My 3 year old has been diagnosed with phimosis. i've been to a specialist and they recommend surgery or manual manipulation with steroid cream. my question is whether all this is necessary at all? i've read that most phimosis cases go away by itself?

You are right. In most of children with phimosis, the adhesion between foreskin and glans pens become loose and allow gentle pulling back of foreskin by age 4. In cases of persistence of adhesion not allowing retraction at all, practice of gentle pulling back of foreskin after applying steroid cream each day has been recommended with some success.

Asymptomatic phimosis does not require any treatment as with development the foreskin can loosen up. Circumcision is done if manipulation with cortisone does not help- in children. So you have a choice circ/ cortisone/ nothing- if the child is asymptomatic.