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Johannesburg - A rare penile strangulation emergency in which a man had put a wedding ring on his penis for erotic pleasure has been described in the latest issue of the SA Medical Journal (SAMJ).
The 28-year-old man, who was in "severe pain", was admitted to a hospital in Limpopo accompanied by his mother.
"His penis was severely swollen and blue, and constricted with a ring (wedding ring) at the middle section. The patient reported that he had applied the ring four hours previously for erotic reasons, on the recommendation of friends," the SAMJ said.
The date of the incident was not given.
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Hospital staff sedated the man and first tried to remove the ring by the string method, but the swelling was too excessive. An orthopaedic oscillating saw was then used, but the ring was too wide and too strong and there was limited space due to the swelling.
They then attempted the aspiration method, making punctures in his penis to release the stored blood, according to Netwerk24.
"Multiple puncture aspirations were applied with a 20ml syringe and a pink needle. The oedema subsided and the ring was successfully removed."
The man was treated with antibiotics and analgesia and was discharged after three days.
He reported a full recovery.
The SAMJ said penile strangulation is a rarely described medical emergency, but occasionally occurs on a worldwide basis. It has been reported across all age groups, but is done mostly for erotic reasons by adults. There are no proper guidelines for treatment, and the academic journal advised that a doctor should decide on the best removal method depending on the case, the settings and the available equipment.
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