Circumcision risks
Work in progress: The following information does not claim to be complete. More content will be added gradually.
This article wants to offer a comprehensive overview of risks which can occur by undergoing a circumcision. This page is a landing page for those who want to find a quick overview about circumcision risks. Chances are that information given here is shown in more detail in other IntactiWiki articles.
General risks
- Loss of the foreskin (100% complication rate)
- Operation scar (100% complication rate)
- Loss of the frenulum
- Loss of protection of the glans
- Reduction of the penis
- Keratinization of the glans
- Loss of sensation
- Loss of money for a medically not indicated surgery
- Restoration of the foreskin not 100% possible and very time-consuming (adults)
Operative risks
- Death
- Amputation of the penis
- Amputation of the glans
- Amputation of excess skin or denudation
- Shock or coma due to the extreme pain (newborn circumcision)
- Because circumcision is type of surgery always, it also encompasses all the basic risks of surgery.
- Infection
- Bleeding, excess bleeding
- Surgical mishap
Post-operative risks (A-Z)
- Abnormal healing
- Adhesions between the shaft and the glans
- Permanent brain damage after herpes infection (newborn circumcision with Metzitzah b'peh)
- Chordee
- Deformation of the penis
- Early ablactation (weaning) (newborn circumcision)
- Epispadias
- Excessive foreskin removed (leads to deformation)
- Fistulas
- Herpes infection (newborn circumcision with Metzitzah b'peh)
- Hypospadias
- Impetigo
- Impotence
- Inclusion cysts
- Infection
- Insufficient foreskin removed (re-surgery often done)
- Loss of penile sensitivity
- Lubricants required for masturbation and intercourse
- Lung tear due to extreme cries of pain (newborn circumcision)
- Lymphoedema
- Meatal stenosis (20% complication rate)
- Meatal ulcer
- Meatitis
- Necrosis of the penis
- Oedema of the glans
- Phimosis
- Pain in erected state of the penis
- Risk of required re-surgery
- Sexual dysfunction
- Skin bridges between the shaft and the glans
- Tummy wall tear due to extreme cries of pain (newborn circumcision)
- Urethrocutaneous fistula
- Urinary retention (this has caused deaths)
- ...
Psychological risks
Immediate risks
- PTSD due to newborn trauma
- Brain damage due to the extreme pain (newborn circumcision without effective anesthesia)
- Loss of bonding and trust to parents
- Nipple confusion (newborn circumcision)
- Frustration due to sexual dysfunction
- Lowered pain sensitivity threshold (newborn circumcision)
Delayed risks
- Feelings of being cheated, robbed, abandoned and unprotected by the own parents
- Cognitive dissonance
- Circumcision coma
- Impotence due to psychological bad feelings of being inferior
- Depression
- Suicide
See also
- Circumcision botches
- Documented severe complications of circumcision
- Fatalities
- Psychological issues of male circumcision
- Risks and complications
- Sexual effects of circumcision
External links
Complications of Circumcision
, Stanford University. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
