2026. 01. 23.
I was just diagnosed with balanitis at the hospital. Is circumcision the only answer?
My glans naturally retracts and I wash it every day!!
Kyung-ho Ryu
Medical Director, Goldman Urology Clinic Gangnam
Hello, this is Dr. Kyung-ho Ryu, a Doctalk-Naver KnowledgeiN consulting physician.
You've been diagnosed with balanitis. To conclude first, just because you've been diagnosed with balanitis doesn't necessarily mean you must have circumcision.
The current inflammation can be sufficiently treated through antibiotic or anti-inflammatory prescriptions and appropriate ointment application.
However, if inflammation repeatedly recurs despite thorough hygiene management, or if the foreskin is too tight to expose the glans smoothly, making it difficult to maintain cleanliness, circumcision can be a fundamental solution.
This is because frequent inflammation can cause the foreskin to harden (adhesion) or lead to chronic pain.
If the foreskin naturally retracts well, the priority should be to calm the inflammation through medication. If the same symptoms continue to recur afterward, causing inconvenience in daily life, it's not too late to carefully decide on surgery after consulting with a urology specialist.
At our urology clinic, based on abundant clinical experience at each branch, we carefully assess each patient's symptoms and health status to make an accurate diagnosis and provide a customized treatment plan accordingly.
Finding the cause is the first step in treatment, so if uncomfortable symptoms persist, I recommend seeing a urologist.
I hope this answer helps. Thank you.
* This answer is based on medical documents and cannot replace an actual diagnosis.