Thermo-Cautery versus Suturing Technique in Circumcision

Background: Circumcision is among the oldest and most common surgical procedures, usually performed for religious
and traditional reasons. While many methods of circumcision are defined in the literature, there is no consensus on one ideal method.
Aim of Study: To compare thermo-cautery versus suturing techniques for infant circumcision under local anesthesia
regarding operative time, intraoperative bleeding and complications.
Patients and Methods: The study was carried out in General Surgery Department at Damanhour Teaching Hospital in the period between February 2024 and June 2025. It included 120 infants aged under 6 months. Infants were randomly divided into two equal groups (60 infants each); Group A underwent circumcision by thermo-cautery and Group B underwent circumcision by the conventional method (scalpel cutting and suturing for hemostasis).
Results: The mean duration of surgery was significantly shorter in Group A. Intraoperative blood loss was nil in Group
A compared to a measurable 2.24mL average loss in Group B.
The analgesic requirements during the first two postoperative days were significantly higher in Group A. The overall complication rates were comparable between both groups.
Conclusion: Using thermo-cautery for cutting foreskin in infant circumcision is feasible, reliable and effective. It is superior to the conventional method of foreskin cutting by scalpel. It is associated with an accepted slightly higher incidence of penile edema and requires more doses of postoperative analgesia.