Medical literature about foreskin restoration

This page collects and indexes medical literature about foreskin restoration. This page does not include material from ancient times.

Work in progress: The following information does not claim to be complete. More content will be added gradually.

Introduction

Foreskin restoration may be done surgically or non-surgically by tissue expansion. Also, foreskin regeneration is under development.

Relatively little medical literature regarding foreskin restoration for circumcised men exists. The reasons for this are two-fold:

• Foreskin restoration embarrasses and discredits the circumcision industry as it tries to make as much money as it can from genital mutilation of boys.
• Most of the development of non-surgical foreskin restoration has been done by non-medical organizations such as BUFF.

Surgical foreskin restoration

Surgical foreskin restoration was developed earlier than non-surgical foreskin restoration.

Articles

• Penn J. Penile Reform. Br J Plast Surg. July 1963; 16: 287-8. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Tushmet L. Uncircumcision. Medical Times. June 1965; 93: 588-93. PMID. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Levin S. Letter: Circumcision and uncircumcision. S Afr Med J. 5 June 1976; 50(24): 913. PMID. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Greer DM, Mohl PC, Sheley KA. A Technique for Foreskin Reconstruction and Some Preliminary Results. The Journal of Sex Research. November 1982; 18(4): 324-30. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  Quote: Every patient has reported the results of the operation to be pleasing and gratifying. Most have reported increased glanular sensitivity.
• Goodwin WE. Uncircumcision: a technique for plastic reconstruction of a prepuce after circumcision. J Urol. November 1990; 144(5): 1203-05. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Lynch MJ, Pryor JP. Uncircumcision: a one-stage procedure. Br J Urol. August 1993; 72(2): 257-8. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Schultheiss D, Truss MC, Stieff CG, Jonas U. Uncircumcision: a historical review of preputial restoration. Plast Reconstr Surg. June 1998; 101(7): 1990-8. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Brandes SB, Mcaninch. Surgical methods of restoring the prepuce: a critical review. BJU Int. January 1999; 83 Suppl 1: 109-13. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.

Non-surgical foreskin restoration

Non-surgical foreskin restoration is accomplished by stimulating mitosis in the residual tissue to cause tissue expansion.

Articles

• Neumann CG. The expansion of an area of skin by progressive distention of a subcutaneous balloon; use of the method for securing skin for subtotal reconstruction of the ear. Plastic Reconstructive Surgery. February 1957; 19(2): 124-30. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Radovan C. Tissue expansion in soft-tissue reconstruction. Plast Reconstr Surg. October 1984; 74(4): 482-92. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Johnson TM, Lowe L, Brown MD, Sullivan MJ, Nelson BR. Histology and physiology of tissue expansion. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. December 1993; 19(12): 1074-8. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Bigelow J (1994, 1998): The Joy of Uncircumcising. Hourglass Book Publishing. ISBN 978-0934061223. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
• Bigelow J. Uncircumcising: undoing the effects of an ancient practice in a modern world. Mothering. 1994; Summer: 121-124. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Collier R. Whole again: the practice of foreskin restoration. CMAJ. 13 December 2011; 183(18): 2019-23. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Zöllner AM, Tepole AB, Kuhl E. On the biomechanics and mechanobiology of growing skin. Theoretical Biology. 2012; 297: 166-75. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 25 June 2024.</ref>
• Özer M, Timmermans FW. ‘An insight into circumcised men seeking foreskin reconstruction: a prospective cohort study’. Int J Impot Res. November 2020; 32(6): 611-6. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
• Timmermans FW, Mokken SE, Poor Toulabi SCZ, et al. A review on the history of and treatment options for foreskin reconstruction after circumcision . Int J Impot Res. 14 April 2021; PMID. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  Quote: Nonsurgical methods of reconstruction are rarely mentioned in literature. Nonetheless, nonsurgical methods, such as manual stretching and device-assisted tissue expansion, are commonplace among those who pursue foreskin reconstruction. Although the nonsurgical methods have yielded good results with minimal adverse effects, no proper medical research has been performed to quantify these outcomes.
• Hammond T, Sardi LM, Jellison WA, McAllister R, Snyder B, Fahmy MAB. Foreskin restorers: insights into motivations, successes, challenges, and experiences with medical and mental health professionals - An abridged summary of key findings. Int J Impot Res. May 2023; 35(3): 309-22. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  Quote: An unknown proportion of circumcised males experience acute circumcision-related distress; some attempt to regain a sense of bodily integrity through non-surgical foreskin restoration.
• Mokken SE, Özer M, Timmermans FW. Comment: Foreskin restorers: insights into motivations, successes, challenges and experiences with medical and mental health professionals. Int J Impot Res. May 2023; 35(3): 323. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
• Hammond T, Sardi LM, Jellison WA, McAllister R, Snyder B, Fahmy MAB. Correction: Foreskin restorers: insights into motivations, successes, challenges, and experiences with medical and mental health professionals - an abridged summary of key findings. Int J Impot Res. February 2024; 36(1): 103. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 20 June 2024.

Foreskin regeneration

Foreskin regeneration is a relatively new and experimental procedure with the application of the principles of tissue engineering to regeneration of missing foreskins, which Foregen is attempting to develop. The publications to date have been limited. The available articles report on the development of a procedure, not the actual performance of foreskin regeneration, which has not been reported as of June 2024.

Articles

• Purpura V, Bondioli E, Cunningham EC, et al. The development of a decellularized extracellular matrix–based biomaterial scaffold derived from human foreskin for the purpose of foreskin reconstruction in circumcised males. J Tissue Eng. 22 December 2018; PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
• Novotna O, Varchulova Novakova, Z, Galfiova P, Lorencova M, Klein M, Žiaran S, Kuniakova M. Decellularization techniques of human foreskin for tissue engineering application . Physiol Res. 27 October 2023; 72(S3): S287-S297. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 14 June 2024.

See also

• Basics of foreskin restoration
• Restoration
• Restored foreskin

External links

• Narvaez DF. Practical Tips for Men Distressed by Their Circumcision. Psychology Today. 21 June 2015; Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  Quote: One of the (many) problems with circumcision is that circumcised men often suffer in silence, for fear of being thought weak or weird if they complain.

The Cleveland Clinic (2023) has belatedly recognized the existence of both surgical and non-surgical foreskin restoration:

• Anonymous (23 July 2023). Foreskin Restoration, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/, Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  Quote: Restoring your foreskin is a personal decision, and there are many reasons why you may want to do it. Most people who wish to restore their foreskin want the appearance of an uncircumcised penis. It can also make you feel good to reclaim decisions about your body.