How long does it take to heal?
Healing is usually rapid and occurs in several stages. Remember that a circumcision is like any other cut and will heal similar to the umbilical stump. There are many factors that influence healing; but most importantly, every child heals differently.
First, the cut area will crust over within minutes, hours, or over the course of a day. The area just behind the glans (especially the underside) may become a bit swollen. This will subside within a few days or a few weeks.
After a few days the area where the skin was cut have a patchy white/yellow colour. This is NOT pus or an infection. It is granulation tissue which is part of the normal healing process. It can look this color for up to two weeks after the circumcision.
You will also notice that the glans appears red and glossy sometimes purple. This is because the skin covering the glans of an uncircumcised penis is like a mucous membrane (like the skin inside your cheek). Once exposed, the skin will take on a normal appearance. For some babies it takes only a week, and for others up to a month, before the penis has a fully normal appearance.
What will it look like?
A common concern for parents is aesthetics. Remember that penises come in all shapes and sizes. Each foreskin and penis is a different length and different amounts of foreskin are removed. While most penises look normal within a week of the circumcision, some do not take on a completely normal appearance until after a month.
In the first few days you may notice a bit of swelling of the tissue behind or under the head of the penis. This can be mistaken for a small blister. This type of swelling is normal. It is not a blister, and it will gradually subside.
Can there be complications?
The most common complication is that the cut edge of the skin attaches higher than usual along the length of the penis. This is rare, but easily corrected by either gentle pressure or a very quick corrective procedure (no cutting, just a rounded probe to push the skin down).
The most extreme version of this is a ‘turtle penis’ when the tip is completely covered (ie: almost uncircumcised). This can happen when baby has a shorter than average penis combined with a large fat pad at the base. Before the circumcision, Dr. Pakes will easily be able to identify if this is a potential issue and will carry out the procedure to minimize the possibility of a ‘turtle penis’.