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Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin, or the hood of skin that covers the head (glans) of a penis.
Circumcision can be done at any age. Newborn circumcisions are done before 3 months of age under local anesthesia using a tool called a Gomco clamp and typically without stitches. This procedure takes about 15 minutes. If the child is not eligible for newborn circumcision due to age or anatomy, the circumcision may be done in the operating room under general anesthesia after 6 months of age.
Circumcision can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections in the first year of life as well as treat certain conditions of the foreskin, such as tightness and irritation. The procedure can also help with hygiene and regular care of the penis as well as reduce the risk of contracting HIV by 60%1 and herpes by 30%2.
The procedure is associated with a small risk of infection, bleeding, meatal stenosis (scarring of the hole in the penis), scarring and the risk of taking off too much or too little foreskin and having to redo the circumcision.
Special considerations:
Sometimes the penis slides in and out of the pubic area, a condition known as buried penis. There may also be a web of scrotum that is rides high up shaft of the penis scrotal webbing. Other times, the penis is crooked and bends or twists in a specific direction (penile torsion or penile angulation or chordee). These conditions require surgery under general anesthesia to fix at the time of the circumcision with a modification on the procedure to ensure the penis looks and functions normally afterwards.
The Division of Pediatric Urology at Weill Cornell Medicine, proudly affiliated with Children’s Hospital of New York at NewYork-Presbyterian, provides world-class care to children of all ages, from birth through adolescence, with disorders of the kidney, ureter, bladder, urethral and external genitalia. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric urologists offer minimally invasive robotic and laparoscopic procedures, complex open procedures and non-surgical management of pediatric urological disorders. Our program is a top Pediatric Urology program in New York City, and NewYork-Presbyterian Children’s Hospital-Columbia and Cornell is ranked among the top 50 pediatric urology programs in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.
To request an appointment, please call our office at (212) 746-5337 or schedule an appointment with one of our providers online below. Our phone staff are available to help you Monday-Friday, from 9AM-5PM (EST).
Meet our expert providers who specialize in Circumcision:
If < 3 months old: AKHAVAN, NEILAN
If > 3 months old: AKHAVAN, POPPAS, WIYGUL
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