The Circumcision Discussion

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

I know this can be a HUGE debate, and I'm not looking to start any arguments. I was just wondering as you are OB nurses. I'm expecting a boy in July and not sure if we should circ. or not. My husband says yes, it's better medically in the long run. My gpa who just turned 70 had to have a circ. due to endless complications lately.

As nurses in this area, is the medication that they use good? And what are some questions to ask my Dr. about it. I already know that my hospital i'll be at uses a med. when they perform it, I"m just wondering what you all think.

Thanks

Jen :)

See what I mean?:coollook:

I've seen them done and assisted with them. Hubs and I decided that if Demon was a boy, he would be circ'd.

In nursing school I did my OB clinical at an army hospital and a resident talked a med student through doing one. It took her nearly TWO hours!!! Poor kid was screaming at the top of his lungs and she had the nerve to tell me "Give him his pacifier and shut him up!!" Baby ended up with an infection and had to stay in the hospital a few extra days. I made myself a promise then that if I ever had a boy the circ would be done by someone experienced.

besides a pacifier, what else could have been helpful for the baby?

Tylenol would have been good, prior. But in this case I don't think anything would have helped. She was having trouble and was hurting him.

Specializes in RN.
It took her nearly TWO hours!!! Poor kid was screaming at the top of his lungs and she had the nerve to tell me "Give him his pacifier and shut him up!!" Baby ended up with an infection and had to stay in the hospital a few extra days

:crying2: This makes me physically sick :crying2: Foreskin is not a birth defect, doctors should just leave baby memberes alone and parents should teach their boys how to use condoms to protect them from HIV.

I work in an ICU and have spent a lot of time volunteering in a Level I trauma ER. ICU's and ER's are full of people who put off getting things checked for weeks and months, things that should have been taken care of long ago. I've seen some nasty, nasty stuff and have caught some aromas that make me beg for cabbage and mayo that's been sitting in a car for three days in 105 degree heat. Of all the stuff I've smelled and witnessed, only one time have I ever had to walk away and go sit down for a little bit. It was during school and my O.B. rotation at a high risk labor/delivery unit in Denver, watching a newborn be circumcised.

I have a serious aversion to needles anyway, always have. Not good for someone who's going into anesthesia. :nuke: Anyway, they gave the little guy a pacifier with some sweetener on it to keep him occupied and he was pretty content. The doc used some numbing medicine just under the skin and injected it all around. Next came this cup-like device that fit just over the top of the little guy's peanut. He put it on and turned it counter-clockwise a bit, getting it as deep in the foreskin as he needed to. Next were the sterile scissors, making an initial cut vertically, then cutting around the cup-like device. I kept looking at the kid...looking down at me...looking back at the kid...looking back down at me. Enough. I walked away and found a chair, right next to a smiling classmate who was swaddling a newborn in her arms.

She says, "Are you okay??!!!"

Me: "No."

"What's wrong?? You look horrible!"

Me: "I really don't feel good. Not at all. Does my face look flushed?"

"Well, it doesn't look flushed really. It actually looks really pale."

Me: "Yes, pale. That's the one I meant. Pale."

I was out of it. Completely. Things were spinning, tunnel vision, light headed. I managed to do just fine after sitting down for a while and drinking some ice water. I've never come so close to losing it like that ever since.

Sympathetic syncope? :roll

Specializes in Rural - we do it all!!!.

I spent one of my clinicals in a VA hospital last summer. And had the opportunity to observe in the OR for a day while it was the urinary procedures (dont know how they would have called them) day...

Observed several cystoscopes, and got to look into bladders :-)

And one circumcision on a 40 something year old vet. This would have been a much less involved operation had the pt been days old. (OR staff observation). Procedure was quite involved, and somewhat uncomfortable for the pt, he had to keep on receiveing local injections during the procedure.

After the procedure, the pt REFUSED to look anywhere near his member. I urged him to look, it looked quite good, thought he'd be better off looking where he could ask questions and get answers....Nope, he replied, he was NOT going to look. I asked what he would do when he got home and had to pee, and he said he'd pee without looking until it felt healed.

After the pt left, I asked the doc about the need/frequency of this procedure in this population. He replied that they do A LOT of adult male circumcisions, and that overall penile health in the later years is better for the circumcised vs. the uncircumsized.

When I was in home health, there were several males who had foreskin/penile difficulties r/t foreskin....

I'm not advocating one way or the other, just presenting some true life realities.

I kinda relate it to female bladder post pregnancy...yes it should work well, it was designed to work under those stress loads, but the reality is that it may never quite be the same....

PS: Pt complained how his mother had circumcised her other son, but had not had the procedure for him....he was kinda pi**ed off, and I cant say that I blame him.

Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

I saw a 10 year old come in for a circumcision...why, I don't know (at the time I didn't think to ask). Poor kid was so embarrassed he could barely look any of the female staff in the eyes. I felt so bad for him.

My brother was in the hospital with a post-trauma pneumo. He was in a 4-bed ward in an old army hospital. His three roomies were young soldiers, all of whom had circs done. Each was told he could NOT have an erection and each was given a can of cold stuff.....ethyl chloride?....to spray if one came on. My poor brother did not get any sleep at all that night because all night long he heard "pshhhhht..........pshhhhht..........pshhhhht......."

Specializes in Psych, Derm,Eye,Ortho,Prison,Surg,Med,.

The covering over the glans member protects it from becoming keritinized, losing sensation that God gave.

There is no medical reason for circumcising anyone - male or female.

Specializes in ICU;CCU;Telemetry;L&D;Hospice;ER/Trauma;.

And we call ourselves the superior species???? There aren't any animals anywhere who would do this to their young.....

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