Complications following newborn circumcision are uncommon, appear in one out of every 500 procedures. The American Medical Association quotes a complication rate of 0.2%–0.6%
Apart from the pain and distress, there have been many complications of circumcision reported though rare. Most complications are minor, but some can be more severe, penile amputation and even death have been reported.
THE YOUNGER THE AGE THE LESS RISK OF COMPLICATIONS AND BETTER RECOVERY AND HEALING
Common complications of the procedure are:
- Bleeding: is minor in the majority of cases and hemostasis (control of bleeding) can be achieved by pressure application. Rarely it requires stitches to control the bleeding. THE RISK OF BLEEDING IS MINIMAL IN THE 5-10 DAY OLD INFANTS
- Infection: is rare. They present with fever and signs of inflammation. Never seen in our experience
- Inadvertent injury to the head of the penis.
- Inadvertent injury to the meatal orifice leading to Meatal stenosis (narrowing of the urethral opening).
- Too much skin removed.
- Not enough skin removed.
- Re-growth and scarring of the remnant (unexcised portion) of the foreskin.
This procedure is performed on newborns within the first few days of life – Best performed in the FIRST 10 Days – though it can be done in the first few weeks of life