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During the procedure
Newborn circumcision is often done in the hospital nursery, usually within one to 10 days after birth.
For newborn circumcision, your son will lie on his back with his arms and legs restrained. After the penis and surrounding area are cleansed, an anesthetic will be injected into the base of the penis or applied to the penis as a cream. A special clamp or plastic ring will be attached to the penis, and the foreskin will be removed. Afterward, the penis will be covered with an ointment, such as petroleum jelly, and wrapped loosely with gauze. The procedure generally takes about 10 minutes.
The procedure is similar for older boys and adults, but it might need to be done under general anesthesia with additional steps to prevent excessive bleeding or suture the affected area.
After the procedure
It usually takes about seven to 10 days for the penis to heal. The tip of the penis is likely to be sore at first, and the penis might look red, swollen or bruised. You might notice a yellow crust on the tip of the penis as well.
If your newborn is fussy as the anesthetic wears off, hold him gently — being careful to avoid putting pressure on the penis. If necessary, the doctor might recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever to help manage pain after the procedure.
It's OK to wash the penis as it heals. For newborns, change the bandage with each diaper change, and apply a dab of petroleum jelly to the tip of the penis to keep it from sticking to the diaper. Change your baby's diaper often, and make sure the diaper is loosely fastened. If there's a plastic ring instead of a bandage, it will drop off on its own — usually within about a week. Once the penis heals, wash it with soap and water during normal bathing.
Problems after circumcision are uncommon. Contact the doctor if:
- Normal urination doesn't resume within 12 hours of the circumcision
- There's persistent bleeding or redness around the tip of the penis
- There's foul-smelling drainage from the tip of the penis
- The plastic ring remains in place two weeks after the circumcision
- Weismiller DG. Procedures for neonatal circumcision. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 9, 2011.
- Baskin LS. Circumcision: Risks and benefits. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 9, 2011.
- Yiee JH, et al. Complications of circumcision. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 9, 2011.
- Swanson JT. Circumcision. In: McInerny T, et al. American Academy of Pediatrics Textbook of Pediatric Care. Elk Grove Village, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2009:828.
- Provencio-Vasquez E. Circumcision revisited. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing. 2009;14:295.
- Brown-Trask B, et al. Circumcision care. RN. 2009;72:22.
- Circumcision policy statement. American Academy of Pediatrics Policy. http://aappolicy.aappublications.org. Accessed Nov. 9, 2011.
- Kigozi G, et al. The effect of male circumcision on sexual satisfaction and function, results from a randomized trial of male circumcision for human immunodeficiency virus prevention, Rakai, Uganda. BJU International. 2008;101:65.
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