What Is The Prognosis After A Circumcision Complication?

Posting Date: 05/03/1999

Carey: My friend's baby boy was circumcised at one or two days old and wound up in the emergency room after almost bleeding to death.

Dr. Dean: Oh, my gosh!

Carey: Yes, they called what happened to him de-gloving. I am wondering what that is and how this baby will be able to feel and function in the future.

Dr. Dean: What a horrible shock. Are the doctors optimistic?

Carey: They appear to be, yeah.

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Dr. Dean: Good.

First of all, risks during circumcision are real, but fortunately not that common. Of the risks, bleeding is one of the most common. Of course, such disasters are extremely rare, but penises have been cut off during circumcisions, and babies have lost their lives.

The child is going to need very, very skilled reconstructive care by an experienced surgeon. The glans, where most of the sensation originates, should be intact, so sensation and function will most likely be all right.

Carey: This seems like a very poor standard of care.

Dr. Dean: That is hard to say when something this rare happens. Accidents do happen, and then there are accidents that happen because people aren't paying attention.

Circumcisions are routine procedures. When I was in school, they gave it to the medical students to do. "Okay, your turn to the do the circs today."

I don't want to guilt trip anybody, but maybe your call will help parents wake up about this. I mean, the American Academy of Pediatrics is now telling us circumcisions are unnecessary, so I don't know why people are still doing them.