Pediatric Circumcision in the 21st Century National Health Service: A Snapshot of Practice in a United Kingdom Center

Abstract

Introduction Pediatric circumcision is a commonly performed operation, yet outcomes related to procedures performed for medical indications remain underreported. Aim The aim of this study was to report outcomes of therapeutic circumcision from our center. Methods Prospective registry of elective circumcisions was maintained and analyzed at a single institution in the United Kingdom. Data collected included information on complications (early and late), emergency presentations, and referrals back from primary care services. Results Between August 2015 and June 2019, 300 patients (mean age: 9 years; range: 3–16 years) underwent therapeutic circumcision. The average length of follow-up data available was 2.1 years (range: 6 months to 4 years). The overall complication rate was 4.7% (n = 16). There were no unplanned admissions and no cases returned to the operating room as emergency. Only 1% (n = 3) of patients presented with an early complication (minor bleeding, pain, urinary retention), and 3.7% (n = 11) suffered a late complication (meatal stenosis [2.7%]). All cases of meatal stenosis had lichen sclerosus confirmed on histology. Cosmetic satisfaction was 99%. Conclusion Therapeutic circumcision is an effective procedure in the pediatric population, which carries a low risk of early and late complications. Our study found that meatal stenosis only occurred in those patients with confirmed lichen sclerosus histology.

Keywords

• circumcision
• balanitis xerotica obliterans
• phimosis
• pediatrics
• surgery