Circumcision Melbourne is a personal decision for some parents, often for religious or cultural reasons. Before making your decision, be sure to discuss all the pros and cons with your physician.
Baby circumcision is a safe, minor surgery to remove the skin surrounding the penis’ tip. While some babies may feel discomfort during this time, it’s usually not a major issue. Swaddling, giving a pacifier dipped in sugar water (sucrose), or taking acetaminophen may help alleviate any discomfort experienced.
The Procedure
During the procedure, your child will be securely swaddled or strapped down. This is beneficial for both you and the doctor who can numb the area with local anesthetic or spinal anesthesia.
When cutting foreskin, doctors use a special clamp (called the Mogen clamp) which attaches to the inner surface of the glans penis. If used incorrectly, practitioners risk drawing too much skin from the penile shaft into the clamp, leading to denudation of this region.
Skin bridges or inclusion cysts that become stuck to the glans may develop, leading to hygiene issues as well as infection-prone wounds. Inclusion cysts also inhibit sexual development by increasing penis sensitivity. Although these cysts typically don’t need treatment, surgical excision may be necessary in some cases; if serious, specialist referral may be required for evaluation and further surgery.
Preparation
Preparing for a circumcision procedure can be intimidating. But it is essential to comprehend the risks involved and how to minimize them.
Preparing for this type of surgery requires talking with your doctor beforehand. They can offer helpful tips on preparing and how to manage any pain that your baby may experience during the procedure.
You should inquire about how to care for your baby’s penis after it has been circumcised. During diaper changes, you can clean it thoroughly and apply petroleum jelly to reduce irritation if stool gets on the wound.
If the penis appears damaged or isn’t healing properly after re-circumcision, you should speak with your doctor about getting another revision. Revisions are typically quick and effective; however, if they don’t work you should see either your primary care doctor or pediatric urologist immediately for further assistance. In most cases, this re-circumcision will involve some skin removal in order to restore the circumcised penis’ original look.
Post-Procedure Care
Baby circumcision can be a traumatic experience, so parents must take great care to promote quick healing and safety after the procedure. Parents should follow guidelines and receive information on how best to take care of their child afterward.
Scott recommends that post-procedure care should include frequent diaper changes to keep the wound clean and dry. Furthermore, keeping the circumcision site clean helps prevent infections from developing at this location.
Bleeding from the incision is common, and can usually be controlled with ointment. If it appears red or irritated, this could be an indication of meatitis. To treat meatitis, cover both the incision line and head of penis with petroleum jelly or antibiotic ointment to keep skin from getting too irritated and stop diapers from sticking – do this after each diaper change for five to seven days after surgery.
Complications
Circumcision can present with a few potential risks, most of which are minor and easily avoidable with proper planning and attention to detail.
Early (preoperative) complications may include bleeding, pain, inadequate skin removal and surgical site infection. While these are usually minor and manageable, they may become serious in patients with underlying blood dyscrasias.
Late (post-operative) complications may include wound infection, the formation of a skin bridge between the penile shaft and glans, penile adhesions, phimosis, urethrocutaneous fistulas, meatal stenosis and loss of penile sensitivity [11].
Circumcision can be a safe and effective procedure when performed by experienced urologists. Unfortunately, traditional circumcisions performed by general practitioners/pediatricians and paramedical personnel have been linked to more severe adverse events. Therefore, medical providers should be encouraged to perform circumcisions only on boys who meet their clinical and anatomic criteria, have extensive training in surgical technique, as well as ensure the sterile conditions under which it takes place are in good condition.