Buried Penis
- Apr 19
- 6 min read
"The penis is somehow tucked in, covered with fat and pubic skin, not visible, sometimes it completely retracts, but when I press, it comes out..."
The most common sentence from men or parents of boys dealing with a buried penis.
Sometimes, an inadequate size of the male genital organ is due to it being partially hidden in the body. This is a medical problem that is resolved with reconstructive surgical intervention.
What is a buried penis?
It is a penis of normal size that is not externally visible because it is partially or completely hidden in the body—retracted under the skin of the lower abdomen and scrotum, appearing as if it is "trapped" by the surrounding skin. The penis is usually of normal length and function but is hidden—buried. Urination is difficult, and normal sexual intercourse is impossible. The consequences, aside from obvious physical-health deficiencies, also include lasting psychological trauma.
This is a relatively common occurrence in men that is rarely talked about.
A whole range of terms describes this anomaly:
Buried penis
Hidden penis
Concealed penis
Trapped penis
Retracted penis
Webbed penis
In these conditions, it is noticeable that excess foreskin hangs over the glans, or the penis is completely concealed by a fatty pad above the pubis. By touch, it can be felt that the penis is normally developed inside but cannot fully protrude outward. In a relaxed state, the penis is barely visible, and during an erection, it remains covered by pubic skin. Also, when the tissue around the penis is pushed inward, a significant size difference can be seen—up to 13–14 cm in adults.
Treatment is exclusively surgical, and after removing the excess tissue and properly fixing it, the penis reaches normal length.
The buried penis syndrome is sometimes mistakenly interpreted as micropenis.
Is it the same as micropenis?
No, micropenis (microphallus) is a completely different congenital disorder where the functional part of the penis is underdeveloped—meaning an adult penis shorter than 5 cm. In the case of a buried or hidden penis, the length is normal, but the shaft is covered by fatty tissue or pubic and scrotal skin, making it invisible.
How does a buried penis develop?
The anomaly occurs in newborn boys but can also be acquired in adult men. The causes differ between children and adults.
This condition occurs in:
Congenital irregularities of pubic and penile skin in boys
Severe phimosis
After improper circumcision
Excess fatty tissue in adult men
It is a misconception that a buried penis results from tight diapers, bodysuits, clothing, or even that a baby walker puts pressure on the penis, pushing it inward.
This is an abnormality visible at birth. In many newborn boys, excess fatty tissue on the lower abdomen and above the penis can be observed, concealing the penis. Usually, this fatty tissue recedes as the boy grows, and the penis achieves its normal appearance and length. However, if the skin of the pubis and penis does not properly fuse at the base (the root of the penis), the foreskin will not develop, leading to a shortened, buried, or hidden penis. Pediatricians often say this is because most babies are a bit chubby, but the skin distribution in a hidden penis is significantly different from normal.
A tight foreskin covering the glans (phimosis) can sometimes lead to a buried penis. The penis is literally trapped by the foreskin, and the glans does not protrude even during the strongest erection.
Excessive body weight with excess pubic skin can cause the penis to become buried and hidden. The lower abdomen becomes so large that it completely covers the male genital organ. Most often, this is an acquired condition due to weight gain.
It can also occur as a result of aging, where the lower abdominal skin stretches, causing the penis to become concealed.
How to solve this problem?
In boys with this issue, doctors sometimes assume it will resolve on its own as the child grows. The advice that a diagnosed buried penis in newborns will spontaneously disappear is incorrect. The retracted penis syndrome is resolved exclusively through surgery.
If the problem is not resolved by the time of the boy’s hormonal growth (around age 11), the phase of a fully visible and functional penis will not occur. This is always extremely traumatic for boys going through adolescence. Going to the school bathroom or being in a sports locker room are just some of the horrors these boys experience.
Sometimes, parents think that a tight foreskin is the sole cause of this condition and opt for circumcision, which leads to even more pronounced burying of the penis. In this anomaly, the penile skin is usually short, so circumcision further shortens it.
In adults, the condition cannot be significantly changed without surgery. Even after restrictive diets, intense exercise, and weight loss, the problem of weakened ligaments and stretched pubic skin covering the penis remains.
Significant improvements are only visible if a surgeon removes excess fat in the pubic area and then properly positions the penile skin.
Important Warning
It is crucial to recognize any genital anomaly before a boy’s ritual circumcision. For successful treatment of a buried penis, hypospadias, or epispadias, preserved foreskin is essential to achieve a nearly natural functional and aesthetic result in reconstructive surgery.
When should we decide to get the surgery for our son?
For resolving a buried penis, it is best to consult a genital reconstructive surgeon—a urologist-andrologist with sufficient experience in treating this issue.
Surgical treatment should be performed immediately after diagnosis. A hidden penis should be treated surgically by 18 months of age to spare the child emotional trauma from genital surgery.
What does the surgical procedure and postoperative recovery look like?
A buried penis does not threaten a child’s normal growth and development and is not treated until the child reaches a certain age. Surgery is usually planned when the boy turns 18 months old.
All surgical interventions in children are performed under general anesthesia. The child is anesthetized while still in the hospital room. Parents are not separated from the child (except inside the operating room) while the child is in the hospital.
Special attention is given to minimizing emotional trauma for the entire family.
In his practice, Dr. Nikola Stanojević is extremely careful with his young patients: he never ties them down or forcibly separates them from their parents, as is often done in many countries.
In young children, the surgical procedure lasts up to 90 minutes; in adults, about 2 hours. The child stays with their mother in the hospital room for one day. After leaving the hospital, you will remain in close contact with the doctor for regular dressing changes. Usually, all dressings are removed ten days after surgery.
- Buried penis surgery in adult male -
After Surgery
After the surgery, the penis becomes visibly larger. Men and parents of boys testify to an immediate improvement in penis size post-surgery.
In adults, men regain their self-confidence. Due to the normal penis size and the ability to enjoy normal sexual relations, their quality of life significantly improves after buried penis surgery.
These "small things" contribute to the exceptionally high success rate of our team of specialists in treating these types of congenital anomalies—whether severe, mild, or previously unsuccessfully operated on.
We always emphasize how important it is to choose the right surgeon to whom you will entrust your child. If you have any doubts, do not proceed with the surgery—resolving a buried penis is not an emergency. Educate yourself thoroughly before making a final decision.
Skin Grafts in Penile Anomaly Surgery
In surgical treatment of penile anomalies, skin grafts for covering the penile shaft are often mentioned.
What is a skin graft?
It is the superficial part of the skin (dermal graft) taken with a special knife from the thigh or forearm and transplanted where skin is missing. This method of penile skin replacement is highly inefficient, both functionally and aesthetically. The use of dermal grafts (split-thickness, full-thickness) in genital reconstructive surgery is a very outdated concept that has been proven to lead to poor results: unnatural appearance of the penis, shortening due to graft contraction, loss of erogenous sensitivity, and, in the worst cases, loss of sexual function.
A recommendation to young men with a small penis is not to despair but to consult a genital surgeon—andrologist-urologist. It is entirely possible that they suffer from a condition known as hidden penis, buried penis, or retracted penis, which is easily resolved.