About this topic
Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin. The foreskin covers the tip of the penis. Many things affect your decision to have your child circumcised or not. Some reasons could be your religion, culture, and personal feelings. Some studies show there are medical benefits of circumcision. Your child may be at a lower risk of having: ‚
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Infection, irritation, and swelling of the penis
- Cancer of the penis
- Sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs)
- Tightening of the foreskin of the penis (phimosis)
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says you need to do to take care of your child.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your sons cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change any bandages. You may be told to put petroleum jelly on a clean dressing and put it on the cut site with each diaper change. You may need to use this dressing for 2 to 3 days after the circumcision.
- When your son may take a bath or shower
- How long your son's penis will take to heal
- Be sure to wash your hands before touching your wound or dressing.
What follow-up care is needed?
The doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep your child's visits. For a baby, this visit may be the well child visit. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent infection
Will physical activity be limited?
Talk with your doctor about the right amount of activity for your child. The doctor may suggest your child stay away from activities like riding a bike or any other straddling toys for 5 to 10 days. Physical activity may get in the way of healing. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Pain
- Swelling or redness around the penis
- Too much or too little foreskin taken off
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection such as a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, or decreased amount of urine.
- New bleeding in the affected area. Use a clean cloth to put pressure on the wound for 10 minutes if bleeding happens during the first 24 hours after the procedure.
- Pain in the affected area even after intake of pain relievers
- Swelling or redness of the entire penis
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs procedure.
- I can tell you how to care for my child's cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child has a fever, chills, swelling, redness, or drainage from the wound.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Pediatrics ‚
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/prenatal/decisions-to-make/Pages/Circumcision.aspx ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/surgical/circumcision.html# ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚