If your son was circumcised, who did the procedure?

[american_mama]

My midwife implied a tad condescendingly that pediatricans don't do circumcisions and that an obgyn, who by nature of their training is also a surgeon, would do it if we chose to have it done. I didn't appreciate the ever so slight condescension and think she is wrong to imply that no pediatricians anywhere do circumcisions. So I thought I would just ask this wide group of women what has been their experience.

Not interested in pros and cons of circumcisions right now, and know that many people have uncircumcised sons, so no one needs to get into that.

[hobokenmom]

I think it is somewhat of a regional thing here in the US, but someone can step in and correct me if I'm way off base here.

My kids' circs were done by my OB/GYN, and I live on the east coast of the US (NY Metropolitan area). I believe I was given a similar explanation to yours in that the OB/GYNs are actually surgeons, whereas a pediatrician is not necessarily a surgeon. I'm sure it also has to do with malpractice insurance somehow.

[MelissaTC]

My OB/GYN did it. The MW that I saw at the practice gave me the low down on which one used an anesthetic, who was better at it, etc.. I made sure I had it in my birth plan that I wanted the topical and injection used. In the end, we wound up with the better one of the group and all went well.

[VClute]

DS was delivered in an Army hospital, and it was actually a ped INTERN that did the procedure. I was all for him doing it (and not insisting on an attending) because he SAT DOWN with me the day before and talked to me for about a half hour about it.

Amy in NC
mom to Dixon, born 2/14/05
...and Abigail Rose, born 4/7/07

[JBaxter]

All 3 of the boys circs were done by my OB's. They were all done by w/ the topical anestetic. On of my OB's was Jewish and I "think" someone said he was also a moyel (sp?). 2 were done with the bell ( ring) and on with the other tech. None had or have problems and all are done as a loose circ.

[elephantmeg]

at our hospital there are 3 pediatrician groups. 2 do circs, 1 doesn't. Ours does and so the pedi did it, otherwise the OBGYNs do it.

[Corie]

In Texas, it seemed to be the pediatricians who did the circumsion.
At least in my area and circle of friends.

[Gena]

My OB did my son's circ. We were told that it was the usual practice in our area.

We do have a friend of the family who is both a pediatrican and a moyel. But I think he only does circumcisions as a moyel and not as part of his medical practice.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Didn't vote b/c we didn't have it done and won't have it done this time. But, I know that we would have to find an OB/ Gyn to do it this time (I think the midwives just set it up with their back up OBs).

Beth

[Radosti]

Oopsie... I voted OB by accident. DS was circ'ed by his Pediatrician.

[hillview]

At our hospital there is a doctor (who I am pretty sure is a pedi) does the circs for newborns (born at the hospital). It was a woman who'd been doing them for more then 20 years.
/hillary

[kdeunc]

We had a urologist do both of our boys. My husbands theory was that they are the most familiar with the part! DH works in the OR so he asked one of the surgeons that he works with to do it for us. If we did not choose that the OB would have done it but our ped was also an option.

[katydid1971]

Where we live they don't circ in the hospital (I don't know why)so we went to the pediatricans office a week later and had it done there. We had more problems with DS's belly button than with his circ. (The belly button fell of quickly but kept bleading for about a week more, it bothered me A LOT!!!)
Sarah

[hootchtopher]

In PA hospitals its usually the OB. A urologist will do it if there's a problem or if its being done at a later time for some reason. At the children's hospital where I currently work the pediatric surgeons started doing them for the infants who were too sick to have it done at birth. I would think you would want the person who does it most often to do the procedure. So in your area, if its usually the OB who does newborn circs I would have them do it. Thats just been my experience as a NICU RN and a mommy.
Karen

[luvmypeanut]

Our pediatrician referred us to a urologist.

[Fairy]

DS got snipped in the hospital, then we had a Jewish Baby Naming for him in the synagogue. I just didn't want to have a briss. I'm not against them culturally, but I, personally, didn't want it. I did want a religious welcoming for him, however, so we did the baby naming. We were very happy with this choice. The OB did the snip. However, lots and lots of peds do this, too. The only thing I'd say to you is to be sure that the person you choose has done lots and lots of them. If you're feeling real great about the peds' experience, then go with your OB. No wrong way to do it.

-- Fairy

[tylersmama]

We got the impression from our ped that it is a regional thing as to who performs the circs. In our area (Colorado), the OBs do it, but he said that when he did his residency (I think he said CA, but not sure), the peds did it.

[pb&j]

The OB. All the nurses said he did a great job. DS slept through the whole thing.


-Ry,
mom to Max, age 1.5
and my girl in heaven

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37124.gif

[Tondi G]

DS#1 was circ'd by my OB with a topical anesthetic. DS #2 was done by my OB's associate and ws given an injection. My OB decided she doesn't like doing Circumcisions and said any of her associates would happily take care of it for us! Both are on the looser side and went well.

I brought infant Tylenol with my to the hospital and gave my boys a few doses (every 6 hours) to keep them comfortable for the first day or so!

~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/01 and Aidan 5/05

[MommyAllison]

When we were at the ped's office today, they were getting ready to do a circ.

Allison
Mama to DD 11/05

[hardysmom]

My OB doesn't like to do circs and so another OB in her practice did his FIRST circ...

He had to be re-circ'd by a urologist under general anesthesia at 5 yrs b/c she left too much skin (which is better than not enough!) and he had a very bad infection after a bug bite. It was a pretty big procedure at that point which I wish we could have avoided but it seemed better (both medically and cosmetically) for him to be fully circ'd rather than kind of 1/3 circ'd.

The OB did the initial procedure when he was only a few hours old after she had been delivering babies all night... my son was delivered by c/s at 12 am (by our OB) but her partner OB was on call delivering another baby next door to my room. She came in and asked if she could do the circ at about 9 am the next morning before she left to go home. I think I was so tired, I didn't really think about her being fatigued.

I am ot sure if working overnight played into the problem or if it would have happened anyway... like I said, it is better that she erred on the side of too much rather than too little.

stephanie

[lisams]

If we would have had DD circ'd we would have had a urologist do it. Our Ped asked if we wanted it done, so he would have normally been the one to do it.

[ast96]

My OB circ'ed my first son. A family friend who is a pediatric hospitalist in the hospital I delivered circ'ed my two subsequent boys.

My OB botched my first son's circ and he had to be cauderized. I would not ask an OB to do it again.

I asked the family friend to do my second son, and he did a beautiful job, seriously, there was no healing even involved. So I scheduled him to do my third son, and all the nurses at the hospital were commenting, saying, "There is always a risk of infection... oh, but not with Dr. X. He's the best."

If I was starting over, I would call the nurses' station in the mother and baby unit of the hospital and ask for a recommendation. Those nurses know everything and see everything -- and they ALWAYS have opinions, LOL!

[ast96]

My OB circ'ed my first son. A family friend who is a pediatric hospitalist in the hospital I delivered circ'ed my two subsequent boys.

My OB botched my first son's circ and he had to be cauderized. I would not ask an OB to do it again.

I asked the family friend to do my second son, and he did a beautiful job, seriously, there was no healing even involved. So I scheduled him to do my third son, and all the nurses at the hospital were commenting, saying, "There is always a risk of infection... oh, but not with Dr. X. He's the best."

If I was starting over, I would call the nurses' station in the mother and baby unit of the hospital and ask for a recommendation. Those nurses know everything and see everything -- and they ALWAYS have opinions, LOL!

[thomma]

My ob was going to do it but my son was born with a hypospadias so didn't/couldn't have it done. I'm not sure if our ped. does them...we were in the process of choosing a ped when our twins arrived 10 weeks early.

Kim
ds&dd 5/03

[thomma]

My ob was going to do it but my son was born with a hypospadias so didn't/couldn't have it done. I'm not sure if our ped. does them...we were in the process of choosing a ped when our twins arrived 10 weeks early.

Kim
ds&dd 5/03

[Fairy]

Wanted to chime in that I think erring at all is completely unacceptable. I'm not saying you should sue or should not sue, but your post is pretty kind to her. I get that she was tired. Her problem, you don't cut if you're not in the right shape to do it. I'm so sorry that your little dude had to go thru the second procedure under the add'l yucky circumstances. Glad all is well now.

[Fairy]

Wanted to chime in that I think erring at all is completely unacceptable. I'm not saying you should sue or should not sue, but your post is pretty kind to her. I get that she was tired. Her problem, you don't cut if you're not in the right shape to do it. I'm so sorry that your little dude had to go thru the second procedure under the add'l yucky circumstances. Glad all is well now.

[merianne16]

I didn't vote because I've had experience with both. I used to live and work as an RN in Utah and there only peds do the circs. Here in the DC area where I worked as an RN and also had my DS only the OB's do the circs. It really depends on the hospital and the collaboration between the ped and ob population.

Merianne