Remove. (ablation = removal) (L., = carry away)
The condition of having been circumcised; circumcision, especially as a BDSM (Bondage & Discipline / Sadism $ Masochism) practice. (Gk acu- = point, cull- = cut, -phallia = of the penis)
The condition of being sexually aroused only by circumcised males. (Gk acu- = point, cull- = cut, -philia = love)
One-piece circumcision device (apparently based on a bottle-opener or cork puller). A blunt probe at one end to tear the synechia, to separate the foreskin from the glans, and at the other end a broken ring that can be slid inside the foreskin. The main device is then slid down the probe to crush and cut the foreskin in one action.... more (Apparently from accu[rate]+circ[umcision]. The root of "accurate" is L. cura, care)
Picture of an Accu-circ™
The condition of being determined to circumcise one's son "to look like me" regardless of all difficulty or argument. First and second person statements from and about adamant parents and others.
Trade name (of Organogenesis Inc.) for a skin-tissue cultured from human foreskins. Others are Dermagraft (TM), OrCel (TM) and TranCyte (TM). Ethical issues involved in the trade in foreskins, especially their ownership, are commonly ignored. One foreskin generates a large amount of the tissue, but that would be no excuse if any other tissue were involved. Excellent substitutes are commonly used in non-circumcising countries. Both firms filed for bankrupcy protection late in 2002; Organogenesis seems to have recovered.
An asymmetrical circumcision is one that leaves more skin hanging off one side than the other, as in the case of baby Flatt. A rarely-mentioned unaesthetic downside to circumcision. If done before puberty, it will become less prominent after.
[moved]
The result of circumcision performed by medical students / interns / house surgeons as part of their training. Term coined by John Geisheker of Doctors Opposing Circumcision. (from beta, second letter of the Greek alphabet, hence beta testing, second stage of soltware testing, by users rather than programmers)
Euphemism for a low, tight circumcision in which the maximum amount of mucosa is removed and the scar lies in the sulcus. Causes the greatest loss of erogenous tissue. The penis's owner may not agree that it is beautiful.
A circumcised man (UK slang, also a term of abuse, especially for upper-class men, "toffs") See also bellend.
Instrument used for haemostasis in freehand circumcision. They resemble double-acting bolt-cutters and can literally cut bone, so damage to the glans from this method was not uncommmon - especially since the glans could not be seen when they were applied.
Ulcers on the urethral meatus, caused by ammonia burns to the unprotected tissue (the ammonia generated by the breakdown of urine). When the ulcers heal, the scar formation causes meatal stenosis.
The mindset that the foreskin is "extra" and circumcision is the norm, from which being "uncircumcised" deviates. (from circumcision + orthodoxy, coined by Hugh Young, June 14, 2011) See also circumcisionism.
Person with a compulsion to circumcise. Hence also circopathy, the compulsion to circumcise; and circopathology, the psychological basis of that compulsion. (coined by Gary Harryman on July 13, 2001)
A euphemism for MGM, but generally used to mean cutting off the whole of the foreskin. It may leave less or more of the inner mucosa and of the frenulum (see high, low, loose and tight.), at the whim of the circumcisor, to the greater or lesser detriment of the person circumcised.
Circumcision is not medicine. It is not "surgery" either, in the eyes of many. It is a "procedure" -- a broad term that encompasses things like removing a splinter, adjusting a spine, lysing a foreskin, or performing the Heimlich maneuver. What are the rules governing the safety, efficacy and necessity of "procedures"? Pretty vague. If circumcision were surgery, or even real medicine, it would need a ton of guidelines, such as how much tissue to remove, what parts (like the frenulum) to preserve or excise, and how to achieve a "neat" cut. There doesn't even exist a real definition of what circumcision is, because there is no way to consistently identify the organ or tissue being removed. It's not like appendectomy or tonsillectomy, where the goal is clear. There is no dotted line indicating where the foreskin ends and the shaft skin begins. Circumcisions are like snowflakes; no two are exactly alike. And those fathers who insist on having their sons circumcised to "look like them" don't realize the staggering odds against the circumcisions being anything like their own. "Circumcision" is not a specific operation. It is not like a vasectomy or the extraction of a wisdom tooth. Circumcision is merely a vague term that says "someone went after the end of my child's penis with a probe, knife and/or clamp". Fathers aren't actually signing up for Junior's penis to match -- what do you tell the dad who has no clear scar to speak of, but the son has a thick, Gomco-induced racing stripe around his johnson? The dad with an all-American "high-'n-tight" job whose son is handed back to him with a loose, bunched cut (as happens more frequently today)? With 30 years between the procedures and changes in methods, how can a dad realistically expect the attack on his son's penis to be similar to the attack on his own? Circumcision is nothing more than how a given doctor, on a given day, would hack away at the tissue of a normal, healthy penis. No two doctors do it exactly the same; no two boys have exactly the same anatomy to work on. Clamps and bells were introduced in an attempt to bring some consistency to the "procedure", but even they are not consistently applied. Doctors can still pull the skin tighter, can still slip and slice a glans, can still cause grievous hemorrhage. Given that this is not a necessary surgery in any sense on healthy children, it is really not possible to do it "properly". There is no "properly" when it comes to circumcision in the absence of disease or deformity (from injury, etc.). We all just hack at the bits as best we can, trying to expose the glans, and then tell the parents that it's 'done'." |
(L. circumcidere = to cut around. Because it is derived from "-cis-" meaning cut and not from "-ise" meaning cause-to-become, the spelling in "-ize" is not an option.)
The mindset that the foreskin is "extra" and circumcision is the norm, from which being "uncircumcised" deviates. (coined by Travis Wisdom, June, 2011) See also circodoxy.
See meatotomy.
Not to be confused with the above: in theology, terms referring to the relationship between the three Persons of the Trinity (L. circum, around + in + sedere, to sit; or incedere, to move).
Torture-board with straps to hold down a baby sensibly struggling against being circumcised. Advertisement ("...Velcro straps ...[deprive] him/her of leverage. The child is held ... without danger of escape....).
See keratinisation. (L. cornus = horn) A useful reminder that the circumcised glans hardens like a worker's hands (but beware of the double meaning of "horny").
Looking for a correlation where none exists by analyzing data more rigorously, for example extracting data for a (small) subsample in the search for a connection between "lack of circumcision" and some disease.
This vein terminates in the foreskin. After circumcision it must find such connections as it can. On erection it swells (becomes varicose) in a circumcised penis but rarely or less so in an intact one - indicating that circumcision dramatically alters the circulation of the penis.
Picture of erect intact penis - only superficial dorsal veins are visible
Picture of erect circumcised penis - swollen deep dorsal vein
Gaping open of a wound. A complication of circumcision, especially when done with a Gomco clamp. Click here for a first-hand account. (L. gaping apart)
Trade name (of Advanced Tissue Sciences Inc. - in liquidation) for a skin-tissue cultured from human foreskins. See Apligraf (TM).
The use of electricity to cauterise (burn) cut tissues, seal blood vessels and so prevent bleeding. Electrocautery instruments may be bipolar (in which the electricity flows between two closely spaced electrodes) or unipolar, in which one electrode is placed on the body remote from the surgery. Unipolar electrocautery should never be used on an extremity such as the finger or penis because the heating effect takes place along its entire length. Several circumcisions performed this way have resulted in ablation of the penis. In the case of David Reimer, the use of an electrocautery instrument with a metal clamp in place contributed to the damage.
A rare complication of circumcision, in which an outer layer of skin is folded into the circumcision scar, which develops an enclosed mass of tissue
A tubular complication of circumcision, as when a skin bridge is open underneath, or an additional hole is cut in the urethra. (L. = pipe, flute, pl. fistulae)
The re-covering of the glans by the foreskin remnant in older men who have had a low and/or loose circumcision, caused by the natural shrinking of the penis. In some cases and in cold conditions, this may lead to the appearance of intactness.
(circumcision) without a purpose-designed clamp. One is shown on another page.
A circumcision device consisting of a metal bell and a flat plate with a hole in it, brought together by a screw to apply circular crushing and fusing force at the position of excision... more. (from GOldstein Manufacturing COmpany, later Gomco Surgical Manufacturing Co.)
prevention of bleeding. (Gk., blood stopping)
lockable scissors-like clamp used in freehand circumcision. It crushes the foreskin distal to the glans, and the skin is cut with a scalpel distal to it. It may inadvertantly crush the tip of the glans as well, and by squeezing the cylindrical foreskin flat at only one end, can seldom ensure an even cut.
A complication of too-tight circumcision in which hairy scrotal skin is drawn on to the penile shaft.
A circumcision is called "high" when more shaft-skin and less mucosa is removed. This leaves the scar relatively high up the flaccid penis when its owner is standing up. Compared to a low one, this has the advantage of leaving the penis' owner with more of his frenulum, though it is probably done to remove all folds. Methods that involve drawing the foreskin forward before cutting it, such as clamp methods, all produce a high result. The terms "high" and "low" describe a different variation from "loose" and "tight". Apart from those concerned about the nature of the damage they've sustained, the terminology is mainly of interest to circumfetishists.
overgrown, of scarring that has thickened (Gk, excess growth)
(Damage) caused by a doctor (or nurse or parent) eg, phimosis caused by premature attempt to retract the foreskin. (Gk. iatros = physician)
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'It took two weeks for Alex to be back to his old self' Alison Westbury is mother to two boys and a girl. When her eldest son Alex was born, he suffered from phimosis and his foreskin was very tight. At the age of seven he had a circumcision. "Alex was born with a very tight foreskin. [This is normal.] It couldn’t be retracted back over the penis [normal] and was difficult to clean. It also caused him to have repeated infections [No, it was the misguided attempts to retract it that exposed the surfaces to infection] where we would have to give him antibiotics or special cream. We talked to the health worker about it when he was young and she told us to keep an eye on it. But as he grew, it was still a problem. For some reason, he’d get more infections during the summer – maybe because he was hot and sweaty. [Because chlorine in swimming pools upset the normal bacterial balance under his foreskin.] "We talked to our GP and he said we should try and pull the foreskin back [wrong] when he was relaxed and in the bath, but this obviously hurt him and it didn’t make things any better, so we didn’t try that very often. "In the end, when it became obvious that it wasn’t getting any better, we were referred to a consultant at the hospital who recommended an operation. He said it was better to do it early. If we waited until Alex was older, it would be a much bigger operation with a longer recovery time. If we didn’t do anything, we were told he’d continue getting infections and he might not be able to have a full sex life. "We were given a choice of either a circumcision or a different operation called a preputioplasty, where the foreskin is cut to allow it to retract. My husband decided that a circumcision would be a better option. As Alex’s foreskin was very tight, we weren’t sure how a preputioplasty would look and thought that if it looked different, it would embarrass Alex when he was older. "We talked to Alex about the operation a bit, but he was very embarrassed, so in the end we didn’t tell him too much. ... "When the anaesthetic wore off, Alex was very sore. It was too sore for him to wear pants and shorts, so he spent a couple of weeks after the op wearing his dad’s T-shirts. It was difficult to stop him fiddling, and the operation site kept bleeding. I also think the anaesthetic affected Alex a lot, as he was tearful and seemed very low for some time afterwards. [Finding an important part of your penis missing also has that effect...] "I hadn’t been given any information about what to do after the operation, and Alex was very nervous about whether it would hurt when he urinated. I wasn’t really sure what to do, so I’d been getting Alex to urinate in the bath to try and make it easier for him. However, when I spoke to the hospital (because the wound kept bleeding), they said it was the wrong thing to do and I should be keeping it dry. "It took about two weeks for Alex to become himself again. It stopped hurting after the wound had dried up, and after three weeks he was back at school and going swimming with his class. "He's very conscious that his penis looks different to other boys’ of his age and that it can look a bit smaller. But when he told his best friend that he’d had an operation, his friend just said, ‘Well, we can’t all be the same’, which I think has helped to reassure him a bit." |
Bias on the part of physicians and the medical community to intervene, whether it is with drugs, diagnostic tests, non-invasive procedures, or surgeries, when not intervening would be a reasonable alternative.
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Yale J Biol Med. Jun 2013; 86(2): 271–280, Jun 13, 2013. PMCID: PMC3670446 The Case for Intervention Bias in the Practice of Medicine Andrew J. Foy, MD, and Edward J. Filippone, MD Conclusion |
Restriction of blood supply, a complication of circumcision. (Gk. isch- = restriction, haema = blood)
Of scars, pulling on the skin (Gk chele, a claw). The term also refers to extremes of hypertrophic scarring, a rare complication of circumcision.
Hardening of the mucosa of the glans after circumcision, leading to reduced sensitivity. (Gk. keras = horn)
All skin has a layer of dead cells on the outer surface of the
outer major layer, the epidermis. These dead cells are largely made of a
dried-up fibrous protein called keratin that was part of the internal
skeleton of the living cells, before they matured and died on their way
towards the surface. Therefore, people talk of keratinisation of the
various parts of the penile skin. What they are interested in is the
hypothesis that, since this layer makes the skin watertight in both
directions and keeps out all other foreign matter (i.e. acts as a
barrier), the thicker this layer the more likely it is to keep out
invading organisms, including viruses. Hence the obsession with keratin by
those who believe that the inner foreskin does not have sufficient
keratin to provide a barrier against HIV. And the longstanding factoid
that circumcision dries-up the remaining mucous membranes (the inner surface of
the foreskin and glans) suggests to the circumcision sponsors that increase in the
depth of keratin results, thereby increasing protection. This is the
underlying hypothesis for the biological mechanism behind the findings in
Africa.
However, a Chicago study showed the inner layer to have thicker
keratin than the outer (25.37 +/- 12.51 vs 20.54 +/- 12.51 mm,
respectively; P = 0.451). If these figures were confirmed by another study with sufficient
power for significance, they would entirely 'rot-up' the
keratinisation-with-circ protection mechanism argument of the darkside.
A Chinese study disproves the opinion (often expressed by the pro-circumcision lobby)
that Langerhans cells are more abundant in the inner mucosa than the
outer skin. It found the exact opposite.Outer foreskin is merely
the extension of the shaft skin over the glans to the preputial orifice.
A circumcision (whether "high" or "low") is called "loose" when the penis's owner is allowed to keep more of his skin and/or mucosa. A low and loose circumcision may resemble a naturally short foreskin, but even the loosest of conventional circumcisions will still remove all of the ridged band.
A circumcision is called "low" when more mucosa and less shaft-skin is removed. This leaves the scar relatively low down the flaccid penis when its owner is standing up. In a very low circumcision, almost all the mucosa of the foreskin is removed and the scar is in the sulcus. Compared to a high one, this gives a smooth appearance, but it removes more of the frenulum. A low circumcision must be performed freehand, skinning the mucosa back and cutting it away, bringing the shaft-skin forward and aligning them. It is a highly skilled operation, and as always, the outcome to the adult is unpredictible in the baby. The terms "high" and "low" describe a different variation from "loose" and "tight".
Picture of low circumcison Picture of high circumcison
Rotation of the shaft-skin with respect to the glans during circumcision, causing the raphe not to line up with the frenulum. A life-long aesthetic blemish, easily committed (when the shaft is covered in blood) by a doctor who may not even know that it is a possibility. (L. = bad placing together)
Narrowing of the meatus, a very common complication of circumcision.
Ulcer at the meatus, a very common complication of circumcision.
Inflammation of the meatus, one of the possible consequences of circumcision.
Operation to correct meatal stenosis by enlarging the opening of the meatus. In the 19th century, meatal stenosis after circumcision, and hence meatotomy, was so common that in Jewish folklore, meatotomy was known as the "second circumcison". (Van Howe, R. S. and Cold, C. J.: Etiology of idiopathic anterior urethritis. Urology, 53: 658, 1999)
A circumcision device consisting of two flat blades brought together and held by a rotating cam. It then closes to crush the foreskin before it is cut. Described as "the least painful method" though there is no reason this should be so, and "able to be used without previous experience." ... more (Heb. = shield)
Death of tissue. (adj. necrotic)
"Galloping gangrene", a possible consequence of circumcision.
Newborn baby. (adj. neonatal)
18th-19th Century theory whereby "nervous ether" radiating from the brain set the body in motion. "Nerve force" was believed to circulate in the body like the four humours, and a shortage or an excess, believed to cause disease. "Irritability" (i.e. sensitivity, but confused with inflammation) of the genitals led to an imbalance in nerve force. Thus masturbation was to be condemned and prevented on health as well as moral grounds. See also reflex theory.
- R. Darby, A Surgical Temptation, p 39
Abnormal growth of a nerve, especially at a cut end, a complication of circumcision, causing confusion of sensations. (Gk neur- = nerve -oma = growth. pl neuromata, neuromas)
hospital-acquired (infection). (from Gk, nosokomeion, hospital) See also iatrogenic.
Nerve specialised for the detection of painful stimuli. (L. nocere, to hurt + [re]ceptor)
Brand name of foreskin-derived tissue, like Apligraf (TM)
A plaque of dense tissue in the penis causing painful erections and deformity, including a bent penis (in many cases a dog-leg or "J" shape, or twisting the penis
around almost a full 360 degrees - a corkscrew) when
erect. A man with Peyronie's "can pee around a tree". An image of Peyronies, from the American Academy of Family Physicians' website. (The penis shown is circumcised).
True Peyronie's is extremely rare and does not have any known relationship to circumcision. The condition may be inherited or the result of trauma, even minor. A simple curve of the penis, however, may well be the result of, or worsened by, a circumcision executed more poorly than usual. A video of an operation for Peyronie's disease.
A disposable circumcision device consisting of a grooved plastic dome (with a handle, designed to be broken off) placed under the foreskin (which must be slit and forcibly separated from the glans to allow entry). A ligature (thread) is tied tightly around the foreskin, crushing it into the groove, causing it to become necrotic (to die) and drop off... more. [moved link]
Picture of Plastibell™ and its ligature
Medical Gk for circumcision (posthe = foreskin, -ectomy = cutting off)
Click for larger
Pictures of a Plastibell™ circumcision (NSFW - very graphic)
(Gk pseudo- = false)
More than someone (other than the owner) feels comfortable with. There is no rule about how much foreskin anyone should be blessed with. (Well, maybe if it trips him up when he walks...) Babies and small boys quite commonly have as much as 1cm (0.5 in) of overhang. This has been better described as "abundant foreskin". Parents who are concerned that their son has too much foreskin should be told, "Don't worry, he'll grow into it."
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In infants, …redundancy of the foreskin is common [and] normal; the skin awaits the development of the corpora cavernosa and spongiosum which will occur at puberty. - "Some observations On the anatomy of phimosis", Geoffrey Jefferson, M. S. LOND., F. R. C. S., (ENG.), VICTORIA, B. C. Surgery, Gynecology, and Obstetrics (Chicago), Volume 23, Number 2: pages 177-181, August 1916. |
Mid-19th to early 20th Century theory that "nervous connections regulated all bodily organs and members independent of human will and that disorder in an organ or body part could produce effects at distant locations which could be treated by procedures on the part thought to be exercising the effects." In the male, these sites often turned out to be the penis and foreskin. Hence the use of circumcision to "cure" such varied problems as epilepsy and paralysis. See also nerve force theory.
- R. Darby, A Surgical Temptation, p 103
1. performed as a matter of course, without consultation. This was common through the early part of the 20th century.
2. performed without medical indications, the vast majority of circumcisions.
Medical associations commonly use a bit of linguistic sleight-of-hand when they say "routine circumcision should not be peformed." This appeases both supporters of circumcision, who understand them to mean sense 1, and opponents, who expect them to mean sense 2.
(surgeon) over-ready to resort to surgery (cf trigger-happy)
A circumcision device consisting of two concentric plastic rings that "sandwich" (unfortunate expression) the foreskin, allowing it to be cut away... more (after Jian-Zhong Shang (inventor) + ring)
A circumcision device with two sets of jaws. The first set grasps the acroposthion, the second set, the foreskin proper, ahead of the glans - if the boy is lucky. The cut is made between the two sets.
A complication of circumcision in which the healing excision scar fuses to the damaged mucosa of the glans, usually at the corona. A variety of skin bridges can be seen on Circumcision page 1.
A method of freehand circumcision. A mark is made on the outer skin, usually at the coronal bulge, and another on the mucosa at a desired distance from the corona. A circular cut through the skin is made from each mark, disconnecting a 'sleeve' of skin between the two marks. Scissors are used to cut along the sleeve so that it can be removed. The two circular cuts are brought together and stitched. An exact amount of both outer and inner skin can be removed, and the whole of the action is visible. With other techniques, the inner skin is cut blind. Sleeve resection is not used on newborns. Sleeve resection was used in the randomised controlled trial at Rakei in Uganda, and there it was defined as "...the foreskin was retracted and a distal incision made 0·5-1·0 cm proximal to the coronal sulcus, followed by a proximal incision on the unretracted prepuce at the corona."
A non-reusable circumcision device made of plastic, similar to the Tara KLamp, that cuts off circulation to the foreskin, using a plastic ring clamped in place over a tube....more
spermatorrh[o]ea
Excessive flow of "sperm" [i.e. semen], a 19th century "disease" and an early excuse for circumcision. "Excessive" (like "redundant foreskin" today) meant "more than the doctor or parents felt comfortable with" and "symptoms" included nocturnal emissions (wet dreams) that the doctor no longer enjoyed.
A disfigurement of circumcision in which a depression is left in the skin when a stitch is removed or dissolves.
Picture of Suture hole (Probably done in infancy)
Picture of Suture hole (Done in adulthood)
A disposable circumcision device made of plastic, that cuts off circulation to the foreskin, using a plastic ring clamped in place over a tube ... more. (From the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur = K.L., hence KLamp) [Click for a picture of a Tara KLamp(TM).]
A circumcision (whether "high" or "low") is called "tight" when the penis's owner has more of his skin and mucosa taken from him. Tight circumcisions are likely to cause painful erections (maybe even tearing at the scar) and draw the pubic hair up the shaft. Circumfetishists seem to like them, however.
Brand name of foreskin-derived tissue, like Apligraf (TM).
between the urethra and the skin, as a urethrocutaneous fistula
Because the inner and outer skins of the penis do not naturally fit together around the frenulum when the foreskin is cut away, a round feature or features may form with spiral ridging under and behind the glans near the centre.
Alternative name for Gomco clamp. (co-inventor)
an inflammation of the foreskin and/or glans, affecting mainly older men. Until recently, considered a watertight reason to circumcise, but this article suggests otherwise.
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J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2010 Apr 29. [Epub ahead of print] Ablative erbium:YAG laser treatment of idiopathic chronic inflammatory non-cicatricial balanoposthitis (Zoon's disease) - A series of 20 patients with long-term outcome. Wollina U. Abstract
Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ablative erbium:YAG laser treatment. Methods: An uncontrolled trial was performed with 20 Caucasian male patients (mean age 64.8 years) who presented with chronic inflammatory non-cicatricial balanitis or balanoposthitis. The patients received multiple topical treatments. The disease duration ranged from 1 to more than 7 years. Diagnosis was confirmed by histology. Topical anaesthesia was performed before erbium:YAG laser ablation (focus 1.6-5 mm; frequency 8 Hz; impulse energy mostly 800 mJ; fluence between 11.3 and 20 J cm-2. The pulses were partly overlapping. The pain sensation was recorded by visual analogue scale (VAS). Complete clearance was defined as complete absence of erythematous, smooth-faced, 'wet'-looking patches or erosions. Patients were requested to attend a regular follow-up once a year. The outcome was further assessed by patient's global assessment (PGA). Results: In all patients a complete re-epithelialization could be achieved within 2-3 weeks. During follow-up between 3 months and 30 months (mean 12.1 +/- 7.2 months), a complete and stable clearing was achieved in 20 patients (100%). There were no severe adverse effects. With topical anaesthetic cream the VAS was very low (mean 1.5 +/- 4.1 mm for 18 patients and 22 treatments). All but three patients were 'completely satisfied' with the procedure and the outcome; three were 'satisfied'. Conclusions: Ablative erbium:YAG laser therapy is a safe, effective and minimally invasive treatment option [unlike circumcision] in chronic inflammatory non-cicatricial balanitis/balanoposthitis. PMID: 20429688 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] |
a billboard showing men's naked torsos to publicise the event and to demystify the penis and male sexuality. In 2003 a radio station got large numbers of people to take their clothes off in public places to raise awareness of prostate cancer. 
