Man forced to have penis amputated after strangulating it with rubber band to stop cancer from spreading
A man in Tokyo had a part of his penis amputated after he strangulated the organ with a rubber band to stop his skin cancer from spreading.
The 65-year-old decided to visit a hospital after he started experienced excruciating pain in his genitals.
To their horror, doctors at Koto Hospital in Tokyo, Japan discovered that the man was trying to stop his cancer from growing by tying the elastic bands around his penis. They found that the band had already cut into his skin causing tissue damage.
The man reportedly had "a penile tumor in a shape of cauliflower around the glans [head of the] penis" which was later diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma, which is one of the most common types of cancer found among men. Doctors were able to treat the man successfully.
It has been reported that the man was experiencing pain in his penis for nearly two months, however, the doctors are uncertain as to how long it has been that he has been using the rubber band.
The doctors said the incident was a "rare emergency" while acknowledging that there have been several other cases in which men got things stuck on their penises. However, they added that these incidents usually were the result of a prank or sexual activity, reported Daily Mail.
An expert told the outlet that, quite often, men prefer to solve problems by themselves when it comes to issues related to their genitals. The expert added that it is important for men to overcome their fear of embarrassment and go to a doctor to receive proper treatment.
Richard Viney, a urological surgeon working for the NHS, talking to the outlet noted that the patient's decision of using a rubber band wouldn't have brought him any results. "I’m not clear about the patient's motive for applying the band or the surgical team for leaving the band in place before surgery. It would certainly not be an effective or sensible approach to treating cancer," he noted.
Meanwhile, the Japanese medics, led by Dr. Takahiro Yoshida, wrote, "Although the penile strangulation by a rubber band was found at the root of the penis, the [swelling] in the glans penis and around the strangulation was slight, and the blood flow was not bad."
They even warned people that strangulating the penis immediately cuts of the blood circulation which would lead to tissues dying. This would eventually lead to the penis having to be amputated.
Luckily for this man, his cancer hadn't spread and he was able to go back home in two weeks after undergoing the surgery.