Incidence of meatal stenosis after circumcision by heat cautery device during early infancy in Erbil/ Iraq

Abstract

Background:Meatal stenosis is one of the late and potential complications of male circumcision in children who underwent circumcision in early infancy by a heat cautery. Objective: To estimate the incidence of Meatal Stenosis (MS) in children who undergone circumcision in early infancy by a heat cautery which had been done by a medical sub staff in our locality (Erbil). Patients and Methods: From September 2020 to May 2021, 113 children were examined in urology outpatient departments at Rizgary Teaching Hospital/ Erbil after a referral from primary health centers by general practitioners for evaluation of genitourinary symptoms. All children included in the study were circumcised during the early infancy period by heat cautery devices by medical sub-staffs. The examination included a focused genital system examination focusing on meatus opening and detail history has been taken from their parents. Results: Within Eight Months, we evaluate 113 children (13 children Excluded) in the urology outpatient department in Rizgary Teaching Hospital/ Erbil City, 55% having stenosis of urethral meatus after circumcision by heat cautery, and it was most common in group B (6-12 years of age) 34% and 21% in group A (3-6 years of age) and can explain this either that most of the children represented Group B or might be due to neglecting by their families. Conclusion: Circumcision in early infancy using a heat cautery device may lead to meatal stenosis in children. In our study, the incidence of meatal stenosis was surprisingly high (55%) compared to other research, and this can be explained by the fact that non-qualified personnel is engaging in this surgical procedure or medical sub staffs with inexperienced medical knowledge and no training course are indulging in this surgery to gain quick money.