Our Initial Experience of Circumcision using Monopolar Diathermy

Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of monopolar diathermy in performing circumcision. Materials and Methods: 100 patients underwent non-neonatal circumcisions using monopolar diathermy at Rehman medical institute Peshawar, Pakistan since june 2015 to January 2016 were included in the study. Our exclusion criteria were neonatal circumcision, circumcision using bipolar diathermy and patients with bleeding diathesis. Results: We Identified 100 patients who met inclusion criteria. Mean Patient age was 10 months (range 6- 60 months), mean operative time was seven minutes (range 5 - 15 minutes). Eighty seven patients (87%) underwent primary circumcision for religious and cultural reasons where as on thirteen patients (13%) circumcision revisions were performed for cosmetic reasons. Two patients (2%) presented to the emergency department with minor bleeding. All patients had good cosmetic outcomes on follow up visit. No patients were found to have skin necrosis, glans necrosis and/or urethral injury. Conclusion: Circumcision using monopolar diathermy, if used judiciously, is a safe, simple and efficient surgical operation.