Circumcized on a vent?

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Oct 6, 2009

I can't remember this ever happening. We might have done it in the past on a few kids that were determined would be long term vents, but it would have been when they were going for another surgery, like trach/GB and they would throw in a circ while they were anesthetized. And knowing that some parents might get confused about circumstances; we do many circs while the child is intubated, as in if the child needs any other kind of surgery (usually a hernia repair) close to discharge, the surgeon will go ahead and circ, and yes, the child will be intubated at the time, but it's just for the surgery and will be extubated in the usual time-frame for post-surgery.

And none of these circs would be considered done on an unstable infant. If the infant is not having a routine non-emergency surgery (99% would be hernia repairs) then there is no circ at that time.

NICURN29 · Oct 6, 2009

Ditto PP...I can only imagine a baby being circ'd on a vent if he were on a vent for surgery and they threw the circ in as well. Otherwise, our circs happen the day before or the day of discharge (usually the day before), and at most, the baby is on nasal cannula and will be discharged that way.

We did have a baby go out for a trach and come back circ'd...they did it while he was under. It was not done while he was unstable on the vent in the NICU.

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Oct 7, 2009

Our circs get done days before the kid goes home. Vented kids, unstable or no, do not get circ'd. They have enough problems.

2curlygirls · Oct 7, 2009

I was thinking that maybe she thought that they were circ'ing the baby when they were actually putting in lines? It's the only thing I can think of that makes any sense.

Jerico, BSN, RN · Oct 7, 2009

I'm afraid to open this can of worms but....
I was on another forum and they were discussing circ'ing unstable babies. One person said her friend's baby was circ'ed while he was on a vent! This seems crazy to me!
Please tell me this is not happening. I live and work in an area with a low circ rate to begin with so it totally boggles my mind.
Do some doctors do this???

If I saw a doc attempt such, I would report him. That is how wrong this seems to me. Circ under anesthesia while having something else done, well, that would be an intelligent thing, I would think....lol

preemieRNkate, RN · Oct 7, 2009

Like previous posters, the only time I have ever seen that done is if the baby is going to the OR for another non-emergent procedure and they are going to be under anesthesia and intubated only for surgery. Our docs won't even circ a baby if they are on NC (well, unless they're going home on NC).

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Oct 8, 2009

Our NICU kids get circed either the day before or the day of d/c....I can't think of a single exception. The kiddos have to be stable enough to be brought over to the wellbaby nursery, cause that's where the only circ room is.

3yrDiploma · Oct 9, 2009

I worked briefly at a hospital that had an extremely high c/sec rate. I quit shortly after I was at a c/s....and as soon as the baby hit the warmer, the doc left the mom and circ'd the baby. UNBELIEVABLE.

2curlygirls · Oct 10, 2009

dscrn · Oct 10, 2009

MANY years back, I signed circ consents for my kids when I was in labor...didn't even know the sex of the baby. I believe that they would have been circ'd in the DR-Thankfull, I don't think that this is done anymore. This was back during the "doctor's as gods era"

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Oct 10, 2009

VERY few insurances pay for cosmetic surgery. These people's hospital bill is going to be through the roof as it is, why add an out of pocket expense? Let alone an necessary surgery during critical care. I would be shamed of a doctor that would be willing to do it...