General Surgery Circumcision

Circumcision is removal of the prepuce, a fold of skin which surrounds the glans (or 'head') of the penis.  This operation is carried out for medical reasons if the prepuce becomes tight or for religious or traditional reasons.  We now know that removal of a normal prepuce is not necessary to prevent any diseases.
 
A prepuce can become tight for congenital reasons, after infections or because of uncommon diseases such as leucoplakia or balanitis xerotica obliterans (ask your doctor or look up on the internet).  These diseases can happen to men of any age.

The Operation

Religious or traditional circumcision is best carried out soon after birth, from one week onwards.  After three months we, at the London Day Surgery Centre, think a general anaesthetic is needed and paediatric anaesthetics are only allowed at specially registered hospitals in the United Kingdom so we do not do them.  For younger babies this is a very straightforward, very safe operation using a Plastibell which protects the glans and tip of the penis during the incision so is commonly carried out at the London Day Surgery Centre.
 
In older boys, say from teenage onwards, and in men circumcision involves cutting and stitching and is carried out using either local or general anaesthetic.  The advantages of local anaesthetic are not having to starve, recovering quickly, not feeling sick and light-headed and remaining in control at all times.  The operation takes only a few moments in babies and about twenty minutes in adults.  In babies no stitches are needed and in adults dissolvable stitches are used. 

Recovery

Babies recover very quickly and mothers usually say they are acting totally normally again by the next morning.  Older boys and men should expect to have pain for a few weeks, becoming less day by day, and you will be given painkiller tablets.  Your glans (head of the penis) may remain sensitive for three months or so.  Rare complications are excessive bleeding, infection and removal of too little or too much skin.