Christina Oetzmann von Sochaczewski1,2, Jan Gödeke3, Oliver J Muensterer3,4. 1. Klinik und Poliklinik für Kinderchirurgie, Universitätsmedizin Mainz der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany. c.oetzmann@gmail.com. 2. Sektion Kinderchirurgie, Klinik und Poliklinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral-, Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, D-53127, Bonn, Germany. c.oetzmann@gmail.com. 3. Klinik und Poliklinik für Kinderchirurgie, Universitätsmedizin Mainz der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany. 4. Kinderchirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Dr. von Haunersches Kinderspital der Ludwig- Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/ PURPOSE: Circumcisions are among the most frequent operations in children. Health service data on circumcision in the United States has documented an increase in neonatal circumcisions since 2012. We investigated whether a similar effect could be found in Germany, which does not endorse neonatal circumcision. METHODS: We analysed German routine administrative data for operations conducted on the preputium in order to analyse the frequency, age distribution, and time-trends in hospital-based procedures on a nationwide basis. RESULTS: There were 9418 [95% confidence interval (CI) 8860-10,029] procedures per year, of which 4977 (95% CI 4676-5337) were circumcisions. Age distributions were highly different between both circumcisions (van der Waerden's χ² = 58.744, df = 4, P < 0.0001) and preputium-preserving operations (van der Waerden's χ² = 58.481, df = 4, P < 0.0001). Circumcisions were more frequent in the first 5 years of life and above 15 years of age, whereas preputium-preserving procedures were preferred in the age groups between 5 and 14 years of age. The number of circumcisions and preputium-preserving operations decreased in absolute and relative numbers. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing trend towards neonatal circumcision observed in the United States is absent in Germany. The majority of patients were operated after the first year of life and absolute and relative numbers of hospital-based procedures were decreasing. Other factors such as increasing use of steroids for the preferred non-operative treatment of phimosis may play a role. As operations in outpatients and office-based procedures were not covered, additional research is necessary to obtain a detailed picture of circumcision and its surgical alternatives in Germany. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.
BACKGROUND/ PURPOSE: Circumcisions are among the most frequent operations in children. Health service data on circumcision in the United States has documented an increase in neonatal circumcisions since 2012. We investigated whether a similar effect could be found in Germany, which does not endorse neonatal circumcision. METHODS: We analysed German routine administrative data for operations conducted on the preputium in order to analyse the frequency, age distribution, and time-trends in hospital-based procedures on a nationwide basis. RESULTS: There were 9418 [95% confidence interval (CI) 8860-10,029] procedures per year, of which 4977 (95% CI 4676-5337) were circumcisions. Age distributions were highly different between both circumcisions (van der Waerden's χ² = 58.744, df = 4, P < 0.0001) and preputium-preserving operations (van der Waerden's χ² = 58.481, df = 4, P < 0.0001). Circumcisions were more frequent in the first 5 years of life and above 15 years of age, whereas preputium-preserving procedures were preferred in the age groups between 5 and 14 years of age. The number of circumcisions and preputium-preserving operations decreased in absolute and relative numbers. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing trend towards neonatal circumcision observed in the United States is absent in Germany. The majority of patients were operated after the first year of life and absolute and relative numbers of hospital-based procedures were decreasing. Other factors such as increasing use of steroids for the preferred non-operative treatment of phimosis may play a role. As operations in outpatients and office-based procedures were not covered, additional research is necessary to obtain a detailed picture of circumcision and its surgical alternatives in Germany. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.
Authors: Jan Baumgart; Nikolaus Deigendesch; Andreas Lindner; Oliver J Muensterer; Arne Schröder; Axel Heimann; Christina Oetzmann von Sochaczewski Journal: Lab Anim Date: 2020-02-16 Impact factor: 2.471