I recently gave birth to my second son, and I was a little startled that the doctor who did his circumcision was my OB, rather than his pediatrician. I was told that this is standard practice. (It never came up with my first son, as he wasn’t circumcised until later because of certain plumbing issues, and then by a pediatric urologist.)
So why does the OB perform the circumcision, instead of the pediatrician?
My OB/GYN also performed my son’s circumcision and I was told it was preferable because he was a skilled surgeon who had a lot of recent experience performing surgery (c-sections, gyn surgery, etc.), whereas a pediatrician may not have done any surgery since med school. I have no idea how accurate that theory is, but that’s what they told me. (Plus, my OB/GYN was a registered mohel, so I trusted he was was experienced.)
OB/GYNs tend to do surgery often. Pediatricians do not. My OB/GYN did my tubal ligation and my son’s circumcision.
i’m a biller for an OBGYN group and this circ thing drives me nuts! I have a very difficult time getting paid by insurances, as the circs have to be billed under the baby’s name and ins id number, which we never have, and our computer kicks the claims out because the pt is the “wrong sex” . I have to fill them out by hand and send in paper claims. I tried to get our docs to quit doing them and let the pediatricians do it (since the baby is their pt and not ours) but the docs said the Peds won’t do them in the hospital, only in the office. (Our docs do the circs before mom and baby go home)
Bottom line? They really don’t know why- they’ve always done it that way.
That’s what I’ve heard, from the nurses at the hospital – that’s just the way it’s done.
I just got a bill from my OB, because we didn’t realize she needed my son’s insurance number. I had assumed his pediatrician would do the circ, so I never really thought about it.
I can understand that pediatricians don’t do lots of surgeries. But the surgeries that OBs do are mostly on women, and they’re probably more familiar with lady-parts than boy-parts. Just seemed odd, to me. I wondered if there was some logical reason.
In Fla I was told a staff ped would do it, I think. I wasn’t paying attention. Be that as it may, my OB office did not offer it.
We ended up using a doctor (surgeon?)/mohel who administered subdermal anisthetic (under my supervision), tested the effectiveness of the anisthesia while I watched, then performed the ritual/surgery on the child.
Wow. Both of my sons were circumcized by our pediatrician. I would have looked sideways at my OB/GYN if she had offered to do it!
In the hospital where I work, the circs are done by OBs and Pedis about equally. Neither seems odd to me.
Our son was born two months ago. When my wife’s OB/GYN came to see us the next day in recovery, she said that she would do the circumcision because the pediatricians preferred not to and to let the OB’s do them. We told her we chose not to have him circumcised at all, and she said, “Thank God! I hate them.”
I’m glad the OB didn’t get confused. One would hate to have the wrong tube tied.
Question-do you have to ask to have your son circumcised, or do they do it by default?
Yes, this was the scenario when my son was born about 2 years ago. The circ rate in our area is relatively low (about 60%), and my OB said she would do it because the peds around here just don’t want to. When I told her we would most definitely NOT be circ’ing, she also said, “Thank god, there’s no real medical reason for it and I hate doing them!”
You absolutely do not have to and if they do it “by default” you have a hell of a lawsuit on your hands.
Though the Butlers are currently predicted by the modern voodoo called ultrasound, this was a question that came up during one of the recent visits of my wife to the OB. We won’t have it done if it turns out to be a boy, but we stated it right up front, just in case.
I’m cut, but won’t do it to any sons of mine. I want that bit back!!! 
No you don’t its icky by now!
It amazes me that even after studies have been done showing no differences between turtle necks and naked, they are still done so frequently.
BTW, for anyone on the fence who’s expecting a boy, many doctors still do it without ANY analgesia, saying “its only takes a second.” If you decide you want it done, be sure to ask the doc what kind of pain control he uses. If he looks a bit condesending, and tells you not to worry, run, don’t walk to a second opinion. I’ve even heard doctors say that newborns don’t feel pain. Said while standing next to a bloody screaming infant, who’s little face is twisted and purple with pain. pshaw! I, say! There’s no reason why a newborn shouldn’t feel everthing one of us does.
My doctor used a local, and the baby didn’t even fuss.
Mine hurt so bad, I didn’t walk for a year.
We would then have a situation whereby said doctor would have to hope he can perform surgery on himself. Can you hold a scalpel with a broken arm?
That said, I believe you have to sign a consent before anything is done so I don’t think you need to worry.