wonder why there was no frozen peas in the supermarket that summer, just a couple of months before the school started.

I had general anaesthetic and they clearly put in quite a bit of nerve block while I was under too, as I didn’t really feel anything until a good twelve hours after I came round. The IV did really hurt my wrist but I think the anaesthetist realised I was nervous and pushed the drugs immediately, I was out like a light

Honestly it didn’t hurt much, I took maybe 6 ibuprofen over the next couple of days.

The main sudden pain was when I’d get an erection in my sleep and it would pull on the stitches, wake me up, and I’d quickly lose the erection again… that happened a few times a night for the first week, but then it was ok

I’d occasionally get a minor bit of pain from a stitch or something but it was mostly all minor. Even when I carefully took out a couple of stitches that had done their job but weren’t dissolving (trying to avoid train track scars) didn’t really hurt

Not much, what I remember most are the previous visits to the specialists.

I only remember the day they took me to the clinic, the doctor was waiting for me. They took me to a room, they put the gown on me, the doctor proceeded to mark everything with a marker. And later I lay down on a bed and they took me to another room after they gave me injections.

What I have very much experienced is waking up and seeing my parents, I remember that the doctor came back to check and discharge me. I only saw my penis all bandaged like a mummy and my mom put underwear on me and a cup.

The entire first week, I spent it naked because my penis was very sensitive, I was only wearing my brother's t-shirt. I remember Dad's bandage changes and dressings after each bath. It was very annoying.

More than pain, it was burning and itching in the frenum and scar area.

Then came the stage of getting used to clothes again.

About 4 years ago my Dad had to get circumcised at the VA. He was having problems retracting. While he was there the doctor told me he had 7 other men around dad’s age that day. All with similar issues. They gave dad some strong pain pills to last him for a week or two. He said the first week without the pain pills had some moments where he felt pain. But otherwise he was ok. He heeled up pretty well and quickly.

I was unconscious for the surgery and I don't remember much pain after that, but I have a very high pain tolerance so perhaps that's misleading. I was given muscle relaxants for a few days to prevent erections and when I finally got my first erection post-op it felt about as painful as firmly biting your lip: intense enough to be noticeable, but not uncomfortable. At about the end of the week it got itchy and the dried sutures started poking me occasionally. I just pulled out the ones that remained after a couple of weeks, which felt like pulling a hair out. So aside from the itching the only real discomfort was the couple of occasions when a hair or cloth fiber got stuck in the meatus or when it got stuck to underwear before it had become conditioned. Both fairly minor, but inconvenient if you need to adjust in public.

I doubt my boys would remember being circumcised due to only being a few weeks old when they were done.

@Assjavon

Do you know whether (and when) your sons realized or learnt they had that penis surgery back than? Did you ever talk about it wiith them?

@Assjavon A huge difference between that and, as for some boys done later, waking up after surgery with a penis you don't recognize!

@Assjavon A huge difference between that and, as for some boys done later, waking up after surgery with a penis you don't recognize!

And one that hurts and throbs from the cutting and sewing.

When I was about fourteen there was only one uncircumcised boy in our group of fifty boys and he was born in Europe. Don't recalled why he was cut then, maybe retraction issues, but I do know he was hurting pretty good for a week or so.

I don't remember a thing. I was probably done right after delivery just as we did our sons.

@agracier I don't remember it hurting much, mostly some itching because of stitches, I think. But I was young enough I was not getting erections, at least much less than a teenager would.

I had a medical issue and had to get circumcised about 10 years ago. It was very painful for a couple days after surgery and especially when I started getting erections in my sleep. I don’t like pain medicines but I did take them for a few days.

After the operation, it was very painful for the first week, then slowly began to heal. Probably because the bandages were done by a pretty girl.:-) A week later, the doctor recommended trying to have sex, but it was still very painful.