Sties – Healthy.net

So you think you need . . . Circumcision:New kinds of surgery

What Doctors Don't Tell You — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 10:49:15 +0000

Y-V-plasties is the latest of a number of procedures to preserve the foreskin in adults with phimosis. Performed under local anaesthesia, a number of incisions are made in the outer layer of skin and in the inner layer of skin. The foreskin is then reset and held in place with stitches. The procedure has a high rate of success, with only one out of 44 patients reporting a recurrence of the condition (Br J Urol, 1984; 56: 319-21).

However, as with other techniques that involve cutting skin on the penis, there is the potential for injury.

* Manual separation with local anaesthesia. In many cases of tight foreskin, separation of the preputial adhesions that attach the prepuce to the underlying skin is all that is needed. The procedure is pain-free for the majority of patients, though a few may feel some discomfort. The patient or his parents are then advised to fully retract the foreskin and apply petroleum jelly at bathtime every day, for seven days, followed by a further week of retraction while in the bath (BMJ, 1988; 297: 590-1).

The procedure is cheap, quick to perform and successful, with only one boy out of 39 requiring a repeat operation.

Sty

American Institute for Preventive Medicine — Wed, 06 Dec 2000 13:28:02 +0000

A sty is a small boil or bacterial infection in a tiny gland of the eyelid.. If the oil-producing glands on the upper or lower rim of the eyelid become infected, they become swollen and painful. A sty is tiny at first, but it can blossom into a bright red, painful sore.

Eventually, a “baby” sty will come to a head and appear yellow, because it accumulates pus. Generally, the tip will face outward, and the sty will break open and drain on its own.

Self-Care Tips

You can relieve the discomfort of a sty by following these steps:

Apply warm, (not hot), wet compresses to the affected area three or four times a day for 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
Avoid situations that expose your eyes to excessive dust or dirt.
Don’t poke or squeeze the infected area, no matter how tempted you may be to pop the sty. Most sties respond well to home care and don’t require further treatment.

Questions to Ask

Is it hard for you to see?

Do you have redness and swelling that hasn’t drained within a day or two?

Do you have a number of sties that appeared at the same time or get one right after another?