Circumcision in the clinic (2118)
Key points below
What is a circumcision?
Surgery to remove the foreskin of a male’s penis is called a circumcision.Why does my child need this surgery?
There are many reasons for circumcision. The most common reasons are:
- You may want it to be done so your child looks like the other males in the family.
- Ethnic or religious reasons.
- Your child may not be able to pull back the foreskin to clean the penis properly.
- The extra skin is causing redness, swelling or infection.
What happens on the day of surgery?
1. Your son will be brought into the procedure room. When we do the procedure, we suggest that you go for a short walk. Your son will start fussing once we strap him down in the circumcision setup.
2. Your son will get a shot of numbing medicine to the penis so the procedure will not hurt.
3. You will need to stay for 30 to 60 minutes after the procedure. During this time we will watch your son to make sure he is not bleeding too much.
4. Bring something to feed him afterwards. If you are nursing, we will do our best to give you privacy.
5. Your son may be crabby for the rest of the day after the procedure. You can give him Tylenol. Most often, he will act like his normal self the next day.
What happens after the procedure?
A Vaseline® gauze dressing or Vaseline will have been put around the penis.
- Try to keep the Vaseline® wrap around the penis for at least the first 24 hours. If your child poops you can use wet wipes and a warm rinse over the penis. If the wrap falls off before 24 hours, don’t worry.
- If your child does not have a Vaseline wrap, or the wrap is off, put Vaseline on the penis for 7 days.
- To keep the penis from sticking to the diaper, put a thin layer of Vaseline on the diaper as well.
The next several days
- Wash gently until the area has healed. After that, wash as normal. Your son may resume tub baths after 2 days. A sticky, yellowish film will often show up on the head of the penis. Use the
- Vaseline® until this starts to disappear. After 5 to 7 days, gently pull the skin on the penis down. Put a thin layer of Vaseline® around the penis.
Complications
Problems are uncommon but may include:
- The wound may get infected and bleed.
- The skin edge may separate.
- A scar may form. Your son would need surgery to fix it.
- Not enough skin was removed.
Follow-up
You and your doctor will arrange a follow-up visit if needed.