Circumcision

What is circumcision?

Circumcision is one of the oldest and most commonly performed surgical procedures in the world. Its origins date back to ancient Egypt, where it was performed as a religious and cultural ritual. Circumcision was also practiced by the ancient Hebrews as stated in the Old Testament. For centuries, circumcision has been performed for various reasons, including religious, cultural and medical. During the 19th and 20th centuries, circumcision became increasingly popular in the United States and other Western countries, largely due to the belief that it had health benefits. Circumcision rates vary widely around the world. Approximately 75% of newborn boys in the United States are circumcised. In Canada, Australia or other European countries, this rate is much lower, around 30%. Circumcision is much more common in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, with rates exceeding 90% in many countries.

How is circumcision surgery performed?

Circumcision surgery is performed under local anesthesia in young babies and under general anesthesia in older children. The operation can be completed on a daily basis and your child can be discharged home on the same day. Since circumcision is performed with local anesthesia, especially in babies younger than one month, the baby does not need to stay in the hospital after the procedure. After the circumcision procedure is performed under general anesthesia, the child is discharged home after completely recovering from the effects of anesthesia. The circumcision procedure takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the technique used by the surgeon. Many different techniques have been described for the circumcision operation. In the literature, no difference has been found between these techniques in terms of healing and cosmetic results, and many of the techniques described have been found to be safe. Like all other operations, there are important points to consider during the circumcision operation. The most important of these are complying with sterilization conditions, bleeding control and applying wound care correctly. For this reason, it is recommended that this operation be performed by pediatric surgery and urology specialists under appropriate hospital conditions.

Should I have my child circumcised?

Religious, cultural, social and country factors play a role in choosing circumcision. However, circumcision is especially important for boys with bladder, urinary tract and kidney diseases in order to protect them from urinary tract infection. It should be noted that the benefits of circumcision are relatively minor. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that the health benefits of circumcision outweigh its risks for families who choose to do it, but the AAP does not make any recommendations for or against the procedure. Some of the main advantages of circumcision are:

Easier hygiene. Circumcision can make it easier to keep the penis clean, as there is no foreskin to trap dirt and bacteria.

Reduced risk of urinary tract infections (UTI). Circumcised babies and boys are less likely to get a urinary tract infection than uncircumcised babies and boys.

Reduced risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Circumcised men have a lower risk of contracting some STIs, including HIV. However, it is important to note that circumcision is not a 100% barrier against STIs.

Reduced risk of penile cancer. Penile cancer is a very rare cancer, but it is even rarer in circumcised men.

Prevention of penis problems. Circumcision can help prevent some penile problems, such as phimosis (inability to retract penile skin), balanitis (inflammation of the penis head), and balanoposthitis (inflammation of the penis head and foreskin).

Is circumcision a simple operation?

Circumcision operation is included in the group of minor operations in the surgical definition. However, although at a very low rate, serious complications may develop after circumcision. The most important of these can be listed as bleeding, infection, under- or over-cutting of the foreskin, delayed wound healing, and buried penis after circumcision. In order to reduce such complications, it is important that the circumcision operation is performed in competent hands and under appropriate hospital conditions. Unfortunately, we observe that a significant number of serious complications occur in circumcisions performed under inappropriate conditions and by non-experts. Among these, we can list dramatic complications such as serious bleeding, infections, accidental cutting of the glans or urethra, necrosis of the glans penis, and loss of the penis.

What is post-circumcision care and recovery like?

The healing process after circumcision can be described as short. If no complications develop, wound healing is completed in approximately seven to ten days. During this process, redness, swelling, bruises in various places or membranes on the head of the penis may be observed, and these are also part of the healing process. Post-circumcision wound care varies depending on the surgeon's preference and it is quite easy.

I decided to have my child circumcised. When should I have it done?

Although approaches to this issue vary slightly, some common issues need to be taken into consideration. Since circumcision is a surgical procedure, planning should be done by paying attention to the child's psychological and physiological characteristics as a general approach. It is not appropriate to perform any invasive procedure related to the penis unless it is necessary, especially in the phallic period of the boy (between the ages of two and six). For this reason, we do not recommend circumcision in children between the ages of two and six. The decision to perform circumcision under local or general anesthesia depends on the approach of the surgeon who will perform the procedure. Generally, circumcision can be easily performed under local anesthesia during the neonatal period (the first 30 days after birth). For older children, circumcision is performed under general anesthesia to avoid psychological effects.

As a result, circumcision is a type of operation that has excellent results when performed by the pediatric surgeons and urologists, but can lead to serious complications when performed under inappropriate conditions or by incompetent people.