Memphis Boy Disfigured by Botched Circumcision

When parents learn that they are expecting a baby boy, one of the first things that they discuss, after debating what his name will be, is whether he should be circumcised. If they choose to circumcise, they must also decide when the procedure will take place. According to pediatricians, the procedure can be safely performed at any time during the first three months after birth. Each family will make its decision about circumcision in light of their own values, but both those who choose to circumcise and those who are against it should be able to agree that any baby whose parents elect to circumcise him has a right to have it done correctly.

In August of 2013, the mother of a three month old Memphis boy brought him to a local clinic to be circumcised. As she waited for the surgery to be completed, she felt that something was not right because her son was screaming in pain. When she inquired about how the surgery was going, doctors reassured her that everything was fine.  The surgery, which normally takes between five minutes and half an hour, lasted for three hours. After the surgery was finished, the mother saw that her son’s penis had been severely damaged. She reports that in addition to being disfigured, her son experiences excruciating pain when he urinates. Reconstructive surgery at a later date could possibly repair some of the damage, but until the surgery is performed, it is not possible to know whether it will be successful.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, one out of every five hundred baby boys experiences severe complications following circumcision. Injuries that are related to circumcision include adverse reactions to anesthesia, excessive bleeding, stroke, infection, disfigurement, damage to the urethra, penile amputation, and even death. A study published in 2010 in Thymos: Journal of Boyhood Studies indicates that over a hundred baby boys die each year in the United States as a result of injuries related to circumcision.

The potential causes of circumcision complications include errors made by the pediatricians, Ob-Gyns, anesthesiologists, and other medical professionals performing the procedure and defective or improperly designed circumcision clamps. One type of error, which can be prevented by performing the operation with the requisite care, is the removal of too much skin. In other cases, not enough skin is cut and the circumcision is incomplete and must be redone. Circumcision is not appropriate for all boys, and doctors who perform circumcisions should be aware of situations in which a pediatric urologist should be consulted for an opinion on whether or not it would be safe to perform the operation. If a circumcision is performed without such input in a situation where it would have been warranted, it is possible that the circumcision was performed wrongfully. Since circumcision is an elective procedure which requires valid and informed consent before it is performed, a circumcision may have been done wrongfully if such consent is not given.

If your little boy suffered an injury as the result of an improperly performed circumcision, you may have many questions. The experienced Tennessee birth injury attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC will sit down with you to learn about your case, answer your questions, explain your options, and help you decide how to proceed. We can help you to pursue the recovery that you deserve so that you can focus on giving your child the care that he needs. To learn more, call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case.  At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.

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