Primary prevention
Patient and parental education in the importance of returning the foreskin to its original anatomic location after urinating or cleaning is an important aspect of preventive care.[42]
Parents who attempt to forcibly retract phimotic foreskin may not be able to replace the foreskin afterward. Parents of infants and children with normal, physiologic phimosis should be instructed not to forcibly retract the foreskin for cleaning, as external cleaning is sufficient until physiologic phimosis resolves spontaneously with age.
Avoiding factors that may increase chronic inflammation (e.g., forced retraction of congenital phimosis by parents or care providers) is thought to reduce the incidence of acquired phimosis. Attention to hygiene and avoiding chronic balanoposthitis may also decrease the risk of developing phimosis.[35] Diligence in reducing foreskin after penile exam or procedure prevents iatrogenic paraphimosis.
Healthy lifestyle may reduce obesity-related cases of concealed penis in adolescents and adults. Forgoing neonatal of circumcision in those with concealed penis may also prevent worsening of the condition.
Secondary prevention
Avoiding traumatic forced retraction of physiologic phimotic foreskin is desirable.
Good hygiene minimizes episodes of balanitis and subsequent scarring. There is no known prevention of balanitis xerotica obliterans.
Surgery (circumcision or dorsal slit) is offered to patients who present with paraphimosis, as circumcision eliminates the possibility of recurrence. Paraphimosis is not an absolute indication for circumcision, as most cases can be successfully managed with conservative therapy.
In the adolescent and adult populations where obesity is a contributing factor to concealed penis, weight loss is encouraged. Adequate hygiene minimizes episodes of balanitis and subsequent scarring that may contribute to acquired concealed penis.
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