Newborn & Baby Circumcision Clinics in Dawson Creek & Grande Prairie

Welcome to the Gentle Procedures circumcision clinic serving Northern Alberta and BC.

On this page, you will find information about circumcision for baby boys.

We offer circumcision for newborns and babies, as well as boys and men of all ages.

Our goal is to make it simple for you to get the info and services you may require.

Baby circumcision is commonly done relatively early in the life of your son. Procedures completed in the first four weeks are considered newborn circumcisions. Our Dawson Creek and Grande Prairie circumcision clinics offer circumcision for infants and babies, as well as boys, teens, and adult men of any age.

If you have made the decision to have your son circumcised, it is recommended to proceed as soon as it is convenient for your family. Appointments are usually available within days.

You can call us during clinic hours to confirm our next available appointment or use the contact forms anytime.

Appointments are usually available quickly. We work hard to deliver quality care in a timely fashion.

Our experienced medical team will exceed your expectations for quality circumcision care.

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Circumcising Your Infant at Our Northern BC Clinic

We focus on high-quality, safe, and reliable care to ensure that parents and their son have the best possible experience. Over 80,000 circumcisions have been safely performed using our method over the last three decades.

For full details on the Pollock Technique™ circumcision method that will be applied in your son’s circumcision, please visit the Our Method page. For information on what to expect during and after a baby circumcision, please see below.

Gentle Procedures Dawson Creek was founded by Doctor Simon Eriki, who is well known not only as a general practitioner but also for baby circumcision. Our medical team has been carefully trained by Pollock Technique™ originator, Dr. Neil Pollock, and we are proud to use the Pollock Technique™ in providing convenient and rapid access to infant circumcision in the Peace River region.

Our doctor and staff will support you after the circumcision surgery with a hotline for questions and detailed instructions on post-circumcision care for your baby son.

You will also have a follow-up appointment to make sure that post-circumcision healing proceeds as expected. Dr. Eriki will be available by phone in the days after the procedure to address any concerns.

The ideal age for circumcision is within the first few weeks of life, and we provide circumcision for babies at any age.

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The Gentle Procedures Clinic Experience

The focused practice of our clinics permits us to optimize the circumcision procedure as well as the overall experience. Having served many thousands of babies and families, we have developed specialized systems and processes to offer these services differently than hospitals and less-focused clinics.

We will exceed your expectations for quality circumcision care.

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Care for Your
Baby Boy

You will receive detailed instructions on how to prepare your son for the brief circumcision operation. This includes how to best time feeding before surgery to maximize your baby’s comfort.

Babies will have infant acetaminophen before and after surgery, and are given a sugary pacifier to distract and entertain them during the procedure, as well as local anaesthetics. Some babies even sleep through the whole thing.

Circumcised Baby
Follow-Up

Guidance and follow-up continues afterwards, with written and verbal instructions on how to provide care after the circumcision.

The goal is to minimize your child’s discomfort and promote healing. You will be shown how to minimize the risk of infection and informed of warning signs to watch for in case of any complications. Our doctor is available by phone after surgery and will respond quickly to any questions or concerns.

Baby Circumcision Clinic FAQ

What is the ideal age for circumcision?

The ideal age is within the first two weeks of birth, and at our BC clinic, we provide circumcision for baby boys of any age. Since newborn babies are less aware, recover faster, and the risk of complications is lower, families should try their best to have circumcision done as close to this time period as possible. However, it is common for a variety of reasons that circumcision will be done at a later time.

Will the circumcision operation hurt my baby?

The Pollock circumcision method creator, Dr. Pollock, has published a study that shows our pain control process is highly effective. Many babies can sleep right through the quick procedure. Most babies experience little or no pain at all.

What can I expect my baby to be like after the circumcision?

It is not unusual for a baby to sleep 6 - 8 hours after the procedure and to miss a feeding. Some babies will be irritable for a number of minutes to hours afterwards. Behaviourally, most babies are back to themselves in the next day or two.

You use the Pollock method of circumcision. What other methods are used?

The plastibell technique is one of the common methods. With this technique, the baby must go home with a small plastic device tied on to his penis that allows the foreskin to desiccate over subsequent days. This is also a lengthier procedure to perform by the physician.

The gomco clamp is also commonly used as well. It requires longer to perform and involves more tissue handling.

Do all doctors use the same anaesthetic method?

We perform circumcisions using the Pollock Technique™, which is performed on thousands of patients every year. This method has been proven reliable and effective on 80,000 patients and minimizes pain and discomfort with multiple combined anaesthetic methods.

Why are Grande Prairie doctors recommending Gentle Procedures Clinic?

Our procedure takes only minutes to complete. We use extensive pain control methods like acetaminophen, oral sugar solution (which has been shown to reduce pain perceptions), topical numbing cream, padded baby holders, and local anesthetic injections.

We have low complication rates and our clinics are designed to meet the needs of families for infant circumcision. Because of our focus on this procedure, we are able to organize our staff and clinic operations optimally for baby circumcision. Our focus on circumcision results in increased experience with the procedure.

Do I need a doctor’s referral in order to book an appointment?

No. If you are booking for your son, it is a parental decision and we only require consent from both parents to proceed. You may book online directly or call us.

What complications are possible from circumcision?

Occasionally, there can be bleeding from the circumcision many hours after the procedure. This is treated by putting some pressure with gauze on the penis for 2-3 minutes to close the oozing blood vessel (This will be demonstrated to you by our staff).

Very rarely, more serious bleeding can occur which may require a visit to the hospital. Infection is also a possible complication. It is extremely rare and can be associated with redness, pus, and a foul smell from the circumcision. It is treated by putting antibiotic ointment five times a day on the penis which usually resolves any infection within one or two days.

Suboptimal cosmetic result is another possible but very infrequent complication.

Are more serious complications possible i.e. trauma to the penis?

Yes, they are possible; however, to date, there have never been any serious complications among our patients or in the over 80,000 circumcisions done with the Pollock Technique™.

How long does it take for the circumcision to heal completely?

Healing occurs in several stages, and most newborns show signs of healing by one week. Your son will have a check up appointment a few days after circumcision so that the doctor can make sure that healing is proceeding as expected.

LEARN MORE ABOUT

Our Circumcision Clinic

Our Method

Circumcision Fees

Parent Counseilling Video

Call Us to Book
In Dawson Creek or Grande Prairie

250-719-4841

A Baby Circumcision Clinic Near You

When looking for a facility for your son’s circumcision, please consider that the techniques for providing this surgery can vary from doctor to doctor.

Our Pollock method has been refined and standardized over 80,000 procedures. Your boy will benefit from a high standard of care.

Hospital Infant Circumcision Procedures

Alberta hospitals do not routinely offer baby circumcision for newborns.

Families that desire a circumcision performed for their infant son are generally best served by dedicated circumcision clinics like Gentle Procedures Dawson Creek in order to get fast and convenient access to services.

Book a Circumcision Appointment

When to Get an Infant Circumcision

Waiting a long time to get an appointment is not a good idea with baby circumcision. It is best to have the procedure as early as possible in the life of your young son.

Please contact us now with your inquiry and you can book an appointment right away if you like.

You can reach us during clinic hours by phone, or any time with our Appointment Request Form.

Potential Benefits of Infant Circumcision

Parents undertake a circumcision procedure for their son in order to fulfill cultural and religious traditions, as well as to seek improved health outcomes for their children. Some parents decide to circumcise their son for cosmetic and personal reasons. The important thing is to make an informed decision that you will be happy with. There are many potential benefits from baby circumcision:

Improved genital hygiene

Microorganisms accumulate under the foreskin which fosters inflammation which can lead to conditions such as balanitis/balanoposthitis (inflammation of the head of the penis). The incidence of balanitis is twice as high as those who are uncircumcised. Smegma, which is a cheesy like secretion, can also accumulate under the foreskin combining with bacteria to produce an offensive odour.

Reduced risk of urinary tract and bladder infections

Because microorganisms can accumulate under and adhere to the foreskin, bacteria have a greater chance of migrating up the urethra causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) especially in infancy. Studies suggest an over 10-fold decrease in risk of urinary tract infection in circumcised infants.

UTIs are a potentially painful and dangerous condition as it can result in kidney inflammation and scarring. Studies suggest that the protective effect of circumcision against UTIs when done as a newborn continues into adulthood.

Reduced risk of phimosis after circumcision

Phimosis is a condition where the foreskin becomes so tight that it cannot be pulled back fully, resulting in UTIs, local skin infection, pain when passing urine, retention of urine, kidney stones, and sexual dysfunction. Circumcision eliminates the risk of phimosis, which affects 1 in 20 older boys and men.

Reduced risk of penile cancer

Studies have shown an over 20-fold reduction in the risk of invasive penile cancer which is thought to arise from adherence of high-risk human papillomavirus to the foreskin and smegma causing chronic inflammation and recurrent infections resulting in phimosis. Invasive penile carcinoma is highly associated with a history of phimosis.

Reduced risk of prostate cancer

Some studies show that uncircumcised men may have a higher incidence of prostate cancer.

Reduced risk of sexually transmitted diseases

Viruses can enter through the inner lining of the foreskin which is thin and vulnerable. Ulceration and tearing of the foreskin are not uncommon in uncircumcised men, adding to the risk of virus entry. The following diseases are all reduced by circumcision:

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is reduced by 53% to 60%.
Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is reduced by 28% to 34%.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is reduced by 32% to 35%.
Among female partners of circumcised men, bacterial vaginosis is reduced by 40% and Trichomonas vaginalis infection is reduced by 48%.

Reduced cervical cancer in women

Circumcision reduces the risk of cervical cancer of a man’s female partner by 5.6 times as there is less risk of adherence and colonization of human papillomavirus in circumcised men, which is a recognized cause of cervical cancer in women and venereal warts in both sexes.

What are the Risks of Circumcision?

While the circumcision procedure performed on babies at our circumcision clinics can be considered routine and low risk, there is always some degree of risk with any surgery. Potential problems include:

Bleeding after circumcision – In 1 in 500 circumcisions there may be some bleeding that is usually stopped with pressure or less commonly with stitches. If a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia is present, then our doctors will need advice from a pediatric hematologist prior to proceeding.
Infection – There is always a possibility that there could be a generalized infection requiring antibiotics after the surgery (1/4000). Serious infections are rare (1/5000).
Concealed penis – When there is a good amount of fat around the penis (pubic fat), the penis may retract inward and increase the chances the penis gets partially buried and requiring medical intervention (1/800).
Meatal stenosis – This is a narrowing of the urethra that may occur after the procedure requiring medical intervention (1/1000).
Phimosis from circumcision – This is a narrowing of the shaft skin opening over the head of the penis requiring medical intervention (1/500).
Trauma resulting in permanent damage to the head of the penis (never in our practice).
Suboptimal cosmetic result (1/500).
More serious complications including death (never in our practice).