Circumcision is one of the oldest and most common surgical procedures. It is widely practiced in a lot of countries. It is surgical removal of the skin covering the tip of the penis. Now, a few of you might wonder, why does such a procedure exist and how does it help? Well, the procedure doesn’t really have much of a medical significance but is often performed as a religious ritual in a lot of religions like Islam, Jewish, etc.
It is believed that it helps in maintaining proper and better pubic area hygiene. Since there will be no foreskin, an individual will automatically have full access to the tip and will be able to clean it in a more effective manner. Thus, circumcision promotes better hygiene.
Before Circumcision
The tip/head of the penis before circumcision is covered with the foreskin.
After Circumcision
The tip/head of the penis after circumcision is exposed or not covered anymore.
Some of the other benefits are:
Circumcision might have various health benefits. Men with a circumcised penis have:
- Better hygiene
- Fewer chances of catching infections
- Fewer chances of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs like HIV)
- The risk of developing penile cancer is found to less in a circumcised penis.
There are definitely some perks of having a circumcised penis but the risks involved with it are way too high that there are benefits. If you choose to go ahead with the procedure you must be aware of certain risks that tag along with it. The risks can be any of the following:
- Side effects to anesthesia
- Cutting off the foreskin, too long or short
Often, the procedure is confused with the surgeries to enhance the penis for pleasure purposes. But, the two procedures are completely different. In circumcision, just the head of the penis is altered while in the penis enhancement surgeries, the entire penis is altered.
If you are confused about the options, you can consult Apollo Cradle to understand the procedure in detail. The hospital has world-class team technicians and doctors. The facilities it offers, include:
- No Price difference between Normal Delivery & C-Section (Maternity Surgery)
- Specialized Labour and Delivery rooms
- State-of-the-Art Ultrasound Imaging
- Level III NICU
- Ventilator Equipped Ambulances
- Highly Trained Gynecologists and Nurses
- 24X7 Pharmacy
- Range of Maternity Packages
- Surgical ICU
Types
The most common techniques are
- The Gomco Clamp
This procedure involves detaching the foreskin from the penis head and this is done with the use of a special type of instrument referred to as a probe. After this, a bell-shaped device is fixed beneath the foreskin and over the head of the penis. This is often carried out by making an incision in the foreskin. And to reduce the blood flow to the area, the foreskin is then pulled up and over the bell and a clamp is tightened around it. In the end, the removal of the foreskin is carried out with the help of a scalpel.
- The Mogen Clamp
The initial step of both the Mogen clamp and the Gomco Clamp remain the same. After that, the foreskin is placed with the help of a metal clamp with a slot in it after the foreskin is pulled out in front o the head. To make sure that the bleeding is under control, the foreskin is cut with a scalpel and remains for a few minutes.
- The Plastibell Technique
This method is alike the Gomco clamp technique. The plastic bell is inserted under the foreskin and over the head of the penis after the separation with a probe. To stop the blood supply to the foreskin, a piece of suture is tied directly around the foreskin. A scalpel is then used to cut off the extra foreskin, but the plastic ring is left on. It wears off on its own after a week or 10 days.
How is it done?
The surgery is divided into three stages, the pre-surgical stage, the stage of the surgery and the post-surgical stage. If you have made up your mind that you or your child has to get the surgery done, you must be aware of all the particulars of the surgery. Along with that, you should take all the pre and post-surgical precautions. For a newborn, the measures are taken by the hospital, but if you are an adult, you should take suggestions from different doctors and then make the choice.
Before the surgery, you will have to go through a physical examination and the doctor will ask you all sorts of question about your health and medical conditions if you have any.
Let’s walk you through the entire procedure of circumcision using different techniques.
Pre-surgical stage
While being examined, make sure to tell each and every detail about your health and medical history. In the case of a newborn, tests are enough to know all the details.
Ask your doctor about all the precautionary measures you need to take before and after the procedure. All the preparations are made for the procedure. It typically takes 10 minutes for the surgery to get over. The patient is allowed to lay against the back and the procedure is performed.
Stages during the surgery
Let me introduce you to the step by step procedure.
For a newborn
Step 1: The baby will lie on his back with his arms and legs restrained.
Step 2: The hands and the legs are tied or restrained in order to avoid any kind of movement that might complicate the surgery.
Step 3: Now the cleaning begins, the penis and the area around it are cleaned properly. There shouldn’t be even single contamination. The surgical area is supposed to be squeaky clean. As the patient’s body is cut open and is vulnerable to catching germs and infections. Thus the area must be cleaned properly.
Step 4: A local anesthesia is injected at the base of the penis or applied to the penis as a cream.
Step 5: The step is the separation of the foreskin from the head. This can be done with the help of a clamp (to hold the penis intact) and plastic bell (in case of plastic bell technique).
Step 6: As soon as the separation is done, the foreskin is cut out and the procedure is done.
The cut shouldn’t be too short or too long else there might be the need for another surgery.
In males also, the procedure is done in a similar way. However, the choice of anesthesia may differ.
Post-surgical stage
After the surgery, the wound stays for a while, as an adult, it is easy to take care of yourself but a newborn can’t do it by himself. A newborn requires an extra amount of care and precaution after the surgery. In the initial days of post-surgery, the penis might appear a little swollen and bruised which is quite normal. You can ask the doctor to suggest some pain medications to resolve the pain and swelling as well, however, it will be fine in a few days. These precautions are:
- Replacement of diaper at regular intervals
- Replace the bandage at regular intervals
- There might be a possibility that if the diaper is too tight, the baby will experience uneasiness and pain. Make sure to tie the diaper loosely.
- Apply something greasy like oil or petroleum jelly to the tip of the penis which will not only fasten the healing process but will also prevent it from sticking to the diaper.
Generally, it takes around 10 days for healing. After the surgery, the baby is drowsy and vulnerable, you must hold him with utmost care. You might have a few questions regarding the cleanliness of your penis. It is alright to wash the penis regularly with regular water even while it is healing, but be gentle and as soon as it has completely healed, you can wash it with mild soap and some water. Though there is hardly any problem observed after the procedure, if you experience any of the following symptoms, you must immediately contact your doctor.
- If you find difficulty in urinating, even after twelve days of the circumcision
- The bleeding continues
- If you are experiencing a bad-smelling discharge from the penis
- The plastic ring didn’t fall off even after 2 weeks of the surgery.
Apollo Cradle Jubilee Hills hospital specializes in treating women and children. The hospital has expert Gynaecologists and pediatric surgeons that hardly leave any room for mistakes. Not only that, the doctors and technicians are backed with some skilled range of technologically advanced equipment to perform the simplest as well as the most complicated procedures.
Apollo Cradle Jubilee Hills hospital is unlike other hospitals and encourages normal delivery of your baby. Till date, it has succeeded in delivering 15000 babies safely. They ensure the best quality service and promote normal delivery even in the most complicated cases.
They specialize in the following areas:
- Maternity
- Gynecology
- Neonatology
- Pediatrics
- Fetal medicine
- Fertility
- High risk of pregnancy
