LASER CIRCUMCISION - A NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR DAY-CARE SURGERY

Circumcision is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures . A large variety of techniques have been used, but unfortunately, com plications such as pain, bleeding, swelling, stitch granuloma, scab fo rmation, and removal of improper proportions of skin/mucous membrane o ccur in significant numbers. The authors present a technique using the carbon dioxide laser to excise the prepuce and weld the cut edges tog ether, thus providing a completely bloodless operation, Suturing is op tional as the laser can also be used to unite the cut edges. The techn ique allows exact proportions of skin and mucous membrane to be remove d. This method has been used in a total of 1,154 patients ranging in a ge from infancy to 10 years. A detailed analysis of post-operative rec overy and follow-up indicates that minor complications occurred in onl y 4 patients, none of whom required hospital admission.