Reliability of thermocautery-assisted circumcision: retrospective analysis of circumcision performed voluntarily in countries of low socioeconomic status

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of thermocautery-assisted circumcision performed voluntarily in patients of poor countries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2016 and 2019, 32,000 children aged 7 days to 17 years were circumcised in multiple countries. The patients’ urological examinations were done before the administration of local anaesthesia. Patients revealed to have undescended testicle, inguinal hernia, hypospadias, varicocele, penile rotation anomaly, epispadias and infection were not circumcised. All procedures were performed under local anaesthesia by using thermocautery. Afterwards, mucosa and skin were sutured using absorbable suture and the circumcised penis was dressed. Patients were instructed to remove the dressing after 3 days. RESULTS: Bleeding, requiring surgical intervention and drug reactions were not observed. The most observed complication was mucosal oedema, which occurred in approximately one-quarter of patients (26%, 8320/32,000) and continued for 3–5 days after the surgery. The most serious complication was a trapped penis, which occurred in 25 patients (0.078%). In six (0.018%) cases, meatal stenosis developed. Wound infection developed in only 10 (0.03%) cases, through the formation of an aseptic environment. Penile adhesion was seen in 35 cases (0.1%) and improved with anti-inflammatory treatment without any surgical intervention. CONCLUSION: Thermocautery-assisted circumcision can be used as an effective, safe and useful technique with few complications and rapid healing rates.