Systematic review of complications arising from male circumcision

Abstract

Background: Neonatal male circumcision is the most common procedure performed on paediatric patients (Simpson et al., 2014) and one of the most common surgical procedures in the world (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012).Methods: A search was conducted for articles about complications arising from male circumcision surgeries by entering the term 'male circumcision' into PubMed on June 16, 2020. Six thousand six hundred forty-one articles published from 1945 to 2020 were found. Seventy-eight articles were ultimately selected for the systematic review.Results: The 78 articles selected from the literature search were entered into one of three tables. The first table includes 15 articles pertaining to chart reviews and cohort studies and report complication rates. The second table reports specific complications from 51 case reports and case series, and the third table is a summary from 12 articles regarding physician questionnaires and society recommendations. Additionally, the 78 articles were used to compile a list of 47 specific complications arising from male circumcision surgeries.Conclusions: Complications from neonatal male circumcisions are common and healthcare providers need to be better informed of the potential complications of the surgery so that they can more effectively counsel their patients about potential risks, likelihood of complications and what can be done to prevent them. While experienced providers who practice in sterile settings have better outcomes with fewer complications, encouraging parents to take into account who is performing their son's circumcision, what was their training, how clean is their practice and how much experience they have and reminding them they have the option to decline the procedure entirely allow the parents to get a more complete picture and play an essential role in the decision-making process.

Does using a laser improve outcomes of conventional circumcision in adult and children populations? Results from a systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…This is especially important in the neonatal and pediatric groups where improper circumcision or its complications can affect both cosmesis and functionality due to deformed glans. 32 Although the present study was conducted in the context of a wellconducted systematic review, this study has some limitations. First of all, we were able to find only one randomized clinical trial, and this may limit our findings.…”

“…Still, these complications burden patients receiving circumcision and inevitably jeopardize the success of surgery and quality of life after this surgical procedure. This is especially important in the neonatal and pediatric groups where improper circumcision or its complications can affect both cosmesis and functionality due to deformed glans 32 …”

A comprehensive comparison of the early and late complications of surgical circumcision in neonates and children: A cohort study

“…The providers should be informed of the potential adverse events of circumcision to better counsel the parents for more accurate decisions. 15 , 20 , 21 We aimed to provide health workers with deeper knowledge about the adverse events of circumcision to guide their relevant clinical performance and parental counseling.…”

“…Parental decision on neonatal or older boys’ circumcision is usually based on the parent's choice and accurate knowledge received from health workers. The providers should be informed of the potential adverse events of circumcision to better counsel the parents for more accurate decisions 15,20,21 . We aimed to provide health workers with deeper knowledge about the adverse events of circumcision to guide their relevant clinical performance and parental counseling.…”

Adapting to the long pandemic

“…For the March 2022 issue of BJUI Compass, we have 10 articles to share … To the Journals… In this issue, our review article by Iacob 1 addresses the topic of male neonatal circumcision, focusing on complications when the procedure is performed for elective indications. The background sections outline the history of its performance for religious reasons or for health prevention.…”