There are many reasons to consider circumcision for your newborn son. Some of these are cultural, ethical and religious. There is now also mounting evidence regarding the medical benefits of circumcision. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement in September 2012 that the benefits of neonatal circumcision outweigh the potential risks. See Circumcision Policy Statement. Ultimately it is a personal decision based on personal reasons.

Once the decision to circumcise has been made, the procedure is best performed by an expert and experienced operator.

The ideal age is between 5-10 days. If the baby is unwell, this will necessitate some minor delay until he has recovered. Circumcision can be easily performed up to 1 month of age and I will not perform a circumcision on a baby older than 1 month of age. The younger the baby is, the easier it is on him, and the adage “the sooner, the better” certainly applies.

In experienced hands, the MOGEN circumcision technique is far faster than other techniques commonly used in hospitals. Using this technique, the circumcision can be safely performed in approximately 30 seconds in comparison to other techniques (GOMCO, Plastibell) which take between 8-10 minutes of actual procedure time. This makes the MOGEN technique much easier on the baby.

As with any surgical procedure, the 2 most common complications are bleeding and infection.

Bleeding usually amounts to spotting for the first several diaper changes and is usually very minimal. Any oozing of blood can usually be stopped with a few minutes of pressure applied with a gauze directly onto the penis.

Infection is rare, less than 1%, and can easily be treated in most cases with topical antibiotic ointment.

More serious complications are almost unheard of in the hands of an experienced operator.

– EMLA Cream should be applied 1 hour before the circumcision. This provides excellent numbing to the baby’s penis and works very well with the MOGEN circumcision technique.

– Polysporin Complete contains a topical anesthetic, and will be used during diaper changes for 3 days after the circumcision, providing further comfort to the baby.

– It is thought that sucrose solution helps minimize discomfort, and the baby can suck on this during the circumcision. (During a ritual circumcision, the baby is given a small amount of sweet red wine to suck on, and this may work even better.)

– TEMPRA or TYLENOL drops can be given every 4-6 hours if needed. Often, none is needed at all.

The baby will usually cry when his diaper is removed and will be happy as soon as he is picked up afterward.
The actual circumcision does not seem to bother him much at all. Intense crying rarely occurs and is usually caused by air swallowed during the procedure which can be relieved with firm burping.