$Unique_ID{PAR00038}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Circumcision}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Circumcision Circumcisions penis foreskin glans smegma phimosis
paraphimosis circumcised baby boys}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Circumcision


     Quick Reference

     INDICATIONS FOR PERFORMING CIRCUMCISION
     - No opening in the foreskin
     - Opening too small to allow urine through
     - Pulled-back foreskin cannot be drawn forward

     HOME CARE
     - Cover a circumcision with gauze coated with petroleum jelly and a
       nonstick bandage until it has healed.
     - Do not submerge the circumcision site in bathwater until it has healed.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - If a circumcision bleeds more than a few drops, call your doctor.
     - If there are signs of infection (pus, spreading redness, swelling of
       the penis), see your doctor.
     - During bathing, any part of the foreskin remaining after healing of the
       circumcision should be pulled back to expose the base of the glans (the
       head of the penis) for cleansing.
     - Babies born with any malformations of the penis should usually not be
       circumcised.


     Circumcision is the removal of the cuff of skin (the foreskin) that
covers the glans (the head of the penis) in most boy babies.  The natural
opening in the foreskin is usually large enough to allow urine through (rarely
is there no opening at all).  It is also important to be able to pull back the
foreskin so that the smegma (the waxy material that normally forms under the
foreskin) can be removed during bathing.  In a condition called phimosis, the
opening is not large enough to allow the foreskin to be pulled back to uncover
the glans.  Although the foreskin can sometimes be stretched by a doctor when
the opening is too small to allow the foreskin to be pulled back, circumcision
is the usual treatment of phimosis.
     If the penis is uncircumcised, it sometimes happens that the pulled-back
foreskin cannot be drawn forward again and may act as a tourniquet, cutting
off the blood supply to the glans; this condition, called paraphimosis, is
treated by circumcision.
     Circumcision has been practiced throughout the world for centuries, both
for religious and social reasons.  It has been commonly performed on newborn
infant boys in the United States since World War II.  Its advantages are
easier cleansing and lessened possibility of paraphimosis.  However, contrary
to what many people believe, circumcision does not protect against cancer of
the penis.  The disadvantages of circumcision are the slight chance of
infection or bleeding after the operation (less than 1 percent), the brief
pain of the operation, and the chance of accidental injury to the glans during
the operation (a rare occurrence).
     In recent years many doctors have declared that circumcision is
unnecessary surgery.  However, many other doctors feel that the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages.  The decision to circumcise male infants remains
with the parents.  Parents should ask questions and gather as much information
as possible to help them make the decision.

INDICATIONS FOR PERFORMING CIRCUMCISION

     Circumcision is required only when boys are born with no opening in the
foreskin, when the opening is too small to allow passage of urine, or when
paraphimosis has developed and must be immediately corrected.

HOME CARE

     A circumcision should be covered until healed (two to five days) with a
nonstick bandage and gauze coated with petroleum jelly.  The area should not
be submerged in bathwater until the wound has healed.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Any bleeding of the circumcised penis beyond a few drops should be
     reported to your doctor.
  -  If there are any signs of infection (pus, spreading redness, swelling of
     the shaft of the penis), see your doctor.
  -  During bathing, any part of the foreskin remaining after healing of the
     circumcision should be pulled back to expose the base of the glans for
     cleansing.
  -  Boy babies born with malformations of the penis should not be circumcised
     because the foreskin may be used later during surgery to correct the
     malformation.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Your doctor or religious leader will perform the circumcision, using one
of a variety of approved techniques.  Ask for specific directions for care of
the circumcision.  In a rare instance of postoperative infection, the doctor
will perform cultures of blood and material from the circumcision site, and
begin antibiotic therapy.