Who Should Do Circumcision And When?

Circumcision is a surgical intervention that has been practiced since ancient times. Its history is very old. It is not known when the circumcision tradition emerged, but it is thought to be around 12,000 years ago. Circumcised men were found even in cave paintings during the Stone Age.

As it is known, circumcision is defined as cutting the excess skin surrounding the head of the penis. To date, over 100 different circumcision techniques have been described. It is especially common in Muslim societies for religious reasons. There are similar religious reasons in Jews, and it is known that circumcision is more commonly performed for medical reasons in Christian societies. It is also common in our country, and mostly families have their children circumcised for medical reasons.

I have intense doubts that a procedure that is so widely practiced in our country is adequately understood by both families and society. I don't think people act very consciously about this. When I think of myself as the parent of a boy who is about to be circumcised, many questions come to mind. When should circumcision be done? Who should do the circumcision? Which method should be used? And what is the benefit of this procedure? It is possible to extend this list of questions. Of course, there are many more questions that come to mind. But I think it will be enough to answer the questions that today's parents are most curious about.

WHEN SHOULD CIRCUMCISION BE DONE

The age of circumcision is controversial. First of all, if there is a medical problem, that is, if circumcision is necessary, it can be done at any age. Age does not matter if there are medical reasons such as penile skin stenosis called phimosis and urinary tract infections. If there is no medical necessity, circumcision should be done as early as possible. The age determined for this and used in practice is before 2 years of age. I recommend circumcision in three periods. Neonatal period (first 24 hours), period between 6 months and 2 years and period after 6 years. Early circumcision protects the child from infections, and its protection against penile cancer is known. In addition, early circumcision does not have a negative effect on the psychological development of the child. In summary, circumcision age should be early.

The issue of who will do the circumcision is an indisputable fact, a physician must perform the circumcision. There is a misconception in society that circumcision is a simple intervention. As a result of this perception, unprofessional people have done circumcision for years and still do it. A barber, health officer, or neighborhood circumciser, who is not a doctor likely performed the circumcision of the majority of even you, male readers, who are reading this article right now. Remember your circumcision, you will give me the right. Today, people who are not legally a doctor cannot perform circumcision. The Ministry of Health has taken serious steps in this regard in the last 2-3 years. It has bound this issue to rules with laws and regulations. Therefore, a physician should perform circumcision. Contrary to popular belief, circumcision is not a simple procedure performed at home or in outpatient settings, it is an operation that can have extremely serious consequences if not performed properly. I think that this is how it should be seen and perceived as such. Therefore, circumcision is a surgical procedure and should be performed by a physician.

So, how and with which technique should circumcision be performed? Although there are technically different methods, the purpose of circumcision is to cut the foreskin from both inside and outside, leaving it at an appropriate length. After the incision, the skin must be brought together and sutured. Surgical circumcision is the most recommended method among current methods. In other words, it is a sutured circumcision made with a classical incision. Contrary to popular belief, this method provides faster healing and if done properly, there is no possibility of bleeding. There is a common thought among the people as laser circumcision. I must say unequivocally that there is no such technique. Laser is a method used in totally different surgeries. But it is not used for circumcision. The technique known as the clamp method is a scientifically applicable and reasonable method. However, the disadvantage of this technique is that an apparatus remains on the penis for 3-4 days after circumcision; since tissue healing is achieved by compressing the inner and outer skin, numbness may occur in the future. I recommend surgical circumcision to my patients and have been practicing it for years.

In conclusion, circumcision is a serious procedure. Before circumcision, the child should be evaluated by a urologist, necessary bleeding tests should be performed and it should be determined whether there is an obstacle to circumcision. Circumcision should be performed by a physician, preferably a surgeon (which I strongly recommend a urologist) and at an early age. If these rules are not followed, very important sexual problems may occur in the future. Dear parents, please take circumcision seriously and have your child circumcised by a physician.