# foreskin stuck in zipper-help?



## noodle4u (Jul 19, 2002)

My sisters 4yr old has a good chunk of his foreskin stuck in the zipper(not the teeth) the actual zipper. From her description its at the bottom and there is no wggle room, and cutting the pants has done nothing to help. Her DP is grocery shopping(someone has been sent to find him).
She would like to resolve this at home,it will be less traumatic. any ideas?
Any thing to watch out for?
She knows not to let Drs convince her to circ him if she does have to take him in.
poor kid


----------



## Nathan1097 (Nov 20, 2001)

Here's a reference: Nolan JF, Stillwell TJ, Sands JP Jr. Acute management of the zipper-entrapped penis. J Emerg Med 1990 May-Jun; 8(3):305-7

From "What Your Doctor May NOT Tell you About Circumcision" by Paul M. Fliess, M.D., and Frederick M. Hodges, D.Phil:

Here's part of it (pp. 203 and 204):

"By cutting across the bottom of the zipper with scissors, the zipper can easily be opened to release the penile tissue. A little mineral oil will also help release the trapped skin. Any laceration in the skin can then be closed with either sutures or surgical tape, depending on the severity of the situation. The proper standard care in this situation is to minimize and repair the injury rather than make it worse by cutting off the foreskin and creating a larger and more painful surgical wound."


----------



## Nathan1097 (Nov 20, 2001)

Now that I've read your post more clearly, I see the above answer doesn't look like it will help. Could you try some oil to loosen it? I always seem to be able to figure out a way to get stuck things unstuck- wish I could! I'd say just try to use some sort of lubricant and wiggle it out. A circumcision wouldn't do a darn thing and neither would cutting the skin. Maybe even letting him soak in the tub would lossen the skin a bit?


----------



## Nathan1097 (Nov 20, 2001)

Here are some articles on this. The first one seems to say the same as the book I quoted, but the second discusses your problem directly.









http://www.cirp.org/library/treatmen...ipper/chalfin/

http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/zipper/flowerdew/

"Entrapment of the foreskin between the fastener and the teeth usually occurs when the zipper is being opened because the movement is downwards and toward the body. This factor allows for accessibility to the median bar of the zipper fastener. (fig. 1)

Management of this problem has included circumcision1 or extraction of the foreskin by manipulation.2 Problems with circumcision include pre-existing local edema, lack of psychological preparation and possible cultural taboos. Extraction by manipulation usually is prolonged, painful and often counterproductive.

We suggest the following approach. A bone cutting plier is applied to the median bar (fig.2). Squeezing this bar will permit the whole zipper to fall apart and release the trapped skin. If this maneuver is applied initially a cooperative and grateful patient is the result. However, previous attempts to extract the foreskin, especially in young children, may have caused considerable pain, and therefore, will require either local or general anesthesia."


----------



## noodle4u (Jul 19, 2002)

Thanks, the DP was found and the foreskin has been extracted








Dont know how they did it yet, but I will call in a bit to see how he is doing.


----------



## Nathan1097 (Nov 20, 2001)

Oh good! Well for future reference for somebody then.









Let us know how they managed it.


----------



## noodle4u (Jul 19, 2002)

Thanks for the links, the one about squeezing the median bar to make the zipper fall apart would have been very helpful.

I guess they just pinned him down, poured olive on the zipper/foreskin and gently tugged and pulled and worked it out. Poor guy, guess he'll never be without underwear now.


----------

