Doctors Treating Pain From Circumcision

Ninety-seven percent obstetrical, pediatric and family physicians have learned effective pain-relief techniques for circumcision, a U.S. study finds.

Just 10 years ago, 71 percent learned how to ease pain during the brief, but very common surgical procedure.

This is a large leap ahead in how physicians are trained to perform circumcisions, which at 1 million annually, is the most common surgical procedure, said study author Dr. Daniel Yawman, a pediatrician at Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong and Rochester General Hospital.

There is no reason a newborn should have to endure the pain of circumcision without a local or topical anesthetic.

The findings are published in Ambulatory Pediatrics.

Since 1999 the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatric call for the universal use of local or topical anesthetics to provide pain relief for neonatal circumcision.