Just thought I'd pass on some good info I found on another site. It fully explains the different techniques, pain meds, etc. I thought it would help those who are circing!


Mogen, Gomco,or Plastibell

Which clamp should be used? I think that this is the most important issue because this is what determines the end result.

From what I have read about the Mogen clamp, it is condiserd to be the least painful. I have also read that it also has the highest failer rate because of design flaw. Which has caused amputation of the glans.

Gomco is widely used because you have the least ammount of bleeding. From what I have read it is also the longest prceedure but that is mainly because the clamp must stay in place for 5 min to allow the blood to clot. The downfall of this clamp is that it doesn't allow for all sizes of penises. Missmatched parts have been known to cause complications.

Plastibell is also widely used because there are many sizes of plastic bells(rings) to match up to the different sizes of penises. Since the bell stays on the penis until it is almost healed there is not much chance that there will be a large adhesion as with the other two methods. The downfall of Plastibell is that the baby will bleed more.

Once you have done your homework and decided on a method you need to decide who will do the circumcision. Your OB might only use one clamp style and might not be experianced with another. In some hospistals the resident doc. does circumcision, maybe your pediatrition can do the circumcision. Either way tke some time to match the right doctor to the right clamp.

Pain relief has its own set of risks. So do your homework!

Emla cream takes one hour to reach full affect. Even then it only numbs the suface of the skin, which is not enough for a pain free experiance. It also causes swelling which can interfear with the circumcision if it is applied to the glans and forskin.

Injections such as Lidocane are the best choice for pain relief. It will last for the length of the proceedure and a bit longer. An injection will take about 15 min. to reach full effect. Sometimes a second injection is needed for a pain free circumcision. Injections hurt but, it hurts alot less than a circumcision.

General anethstegia is not and option!

Sugar pacifiers are more of a distractive tecnique than a pain relief. I have yet to know of any circumcision in which the pacifier kept the baby from feeling any pain.

The best pain relief is Emla cream applied at the injectionsite 1 hour before the injection. The injection should be administered 15 min. before the proceedure starts. The doctor should check that the injection has kicked in before starting but as a parent you should make sure that this happens. Some doctors are in a hurry and might not be too concerned about wether or not the baby is in pain. For many years no relief was used so many doctors have a diminished sensitivity to the infants pain. So make sure for the sake of your baby boy that he is as comfortable as possible during the circumcision.

I would like to mention that a circumcision takes from 5 to 20 min. depending on the skill of the doc. and the clamp used. Not all of this time has the potential to be painful(no pain relief) and even though it is a relativly small amount of time it could seem like eternity when someone is cutting away part of your genitalia.

A skilled doc. can do the proceedure quickly with minimal bleeding. You should also consider letting a first timer do a circumcision. They do tend to be more careful and they can be supervised by your doctor and you. They have to get the practice in some where. Doctors don't live forever, and who wiil do the future circumcisions?

Most doc.and some mohels offer injections as pain relief, ask around. Tylenol should be given to you son afterward and throughout healing.