Patient/Dr relationship

[coalbear_1]

I am 46 and diabetic.  I am soon (March 6) to be circumcised because of Phimossis and beginning BXO.  My Dr. will just tell me i am to have a "Circ".  When i ask questions about the operation he seems to get offended and want tell me specifics about the operation.   He will not tell the about the placement of the scar or the method he will use.   This is at a teaching hospital  (UVA medical center in Charlottesville VA) that is very respcetable.   How should i go about getting the information to make an informed decision?  Should I not have the right to have a say in an operation that will affect my sexual life?     Any suggestion?

[deepdiver]

If the foreskin cannot be pulled back into place treatment should be sought. If the blood flow to the penis is restricted then emergency treatment is required and if the foreskin cannot be pulled back a surgical cut to the trapped foreskin may be required. Failure to seek treatment can result in permanent damage to the penis. Once phimosis is diagnosed, the available treatments include topical corticosteroids, manual stretching, foreskin surgical repair or plastic surgery, and circumcision. Conservative treatments should be tried in the first instance and surgery used as the treatment of last resort.
A number of studies show that phimosis can be safely and effectively treated by the application of topical steroids in 80-90% of cases. Betamethasone cream 0.05% should be applied to the exterior and interior of the tip of the foreskin two or three times a day. The treatment should be discontinued as ineffective after three months if the foreskin has not become retractile during this time.
A number of corrections are available for the adult or adolescent non-retractable foreskin. These include surgery to repair the foreskin, in which an incision is made through the constrictive band of the foreskin. The underlying tissue is spread with forceps to expose the Buck's fascia (the deep, connective tissue of the penis) and the incision is closed with absorbable sutures. This procedure has less risk of disease and infection than circumcision, and allows the foreskin to be retained.
Circumcision is very traumatic to a child. It is essentially irreversible and should be the treatment of last resort. Phimosis due to balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO), a chronic, progressive, hardening skin inflammation of the penis, has been considered the one common absolute indication for circumcision.

[Angelinthemorning]

You absolutely have the right to know all you can about this operation.  Make a list of the exact questions you want to ask...If next time you see him he won't answer these ask for a referral to another doctor who will.  You need some type of resource to get your questions answered.  Whether a nurse comes in and talks you through it or what.  It is you who is getting operated on and I think it is very important to have all your questions answered.  Any doctor who won't answer questions isn't the one for you..