Assisting with infant circumcision

[cody elliott, RN]

I currently work for a pediatrician and I have to assist with circumcision she uses a gomco clamp and no anesthesia and we do between I would say 3 to 5 a week have you all ever had to assist and what was your experience and how did you cope with it I feel like I’m always the one who has to help her with it 

let me know where you assisted at 

what method was used 

was there numbing used 

just your over all experience 

[klone, MSN, RN]

No anesthesia? THat's barbaric. Why? I've witnessed and assisted with hundreds of circs in my time as an RN, and they've always used a penile nerve block with lidocaine.

[ComeTogether, LPN]

Saw 3 in school.  Nope, nope, nope. 
 

that skin is full of nerve endings. It’s there for a reason, I’m completely against them. 
 

I also don’t believe they don’t feel it, I saw their little faces and they were pitiful. 
 

One doc did give lidocaine injections but that hurts going in, I saw no difference in the poor babies 

 

I really don’t know why we still do this. It’s purely cosmetic, it’s not medically indicated abs ahhhhhh I’ll stop. 

[casa_bella, NP]

On 3/28/2021 at 4:19 PM, Straight No Chaser said:

Saw 3 in school.  Nope, nope, nope. 
 

that skin is full of nerve endings. It’s there for a reason, I’m completely against them. 
 

I also don’t believe they don’t feel it, I saw their little faces and they were pitiful. 
 

One doc did give lidocaine injections but that hurts going in, I saw no difference in the poor babies 

 

I really don’t know why we still do this. It’s purely cosmetic, it’s not medically indicated abs ahhhhhh I’ll stop. 

Agreed!!

[ComeTogether, LPN]

I guess I could answer your question this time. 

I was present for 3 different circ's, as I said.  Two were with the gomco and one was with the Mogen. 

The babies were strapped down and comfortable until the procedure started. All three screamed their little faces off and "went to sleep" when it was over.  I think they were exhausted from the ordeal, personally. 

Lidocaine was injected under the scrotum (I'm sure there is a name for this "block") in one of the babies, but he screamed just as much during the injection as the others did during their circumcisions. 

The part I found the most heinous was watching them detach the foreskin from the shaft.  It's completely adhered, so they basically go in and remove the adhesions all the way around in order to pull the foreskin up enough to stretch and thus be removed.  

There was little difference in time or result between the two different methods but the Mogen procedure required her to achieve hemostasis with hemostats and that part also looked heinous. 

Now, I don't think the babies were in much pain afterward nor do I think there will be any permanent damage aside from the obvious BUT I sincerely see no reason we still do this and I'm really trying not to be biased here.