Procedures and Complications

Today there are two main procedures of circumcision, the Gomco Method and the Plastibell Method. Located below are links that demonstrate the procedure for each of these common methods of circumcision.

Here are two pictures, the first of which displays the intact penis, and the second displays the circumcised penis...just in case there was a question as to the differences

The surgical procedure of circumcision is usually performed one or two days after the baby's birth. Although this procedure only takes five to ten minutes, it is quite painful for the young child.

The Plastibell Method, which is a common method that is used in the hospitals today, is best illustrated on this website with a step by step procedural: http://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/plastibell/

The Gomco Method is also used in hospitals today. This procedure is said to both quick and effective and cause very little bleeding. To see an illustration of the Gomco Method along with step by step directions visit these sites:

With estimates of circumcisions performed each year reaching over 1,000,000, there are bound to be complications due to this procedure. In fact, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, complications due to circumcision range from .1% to 35%![1] A large amount of these complications include bleeding, infection, and the failure to remove a sufficient amount of foreskin. Other more severe complications due to circumcision include:

Meatitis and Meatal Stenosis: Meatal Stenosis, which occurs after circumcision, is the name for the act of the narrowing of the external urethral meatus. It is thought to be acquired after circumcision caused by an inflammatory reaction. It could also be caused by a lack of blood supply to the Meatus immediately after circumcision.[2] Meatitis and Meatal Stenosis have been reported to occur in 8% to 21% of circumcised infants.[3]

Although the numbers of the more serious complications due to circumcision are unknown, incidents do occur. “Serious complications, such as necrotizing fascitis, urethral fistula (note picture below), partial penile amputation, penile necrosis, and concealed penis, have been reported. Death is rare, and mortality risk has been estimated to be 1/500,000 procedures.”[4]

four complications of circumcision

[A] Urethral fistula at frenulum (note probe), probably the result of incisional trauma. [B] Three-year-old boy with an almost transected glans from circumcision at birth, but parents did not note the abnormality until age 3. Urethra had been completely transected (arrow). [C] Neonate referred immediately after Gomco clamp circumcision in which all the skin of the shaft had been amputated. This is a fairly common complication caused by pulling too much skin up into the clamp and amputating it. Fortunately sometimes there is enough of the mucosal side of the prepuce to fold back to resurface the shaft, but some require a free skin graft. [D] Six-month-old baby was referred after loss of the entire penis from cautery used during circumcision. Evidently both corpora had thrombosed and sloughed, so no phallus remained.

(From the textbook Pediatric Trauma, edited by Robert J. Touloukian, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine (John Wiley & Sons).

www.cirp.org/library/ complications/

This is just a brief illustration of the procedures of circumcision and the possible complications. Does this seem to be a necessary procedure to inflict on young males today?

[1] “Position Paper on Neonatal Circumcision.” American Academy of Family Physicians. http://www.aafp.org/x1462.xml 15 Dec 2004.

[2] “Meatal Stenosis.” http://www.medindia.net/Patients/PatientInfo/meatalstenosis.asp 15 Dec 2004.

[3] “Position Paper on Neonatal Circumcision.” American Academy of Family Physicians. http://www.aafp.org/x1462.xml 15 Dec 2004.

[4] “Complications of Circumcision.” http://www.circumstitions.com/Complic.html 15 Dec 2004.

		Procedures and Possible Complications of Circumcision