non sugical alternative for circumcision

SALloyd

My sister was telling me about the non surgical alternative she opted for for my nephew's circumcision shortly after he was born.  Something about a rubber type band they leave around the head of the penis for about a week and the dead foreskin just falls away.  Anyone heard of this procedure?  If so, do you know the "technical name" for the procedure?

UrbanHippieMama

That sounds horrific, honestly.  Circumcise or don't... that sounds like prolonged pain and torture.  Thing about how sore your finger gets when you put a rubber band around it for a couple min. and it starts to turn purple... OMG... I'm sick just thinking about it.

AimeeL85

I don't know but that sounds like a much more painful alternative.

ekmebm

firsttimemama:

That sounds horrific, honestly.  Circumcise or don't... that sounds like prolonged pain and torture.  Thing about how sore your finger gets when you put a rubber band around it for a couple min. and it starts to turn purple... OMG... I'm sick just thinking about it.

This. This Exactly. 

Ugh that sounds like slow torture. I will definitely be going the surgical route...get it over and done with and my little man healing ASAP.

SALloyd

On the contrary, she said her doctor recommend it because it was much less traumatic and a lot less painful for the infant.  So if that's the case, I'm all about it. 

PonyMaid

This sounds like what people do to dogs to dock their tails instead of having a vet do it.  They put a rubber band around it til the blood stops flowing to the end and then it dies and come off!  AWFUL!  I agree with PP circumsize or don't but this sounds terrible!

freeatlast2014

I read this to my H and he was like "UUUGGGHHH" (like in a painful way)

UrbanHippieMama

PonyMaid:

This sounds like what people do to dogs to dock their tails instead of having a vet do it.  They put a rubber band around it til the blood stops flowing to the end and then it dies and come off!  AWFUL!  I agree with PP circumsize or don't but this sounds terrible!

Yes!  I just saw some Animal Rescue show where they did that to the tail and I was almost puking!  It was sooo sad and painful.

ekmebm

Alright. I got brave and googled it.....I REALLY wish I hadn't. Anyways...what I found confirmed my decision to go the traditional surgical route. It's done with a device called a plastibell.

Here is the wikipedia link: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastibell

ETA: In case you don't feel like googling....this method still involves several cuts made to the penis before the device is applied.

tfarabians

I think ds cried for about 5 min when he was circumcised.  We kept some ointment on it and it was completely healed in about 3 days.  It wasn't a big huge tramatic deal, in fact he screamed a lot more with shots.  Babies heal SO quickly that it really is easier to go the surgical route, after all you don't slowly rip a band-aid off you do it quickly and get it over with.

SALloyd

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  But honestly, if I thought it was something that would bring added pain to the baby, I wouldn't even consider it.  Just wanted to see if anyone new the technical name of the procedure.

wmramsel

This is what they do to lambs to dock their tails....I mean, I'm not having a boy, but cutting off the circulation until the flesh dies and falls off sounds horrific.

SALloyd

Thank you.  Your response was the only one out of them all that didn't make me feel like a bad mom for even considering this option.  I'm not saying that I'm going to opt for it, heck...I don't even know the gender of the baby yet, just wanted to see if anyone had ever heard of this.  If we do have a boy, I will most likely go with the surgical route, but was just wanted to check out all of the options.  Again, thank you for not making me feel like a freakin' crazy women for asking. 

vlewis84

DH just grunted when I told him about this. This sounds like something you see on animal rescue shows where the dogs or cats have been abused. No thank you.

ekmebm

I think if the method truly involved no cutting, it would be more worth looking into.

However it does still involved cutting....at least 2 incisions before the device is applied to remove the remaining skin.

SALloyd

Might as well go the surgical route and get it over with.  Thanks.  By the way, we don't know the gender of our baby yet, but just wanted to check out any options if we do have a boy.

ekmebm

SALloyd:

Thank you.  Your response was the only one out of them all that didn't make me feel like a bad mom for even considering this option.  I'm not saying that I'm going to opt for it, heck...I don't even know the gender of the baby yet, just wanted to see if anyone had ever heard of this.  If we do have a boy, I will most likely go with the surgical route, but was just wanted to check out all of the options.  Again, thank you for not making me feel like a freakin' crazy women for asking. 

I really didn't mean to make you feel like a bad mom for even asking or by my responses, so I apologize if I did. On the contrary I think it's great that you're looking into other options and will be making an informed decision if you have a boy.

AimeeL85

SALloyd:

Thank you.  Your response was the only one out of them all that didn't make me feel like a bad mom for even considering this option.  I'm not saying that I'm going to opt for it, heck...I don't even know the gender of the baby yet, just wanted to see if anyone had ever heard of this.  If we do have a boy, I will most likely go with the surgical route, but was just wanted to check out all of the options.  Again, thank you for not making me feel like a freakin' crazy women for asking. 

I don't think anyone meant their response as a flame, just a general reaction to the idea of it, it does sound painful. I knew you were just curious about the name for the procedure and finding out more about it.

MichelleL1118

If you choose to circumcise, check with your hospital/OB/pedi - it was mentioned in my childbirth class that the plastibell procedure is the preferred method of circumcision by the hospital where I'm delivering/the pedis on staff there.  You may not have an option on the type of circumcision you choose.

SALloyd

Thank you. 

SALloyd

Thank you.  I must admit, the idea of it sounds horrific but I was just curious.

lsugirljen

MichelleL1118:

If you choose to circumcise, check with your hospital/OB/pedi - it was mentioned in my childbirth class that the plastibell procedure is the preferred method of circumcision by the hospital where I'm delivering/the pedis on staff there.  You may not have an option on the type of circumcision you choose.

At my hospital, the doctors all have their preference on how they circumcise.  They said about half do surgical, the other half do the plastibell.

UrbanHippieMama

SALloyd:

Thank you.  Your response was the only one out of them all that didn't make me feel like a bad mom for even considering this option.  I'm not saying that I'm going to opt for it, heck...I don't even know the gender of the baby yet, just wanted to see if anyone had ever heard of this.  If we do have a boy, I will most likely go with the surgical route, but was just wanted to check out all of the options.  Again, thank you for not making me feel like a freakin' crazy women for asking. 

Come on.  No one called you a bad mom.  We're all just reacting to the thought of that procedure, because it does sound horribly painful.

darlene'smommy

I'm guessing this is what my nephew had done. The doctor never talked to my sister about it and I'm guessing she did not know to ask either. My nephew never seemed in any pain from it. My other nephew was born a week before and did not have this done. They had differant pedis so I'm guessing it's done depending on the doctor who does it.

SoulfulWhim5862

wmramsel:

This is what they do to lambs to dock their tails....I mean, I'm not having a boy, but cutting off the circulation until the flesh dies and falls off sounds horrific.

 

Not only do they dock lamb tails this way....this is also the non-surgical way that lambs and bull calves are castrated.  A special thick rubber band especially for this purpose is put high on the scrotum and left until circulation is cut off and it falls off.  

sandylou

PonyMaid:

This sounds like what people do to dogs to dock their tails instead of having a vet do it.  They put a rubber band around it til the blood stops flowing to the end and then it dies and come off!  AWFUL!  I agree with PP circumsize or don't but this sounds terrible!

THIS!!!!

izzourclue

I've never heard of it, but it sounds problematic and way more uncomfortable than a quick snip.  It still surgical.  They are still removing a piece of flesh from your baby, just doing it slowly by killing it first.  I would ask your ped.  They may not even do it.  This is the way that they snip lamb's tails.  Sheep are born with long tails and they put a tight band around the tail when they are babies.  The circulation is cut off and the tail dies and falls off later.  If you've ever wrapped  a string around your finger and watched it turn purple when you were a kid, same concept.  Seems like it could be problematic from an infection standpoint.

headlight

With that they still CUT the foreskin off. They just leave the rubber band on so it shold prevent scaring and help it getting better faster.

I it hilarious to me that people put kids through surgical procedures without knowing sh*t about it.

Cutting the part of boys penis is a big deal.

 

 

 

izzourclue

SALloyd:

On the contrary, she said her doctor recommend it because it was much less traumatic and a lot less painful for the infant.  So if that's the case, I'm all about it. 

How on earth would the doctor know how much pain the infant is in?  The baby can't say anything.  They used to (and some peds still do) circ without anesthetic at all probably thinking its not that painful.  Now they know that babies do a lot better with at least a little topical anesthetic and even better with a penile block.  

wmramsel

SoulfulWhim5862:

wmramsel:

This is what they do to lambs to dock their tails....I mean, I'm not having a boy, but cutting off the circulation until the flesh dies and falls off sounds horrific.

 

Not only do they dock lamb tails this way....this is also the non-surgical way that lambs and bull calves are castrated.  A special thick rubber band especially for this purpose is put high on the scrotum and left until circulation is cut off and it falls off.  

Hmmm, we definitely did NOT castrate our pigs and bull calves this way (I grew up on a farm).  My dad called it "cutting the cords" and it was definitely just a quick snip- took us 5 minutes to do 2 calves.  **Shivers** 

UrbanHippieMama

lissydee:

the only non-surgical alternative I know of is not having it done.  Which is what we're opting for.

Hehehe.  I heart you.

NoemiJ

firsttimemama:

That sounds horrific, honestly.  Circumcise or don't... that sounds like prolonged pain and torture.  Thing about how sore your finger gets when you put a rubber band around it for a couple min. and it starts to turn purple... OMG... I'm sick just thinking about it.

This exactly. And how is the little boy supposed to urinate? Can you imagine how painful that must be?

SBear12

firsttimemama:

lissydee:

the only non-surgical alternative I know of is not having it done.  Which is what we're opting for.

Hehehe.  I heart you.

Yep, this.