What to do if the frenulum of the penis is torn?

The frenulum in men is represented by an elastic fold of skin that connects the head of the penis to the foreskin and is needed to hold the latter in place. Her injury is accompanied by severe pain and bleeding.

Usually its damage occurs due to a congenital short frenulum or its scar deformation. This can also occur in an infant when parents try to forcefully expose the head of the penis.

Rough sexual contact and masturbation are among the most common causes of frenulum tearing and rupture. Men with genital piercings are also at risk. A foreign body or jewelry causes injury during sexual intercourse, changing clothes or hygiene procedures.

Short frenulum of the penis

The pathology is common among men who have not undergone circumcision (circumcision). In this group, its incidence is 5%.

Shortening the fold leads to impaired retraction of the foreskin. This, in turn, may be accompanied by painful sensations during sex, masturbation, and the inability to completely expose the head of the male genital organ.

Rough attempts to retract the foreskin can lead to the frenulum breaking. The tear is accompanied by acute pain and can cause a man to fear repeated sexual contact and erectile dysfunction.

What to do if you have such symptoms?

For many men, the relevant question is when the frenulum on the head is torn - what to do? There is no need to panic initially. All actions must be extremely careful and safe. If bleeding and bruising are present, you need to treat the damaged surface with peroxide or other antiseptic preparations on hand (with the exception of iodine solution) to minimize the risk of infection. First, you need to pinch and press the frenulum against the penis with your fingers to stop the bleeding. The manipulation must be done carefully, since strong squeezing and pressing is fraught with negative consequences. You can keep your penis in this position for no more than 10 minutes. Next, you need to apply a bandage at the site of the tear, but do not wrap the penis completely. This can cause stagnation of blood in the vessels. After this, you can perform hygiene procedures, but we must not forget about the obligatory trip to the hospital.

In case of swelling, a compress of gauze soaked in cool boiled water will help relieve symptoms.

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Local inflammations that provoke irritation of the dermis can be removed using a gauze bandage and water hygiene procedures.

But in any case, comprehensive treatment prescribed by a specialist will be required.

Damage options

1. 1Microtear is characterized by severe pain and is rarely accompanied by bleeding. Subsequently, the injury site heals with the formation of a scar, which further reduces the extensibility of the tissue. Thus, a new injury occurs with less load.
2. 2Tear is accompanied by bleeding of varying intensity.
3. 3If the elasticity of the skin fold is significantly impaired (with repeated tears, inflammation), it may completely rupture with bleeding.

Operation techniques

There are two methods of performing tongue frenuloplasty: traditional (classical) and laser. This is a more modern and safer method. The laser allows the operation to be performed with great precision and does not cause bleeding after the procedure. In addition, there is no need for stitches, and healing time is significantly reduced. This is especially important if you need to perform laser frenuloplasty on a child: the baby will tolerate the procedure much easier.

Depending on what pathology of the frenulum is detected, the doctor uses one of three techniques: cuts the frenulum, removes it, or changes the attachment site. The number of cuts and their shape depend on the choice of technique.

Treatment of microtears

With a microtear, the patient complains that the head of the penis hurts during sex/masturbation, retraction of the foreskin. Bleeding usually does not occur.

Microtears appear as small, red cracks in the frenulum area.

They do not require emergency medical attention. Basic measures in case of acute pain:

• Refusal of sexual activity.
• Treatment of skin folds with solutions of Chlorhexidine, Miramistin.
• Returning the skin of the foreskin to its normal position.

The first episode of damage to the frenulum leads to the formation of a small scar, which reduces its elasticity. Repeatedly, as a rule, it breaks in the same place. As a matter of routine, it is recommended to consult a urologist.

Indications for the procedure

For newborn children, cutting the frenulum of the tongue is recommended quite often. A pediatrician or dentist can identify the pathology. In most cases, disorders are detected already in the first months of a child’s life. At the same time, the doctor always takes into account the individual characteristics of the structure and position of the mucous fold.

If we are talking about a newborn baby, then plastic surgery is prescribed in the case of obvious pathology in the formation of the frenulum, or difficulties with breastfeeding. The baby may have difficulty latching on to the nipple or pacifier and difficulty sucking on the breast or bottle.

Untimely plastic surgery may subsequently lead to difficulties with chewing food, bite formation, and diction problems. In older age, recommendations for surgical treatment can be given by a speech therapist or orthodontist.

Tear or complete rupture

Symptoms of a frenulum tear:

• Severe pain in the area of ​​the head and torn frenulum.
• Bleeding.
• Swelling of the skin in the area of ​​injury.
• Change in color of the head and surrounding tissues. They may be red (hyperemic).
• Changing the contours of the skin flap covering the head.

First aid:

1. 1In first place in terms of importance is stopping bleeding.
2. 2All activities are recommended to be performed under sterile conditions (using antiseptics and sterile gloves).
3. 3After treating the damaged area with Chlorhexidine/Miramistin (vodka or alcohol solutions cannot be used), the rupture site must be pressed with a sterile gauze pad for 15 minutes.
4. 4After the bleeding has stopped, apply a sterile bandage to the wound area and visit a urologist within the first 24 hours.
5. 5If the bleeding cannot be stopped, you must urgently contact the emergency department of a urological hospital.

Exercises for correcting the frenulum of the tongue and in the postoperative period

Postoperative frenulum stretching and correction exercises are aimed at developing new muscle movements of the tip of the tongue inside and outside the mouth. Regular practice will increase the range of movement of the tongue.

Articulation exercises by themselves will not improve speech and will not be able to correct the defect, so it is very important to carry them out in conjunction with individual speech therapy sessions.

The most common and universal exercises for stretching and correcting the frenulum of the tongue are given here in the article. Following them, you can study at home with your child on your own:

1. Stretch your tongue forward, then stretch the tip up to your nose, then down to your chin. Relax, repeat the exercise several times (at first, up to five repetitions are enough, gradually the number of repetitions must be increased, bringing them to twenty).
2. The exercise is performed by analogy with the previous one, moving the tongue left and right. The number of repetitions is also gradually increased to twenty.
3. Open your mouth wide. Use the tip of your tongue to touch the upper incisors and try to press on the teeth with all your might, not allowing your mouth to close. During each execution, mentally count to ten. The number of repetitions is the same as the previous ones.
4. The exercise is performed in front of a mirror. The mouth is wide open. When performing the exercise, it is important to monitor the movements of the tongue. Pronounce the syllables “dar-dar-dar”, “nar-nar-nar”, “tar-tar-tar”, etc.
5. Sticking your tongue forward as much as possible, alternately “lick” your upper and lower lips.
6. Closing your mouth, move your tongue from right to left and back, forcefully pressing the inside of your cheeks with the tip of your tongue.

To achieve good results, exercises should be performed daily, in several approaches, for 15-20 minutes . The articulation of specific sounds can be gradually corrected.

Important! You can begin to perform exercises for the frenulum of the tongue only after the wound has completely healed.

Speech therapy classes should include exercises to improve the functioning of the speech apparatus and oral kinesthesia, without which it is difficult to claim significant improvements in the development of a child’s speech. Many young patients, after cutting the frenulum, begin to speak more quietly and more quickly, trying to “drown out” speech problems.

Surgical treatment

The indication for surgery is the presence of a short frenulum in combination with:

• Difficulty in completely removing the skin from the head.
• Pain during sex, during erection.
• Tears and bleeding during sex.
• Curvature of the penis during erection.

Types of operations:

1. 1Plasty of the frenulum (frenuloplasty, in everyday life - “cutting”).
2. 2 Its complete removal (frenectomy).

Tissue dissection can be performed with a conventional scalpel, laser or radio knife. The use of laser and radio wave surgery is accompanied by less tissue trauma and a decrease in the postoperative recovery period.

6.1. Frenuloplasty

Rice. 1 – Frenuloplasty. Source — [1]

1. 1Local anesthesia is required. With a short frenulum, an incision is made in the transverse direction, followed by stitching longitudinally.
2. 2The duration of the operation is about 30 minutes.
3. 3The postoperative dressing is removed after two to three days.
4. 4The wound heals in the absence of complications on the 10-12th day.
5. 5 The stitches are removed on the 10-14th day.

6.2. Frenectomy

Rice. 2 – Penis after frenectomy. Source — [1]

1. 1The operation consists of complete excision of the frenulum and suturing of the skin defect with separate sutures.
2. 2The duration of the operation is 30 minutes.
3. 3The bandage can be removed on the second day.
4. 5 The stitches are removed on the 10-14th day.

If treatment is not done in a timely manner, undesirable consequences may occur:

• Psychological problems (fear of sexual intercourse, erectile dysfunction).
• Repeated tears, up to complete rupture.
• Attachment of infection with the development of severe inflammation and swelling of local tissues.

How to recognize pathology in a child

A neonatologist, pediatrician, or the mother herself can recognize a pathological frenulum of the tongue in a newborn. If during the first and subsequent breastfeedings the baby experiences difficulties and cannot grasp the nipple correctly, then there is a reason to consult a doctor.

The second common sign of a pathological frenulum of the tongue in children is the occurrence of a speech defect when they begin to speak in phrases, namely at 3-4 years. Most often, with this anomaly, children do not pronounce several letters: “zh”, “sh”, “sch”, “ch”, “z”, “l” and “r”. Moreover, the sound “l” is easily pronounced if it is followed by a soft vowel, for example, “i”, “yu”, “e”, “e”, “ya”, in other cases it is simply “swallowed”. If there is incorrect pronunciation of sounds, then an examination by a speech therapist is necessary.

The most common symptoms of a tongue tie in a child are the following:

• the child is not able to reach the front teeth of the upper jaw or palate with the tip of his tongue;
• the child may have difficulty moving the tip of the tongue from one side to the other;
• the front teeth of the lower jaw may have a gap between each other;
• when the tongue is pulled forward, its tip remains flat, square or heart-shaped (that is, the front edge of the tongue seems to bifurcate);
• feeding problems in newborns.

It is important to understand that if the problem of the tongue frenulum exists, then sooner or later it will have to be solved. The sooner measures are taken, the easier and more painlessly the baby will endure them.

Symptoms of a rupture

Regardless of what the causes of the torn frenulum on the head were (congenital pathology or excessive exposure), the symptoms are the same. This is evidenced.

1. Minor bruising or minor bleeding from a vein. These manifestations are not considered complex, but can still cause a lot of discomfort.
2. Swelling that occurs as a result of trauma to the skin and hematoma.
3. The presence of pain when opening the head of the penis.
4. Difficulty urinating.
5. Irritation of the flesh due to urea getting on its surface.

Preventive actions

In order to prevent the problem from occurring, experts recommend taking a few simple preventive actions.

1. Contacting a hospital for circumcision before phimosis manifests itself.
2. If you experience discomfort during sexual intercourse, you should immediately contact a specialized doctor.
3. Do not neglect the use of optimal positions for sexual contact with your partner, in which there will be minimal friction of the head against the vaginal walls.
4. Before sex, spend enough time on foreplay so that your partner develops a sufficient amount of lubrication. If necessary, use special lubricants.
5. Avoid sudden friction during sexual intercourse.
6. It is important to show children over 3 years of age to a urologist in a timely manner.
7. The rules of genital hygiene should not be neglected.

If you are still wondering whether the frenulum on the head should be torn, seek additional advice from a urologist. Although, taking into account the above information, we can say that such a measure will become a serious complication in the functioning of the reproductive organ.

Frenulotomy method

This method can eliminate the consequences of the injury to the foreskin and remove the root cause of its occurrence. The procedure is painless, quick (only 20 minutes) and, most importantly, without mental trauma for the patient.

The technology itself is essentially a plastic procedure of an elementary form. During its implementation, the length of the skin increases. Specialists carry out the following manipulations.

1. A small transverse incision is made on the foreskin with a surgical scalpel.
2. After this, sutures are placed, but not across, along, to reduce the level of skin stretching.
3. After healing, an invisible suture along the penis remains at the intervention site.

The wound heals within 5 days, and does not cause any inconvenience to the patient. As a result, the foreskin will be able to freely pull down after the operation and expose the head without pain or discomfort. You will be able to return to having sex after half a month from the date of going to the hospital.

This method is advisable to use in cases where there is a pathologically short length of the frenulum.