Second Circumcision
Question
My son was circumcised at birth, but not enough foreskin was taken off. Now three specialists tell me he needs a redo, and it will involve anesthesia and stitches. They say it is routine and it will be done at 6 months of age. Is there anything I need to worry about, or any questions I should ask?
Dr. Greene's Answer
It must have been an upsetting road to get to this point. Sometimes kids have so much foreskin left that it looks almost as if they had not been circumcised, and then you can choose to leave it be or to re-circumcise. Sometimes it appears there is too much foreskin for a circumcised penis, but it will even out: as a child reaches puberty, the shaft grows more than the foreskin.
But if three specialists are saying that correcting the current situation is important, could be a reasonable time to get it over with. I do always like asking, “What are the alternatives?” and finding out what they see as the pros and cons of different options.
If you choose to have the procedure done, I would feel better having the procedure done at a children’s hospital or medical center or with a pediatric anesthesiologist. The surgery itself is pretty brief and simple.
Alan Greene MD
Our goal is to improve children's health by inspiring parents to become knowledgable partners who can work with their children's physicians in new and rich ways.