• Reference Number: HEY1087/2020
• Departments: Day Surgery (DSU), Paediatrics
• Last Updated: 17 January 2020

Introduction

This advice sheet has been produced to give you information and advice following a circumcision procedure. It is not meant to replace discussion between you and your child’s doctor.  If after reading it, you require further explanation please discuss this with the relevant person who has been caring for your child.

Your child’s consultant is ___________________________

Surgery performed by ________________________

Should you need any further help or advice, please telephone:

Day Surgery Service, Monday to Friday 08.00 hours to 18.00 hours

Telephone: (01482) 675066, 675068 or 675073. Please ask to speak to one of the Paediatric Nurses.

At other times please call Acorn Ward, Women and Children’s Hospital HRI

Telephone: (01482) 382609 / 382679

Or contact the Paediatric Community Team Telephone (01482) 344077

Follow-up

The Community Children’s Team have been contacted and may visit your child at home in the weeks following surgery.  They may also contact you by phone 48 hours following your child’s discharge from the Day Surgery Unit.

School

Your child can return to school in approximately one to two weeks. If you feel they need a little longer to recover we are happy for you to use your own judgement.

However, they should not do any physical education (PE), games or swimming for approximately 4 ~ 6 weeks.

After surgery

• The stitches are ‘dissolvable’ (do not need removing).
• Your child’s penis may look and feel sore but this will not last long.  It will look and feel normal again in a few weeks.
• There may be some ‘oozing’ of pink tinged serum, this is part of the healing process and is completely normal.
• The ‘scabs’ that will form are part of the healing process and must not be removed or cleaned off.
• Tomorrow your child may have a shower.  Your child may have a bath after 5 days, (do not add anything to the bath water).
• We will give you some antibiotic cream to apply to the stitched and surrounding area with advice on how often and for how long to use it.
• It is not unusual for boys to be nervous about going for a ‘pee’ after this surgery.
• Try to get your child to drink plenty, but if they become too distressed because you cannot ‘pee’ sit in a warm bath and ‘pee’ in the bath.
• It may help if your child wears loose clothing or nothing at all until they feel more comfortable.

Pain relief

We recommend that for the first 24 ~ 48 hrs you have paracetamol and Ibuprofen syrup or tablets available at home following discharge. (Ibuprofen may not be suitable for asthmatics)

After your child’s operation

The Day Surgery Unit is continually striving to improve patient information, we would be pleased to hear from you should you have any comments or concerns.

Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this advice sheet, please do not hesitate to contact the Day Surgery Service.

Information about your child

We collect and use your child’s information to provide your child with care and treatment.  As part of your child’s care, your child’s information will be shared between members of the healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet.  Your child’s information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service and to help with research.  Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health or social organisations that provide your child with care.  All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it.  If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for your child.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about your child. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You. www.hey.nhs.uk/privacy/data-protection

If you or your child’s carer needs information about your child’s health and well-being and about your child’s care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.