Circumcision is a common procedure involving the surgical removal of the foreskin from the tip of the penis. The decision to pursue this procedure is often based on religious, cultural, or personal preference, though it may also be medically advised. Multiple types of trained medical professionals are qualified to perform it, depending heavily on the patient’s age and the specific circumstances.
Primary Medical Professionals
The majority of routine circumcisions occur shortly after birth, typically within the first 10 days of life, while the infant is still in the hospital or shortly after discharge. The procedure is most often performed by the attending physician, who may be a pediatrician, a family practitioner (family medicine doctor), or an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN). These practitioners are trained during their residency to use specialized devices like the Gomco clamp or the Plastibell ring, which are suited for the delicate tissues of a newborn. The procedure is quick, taking about 15 to 20 minutes, and is performed using a local anesthetic injected into the base of the penis to manage pain.
Family medicine doctors and pediatricians frequently continue to offer the procedure in their outpatient clinics for healthy infants who are slightly older but still within the typical neonatal window. The choice of physician often comes down to the hospital’s standard practice or the parents’ preference for their child’s primary care provider. For a healthy full-term infant with no anatomical concerns, these physicians are the common first point of care for an elective circumcision.
Surgical Specialists and Advanced Procedures
When a circumcision is performed outside the newborn period—such as on older infants, children, or adults—or when the case is complex, a surgical specialist is required. Urologists, who specialize in the urinary tract and male reproductive system, are the primary specialists for these advanced or delayed procedures. Pediatric urologists are specifically trained to handle anatomical irregularities in infants and children, such as hypospadias or concealed penis, which are contraindications for a routine newborn circumcision. In such complex cases, the foreskin may be preserved for use in reconstructive surgery.
Circumcision in an older child or adult is a more involved surgical process that generally requires an operating room setting and the use of general anesthesia. The urologist uses a traditional surgical technique, excising the foreskin and closing the wound with dissolvable stitches, rather than using the clamp devices common in newborns. Urologists are also the physician of choice for men who require the procedure later in life due to medical issues like recurrent infections or phimosis, a condition where the foreskin becomes too tight to retract.
Non-Clinical and Outpatient Settings
Beyond the traditional hospital and specialist settings, circumcision is performed in several specialized outpatient environments and by non-physician practitioners. Specialized clinics dedicated exclusively to newborn circumcision have emerged, often led by experienced physicians or advanced practice providers. These specialized centers offer a focused, unhurried setting for the procedure, typically for infants up to a month old.
Advanced Practice Providers
The growing role of non-physician practitioners, such as Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs), has become more prevalent in performing routine neonatal circumcisions. With appropriate training and supervision, these providers demonstrate complication rates comparable to those of physicians in an outpatient clinic setting. Their involvement helps manage the demand for the procedure, allowing urologists to concentrate on more intricate surgical cases.
Ritual Circumcision
A completely different category of practitioner is the Mohel, a trained professional who performs the brit milah, or Jewish ritual circumcision, typically on the eighth day of life. While the Mohel’s role is rooted in religious and spiritual tradition, many are also medically trained or work closely with medical professionals to ensure safety and hygiene. This procedure occurs in a non-medical setting, such as a home or synagogue, and is distinct from the elective surgical procedure performed in a hospital or clinic.