Circumcision (male) Circumcision is the surgical removal of the skin covering the tip of the penis. ... Sometimes there's a medical need for circumcision, such as when the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back (retracted) over the glans called as phimosis. Some patients especially diabetics can get recurrent infection of glans of penis causing itching , redness. This is also an indication for circumcision. Is there alternative for circumcision? You can choose to preserve prepuce by opting for dorsal slit surgery.