Circumcision

Surgical Day Case Unit

Discharge Information for parents and carers

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Circumcision Discharge Information – PIAG 28 (141kB pdf)

Introduction

Your son had had a circumcision, which means he has had the foreskin from the tip of his penis removed. This leaflet will provide you with information about what to do now your son has been discharged from hospital.

For the next 24 hours:

you should encourage your child to rest
you should make sure your child’s activities are supervised by a responsible adult
do not let your child ride a bike
do not let your child take part in any outdoor activities
do not give your child any fizzy drinks
do not give your child hard to digest foods such as chips, burgers.

Your child may complain of having a sore throat, hoarseness, muscle aches or pain following an anaesthetic. You can give your child Paracetamol. Do not exceed the recommended dosage for your child’s age. All advice regarding medicines will be given to you when your child is discharged.

What to do if your child starts to vomit

If your child vomits on the way home or when you get home do not be alarmed. Do not give your child anything to eat or drink for one hour. After that you can start giving your child a small amount of water or juice. Then gradually increase the amount of fluid you give to your child. Once your child can keep fluids down you can begin to give them a light diet.

If the vomiting continues, please contact your GP out of hours telephone number or your
nearest Accident & Emergency Department.

Now you are taking your child home

Your son will have had some stitches in his penis and these stitches will dissolve in time. It will be quite normal for the end of his penis to be swollen, puffy and reddened for about four or five days after the surgery. The swelling will settle down after a few more days.

Your son may feel some discomfort or pain during the first couple of days when he is back at home. You will be given pain relief medication to give to your son. You must not exceed the dosage recommended for your child’s age.

After your son had passed urine it can sometimes make him more comfortable if you apply a little petroleum jelly to the end his penis. Surgical Day Case Unit Circumcision
Discharge Information for parents and carers
To help you son stay comfortable, we suggest that he wears loose clothing, e.g. nightwear, jogging pants or nothing at all on his lower body.
If your son wears nappies, try to let him do without one during the daytime or fasten the nappy looser than normal. Changing his nappy more frequently than normal will help to prevent any rubbing that may cause some bleeding and pain to his wound area.
Your son can have a quick bath or shower the next day after his operation, and then he can bathe as normal.
Your son should not attend school until he can walk comfortably and is comfortable wearing his own clothes.
Your son should avoid playing rough games, taking part in P.E. in school or ride a bike for one – two weeks after the operation.

What you should do if problems occur

If bleeding around the wound area starts and will not stop, ring the Surgical Day Care Unit or Ward 3A out of hours – their contact details are listed below. If your son had been drinking well (normal amounts for him) and has had pain relieving medicine, but has not passed urine for 12 hours after discharge, telephone the Surgical Day Care Unit or Ward 3A for advice.

Contact details

If you have any problems or worries, please contact the Day Care Unit for advice:
0151 252 5480 / 0151 282 4509 Monday to Friday 0700-2000

If you have any problems or concerns at other times, including the weekends, telephone:
Ward 3A: 0151 252 5447 24hrs a day, seven days a week.

This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the appropriate member of staff. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.

This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.