I'm 25 and I have a sebaceous cyst on the shaft of my penis (underside). My DR has referred me to get this removed. Has anyone had this done and can they give a detailed account of the procedure, and recovery? As much info as possible would be appreciated. Are you naked, where do they inject the local anesthetic, does it hurt, how long was the procedure, do you get stitches, how long was the recovery, is there scarring?! Thanks.
Hi Guest,
We can't provide specifics as we don't have your full history and the exam results.
1. You aren't usually naked but your penis will be exposed.
2. It depends upon the size/location of the cyst how/where the anesthetic is administered. In some cases a topical (surface) anesthetic is used. In others a local anesthetic, such as novocaine, is used. Just like dental work there can be a sting as the anesthetic is administered.
3/4. The length of the procedure varies. In most cases it is probably less than 20 minutes but again, it depends upon the size and depth of the cyst. You may/may not need stitches.
5. There may be a slight scar. The skin on the genitals is very thin. Recovery varies.
Your doctor can provide you with the full specifics.
Good luck.
Just thought I'd give a detailed account since there's no much info around about this.
It was done at an in rooms procedure not in a hospital. I arrived, went into the room and sat on the chair. Dr told assistant that she wasn't required, due to the procedure being quite simple and for privacy reasons.
Dr positioned chair and asked me to pull down pants and underwear so area was exposed. Placed that surgical paper towel stuff over legs and under scrotum and another across the abdomen area, pretty much just leaving penis area exposed. Explained what he was going to be doing and then started.
First up was administering the local anesthetic. I was initially worried about this but was fine. I could barely feel the first needle, and after that it was numb and I didn't feel the following injections. I think he administered 4 injections into the skin directly around the cyst. Then went around and administered another 4 in the same areas. Waited for 5 mins for the anesthetic to kick in, tested the area and I said I couldn't feel anything so moved on to the next step.
He stuck down the surgical pad which is basically a sterile pad with a hole cut in to which my penis wen through. He cleaned the area and put betadine all over the penis, and then marked up where he was going to cut.
I looked away for the most part while the procedure was being done. The actual cutting part literally only took a couple of minutes. He removed the entire cyst intact and quite easily.
He then stitched the incision. I didn't get told how many stitches I got, but there were some internal and external stitches. I was surprise about the stitches due to the small size of the cyst, I wasn't even sure if I would have needed stitches. The stitches took about 5-10minutes.
He then applied tape over the stitches and water proof dressing pretty much a big bandaid.
All up from the time I got into the seat to the time I left was about 30mins. About 10mins prep and anesthetic, 5mins cutting and 10mins stitches and dressing.
The Dr was really cool and the procedure wasn't as awkward as I expected. I was more nervous in the lead up, but was fairly relaxed once I was sitting in the chair.
External stitches take up to 5 days to dissolve, internal stitches take up to 6 weeks!
He said no sex or sports etc for 4 weeks. I wasn't expecting the recovering process to take so long. I thought maybe a week and then it would be pretty much back to normal. But no.
He said that the skin might take a few months to get back into shape, said something about the internal stitches were anchored to some tissue so I might be able to feel a lump in there for a few weeks and that the incision may not look even now but it should stretch back into shape in a few months, which I am a bit worried about. I went through this procedure to get rid of a small lump, I don't want it replaced with another lump or ugly scar. I will see how it progresses though.
The anesthetic lasted for about 5 hours, after which it started to sting, almost like burning. Took two panadine forte that he prescribed, but that didn't really make any difference, so it made for a restless nights sleep last night. This morning I took another two panadine forte and again didn't seem to stop the stinging feeling, not unbearable but can feel it. He also gave me 5 days worth of antibiotics to take to prevent any infection.
Have to go back for a follow up appointment in 7 days, at which time he will take the dressing off (if it hasn't fallen off beforehand).
I had try to subtly ask about the possibility of the stitches being a problem with erections through the night but he didn't really give an answer. Haven't had that problem as yet, probably cause it's still a little painful at the moment.
So it's day 4, don't have any pain at all now. I only used the panadine forte for the first and second night (didn't really make much difference) and haven't used any pain relief since. I have a fairly good tolerance to pain, but I don't feel any at all now.
Dr said to leave the surgical dressing on until my appointment with him in 4 days time. Can see blood on the dressing it so it seems weird that I don't have to change it, but I guess that's what the antibiotics are for.
Haven't had any issues with erections and the stitches as none have occurred, probably due to the big ass surgical dressing stuck on it.
Will update again after I get the dressing taken off by the Dr next week. By then the external stitches should have completely dissolved.
He said the internal anchor stitches will take at least another 5 weeks to dissolve so I will be able to feel them under the skin for a while yet. I can't feel them now thou due to the dressing staying on. Due to some of the horror stories I've read about internal stitches not dissolving I asked that they would def 100% dissolve and he said yes, but I maybe feel a small bit of scar tissue under the skin when they go. I said I didn't want to trade one lump for another and he said that if there was a small bump to massage it or "use it", it being my penis. Lol. I'm not sure how that helps but will def give it a go. Hopefully it all heals without any drama - in 5 weeks time.
He said no "contact sport" for another 3 weeks, I think he was meaning sex but wanted to sound polite.
Got erect a couple of times in the past few days, and stitches actually didn't feel like splitting and wasn't painful, so maybe they have some element of stretch to them. Dr didn't mention anything about this, he is a plastic surgeon that said he doesn't have much experience dealing with cysts on penis' so I'm not sure if he knew what sort of information would be handy or not.
Hi, I also had my sebaceous cyst removed. It's on my lower shaft/scrotum area. The cyst was around the size of 2 grains of rice.
The dermatologist surgeon put in 3-4 non-dissolvable stitches (but never told me how many stitches he put in). Now I have an appointment with a nurse in 2 weeks to get the stitches removed.
Now, I have 3 questions:
1. How will I know that the nurse removed all the stitches?
2. Is 2 weeks too long to get the stitches removed? I read online that it's 4-5 days for face, 5 - 10 days for hand and arm, and 7 - 14 days for leg and foot. But what about the scrotum area? Doesn't this get a lot of bloodflow and should be treated like a hand and arm, so 5 - 10 days?
3. I shaved my scrotum before the surgery. Should I shave my balls again before the nurse removes the stitches (I'm guessing not cuz I don't want to accidentally snip anything). Also the stitching thread is black, and my pubic hair is also black. So I don't want to accidentally snip the thread. Thoughts?
Hello, I will try to answer to your questions.
-
Removing stitches: When the nurse removes the stitches, they will carefully inspect the area to ensure that all the stitches are taken out. They are trained to recognize and remove the sutures properly. If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to ask the nurse during the appointment.
-
Timing for suture removal: The timing for suture removal can vary based on the location of the incision and the surgeon's judgment. While guidelines exist for typical healing times in different areas of the body, there can be variations based on individual factors and the specific procedure performed. The decision to remove the stitches after two weeks is likely based on the surgeon's assessment and what they believe is best for your case. If you are concerned about the timing, it's best to discuss this with your dermatologist or nurse during your appointment.
-
Shaving before stitch removal: It's generally not recommended to shave the area again before the nurse removes the stitches. Shaving can increase the risk of irritation and infection, especially during the healing process. It's essential to keep the area clean and dry during this time. The nurse performing the stitch removal will be experienced and trained to work around the hair and sutures without causing any issues.
Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.