Bloodless and safer male infant circumcision device launched
Newborn male circumcision is gaining popularity in Kenya as parents seek to protect their children against infections. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
The pilot shows the infant circumcision device is safe and a child takes three days to heal.
The circumcision of baby boys will now be non-surgical and bloodless, following the launch of a new device — AccuCirc — in Kenya.
The device has come as relief for parents who question the safety of surgery, the use of anaesthesia and other non-surgical devices and still prefer to circumcise their babies.
A medical research firm has recommended the non-surgical device which was used on 50 infants in Kisumu on a pilot study.
The pilot shows the infant circumcision device is safe and a child takes three days to heal.
Inserting the device is bloodless, requiring no anaesthesia, suturing or a sterile setting.Unlike some male circumcision devices like Mogen Clamp which leave the tip of the penis unprotected, the AccuCirc uses a protective shield that is placed on the tip.
It comes with a foreskin holder which allows for a precise amount of skin and tissue to be removed, providing for accurate and consistent results.
The device is minimally invasive and does not require extra incision to allow for placement of the shield. “The device has no side effects like the Mogen Clamp where stitching of the glans is done because it is a metal,” said Dr Fred Otieno, a research director at the Nyanza Reproductive Health Society.
No bleeding occurs hence no need for stitching.
Healing period
AccuCirc circumcision costs about Sh30,000 to Sh40,000 in private hospitals while surgical circumcision of infants ranges from Sh25,000 to Sh30,000.
The healing period is also a headache for parents who have to take care of the stitches and scars, but with the new medical device it takes a short time to heal.
Dr Otieno said a further 550 infants in Kisumu have been enrolled in the programme with the data set to be submitted to the government soon.
“We are in the final stage. The prospects for the device are promising and it has proved viable,” he said. Newborn male circumcision is gaining popularity in Kenya as parents seek to protect their children against infections including those of the urinal tract.
Some want to get over with the process early. But a majority of parents may be a little nervous about caring for your a new baby’s penis.
In Kenya, infant male circumcision is targeted in the war against HIV/Aids.
AccuCirc has been in use in the US for quite some time.
