California Cut???

I've never heard of the California cut, but this is an interesting topic. My Mom just mentioned the other day that she thinks they did my sons circ wrong because there looks to be too much skin. Honestly, he is the first baby boy I have ever really paid attention to, so I don't know if it looks different, but his ped. doesn't seem to think so. I guess I should ask my OB.

My son will be 4 Monday and he has his that way (The California Way) though it was never referred to as that and we were not told there was an option.

Either way, as he's gotten older, that tiny extra bit of skin doesn't look like it's only "half done" anymore. It looks more "normal".

Pardon the excessive use of quotes LOL.

I can't help.. just wanted to note that that's very interesting. I had my first boy in February and my mother in law asked me if i had him circumsized. When I said yes she told me it didn't look like it. I wonder if it's because of this California cut you talk about?!

K.,

I know there are two differnt proceedures that are used by doctors and they both produce a different look.

My sons looks the same, he just turned 4. We thought that they botched the circumcision. I've asked several doctors if he is okay, or if there is something wrong with the circumcision. I've received the same answer from all of them that he is fine. Just out of curiosity, where was he born? I'm so glad that you posted this topic. It's not something that you bring up over coffee. I was considering taking him to a urologist. It just looks half done. It looks like they didn’t complete underneath, if that makes sense.

Yes! My now 7 yr old son had the same thing happen to him. He had it redone right before he started kindergarten because it was just too much skin. It looked bad and he complained of itchiness often. I was really mad at the Dr. who did the first circumcision because they should inform parents of this choice ahead of time and apparently they don't. Good luck.

Wow. I'm not even kidding, but I just asked my husband like the day before yesterday if he thought our son's circumcision looked right. My exact words "does it look like she took off enough skin?" He just turned 2, and he has sagging skin over the top, with a little bitty part of the head of it sticking out. To me it looks like they didn't take off enough, and my husband didn't seem to think it was a problem or looked funny, just extra skin. With this being a "new cut" maybe it won't be so unheard of when they grow up, so I wouldn't think about having it redone, that could be more traumatic than the extra skin!
I'm frustrated that I wasn't told about it or given the option to have it done the "old" way before they cut, they could at least let us moms know what they are doing with our sons' penises. Glad you brought it up cuz I thought I was the only one!!

Well ladies, my response is the same. My son is just over 2 and was delivered at Northwestern Hospital in the city. He definitely still has skin that can be pulled back, but it doesn't completely cover the tip like it would if he were not circumsized. I too asked by doctor and was told that it was fine. Actually I asked my pediatrician and my family doctor. I was never given a choice, but either it is different or it will change in appearance as he grows - only time will tell. The thought of putting my son through another procedure is definitely not an option in my mind. I too am glad you brought this topic up.

Dear Moms,
I find this whole discussion fascinating! We have a 2 1/2 year old boy (I delivered at Illinois Masonic) and his circumcision looks perfect to me. no extra skin. it looks like what you would traditionally expect.
I thought that expecting moms might like to know that we had a great result there.
I've also read recently that lots of doctors get sued for "botching" the procedure and therefore doctors are cutting more cautiously these days, leaving more skin than we would "traditinally" expect.
Very interesting. If we have another son, I will certainly discuss this with our doctor before delivery takes place.

OMG! We've been going through this too! But never has it been referred to as a "Califonia Cut"...I've asked the ped. pretty much @ every appt. (well his father has, anyway...) & she said it's fine & notes that it is different but should be of no concern. My son will be 1 on the 20th & his definitely looks different from his brothers (he is the youngest of 5, 4 of them boys) but it seems, according to this posting that this is the case with a lot of boys nowadays. I gave birth at Northwestern. Maybe this is their practice. But my ped. didn't seem to know about a new way of "cutting". This is very interesting to me. Well at least I know my son isn't alone...

Hi

My son just turned too and his looks different too. It has gotten better though with time. I asked the ped. and he said that it is normal procedure to NOT cut so much skin off when they are first born and that by the time my son turns 4 or 5 it will look normal. When my son was a little over 1 the skin litterally hung over the tip of it. Now it isn't as bad. My dr. said that if by 5 he isn't looking "normal" then we would have an option to have it redone, but he assured me that rarely is it ever necessary to have it redone and that with growth the skin gets tighter.

I think what is most disturbing is that in my, quick, search on the Internet that I couldn't find ONE single article to back-up what your Doctor was saying about the California cut. I think it's absolutely absurd that he is throwing around a term that you can't even find online. This tells me that this was his way of making you feel better about his "work".

If you are upset up what he has done, I would sick another opinion and begin planning your next steps...whatever that might be. Either way, I can understand your frustration and I am sorry that you are going through this.

Surprised there aren't more responses. Sounds interesting...sounds sketchy to me that they would suddenly change it and you would have to then ASK for what they've been doing for years and years without them forewarning you at least. My youngest is 2 and his seems not to be "different" than what I know.
Wonder if it is maybe certain doctor practices that do the new way?? I don't know. Maybe ask more questions with the office about how long they've done it, why, etc. Would be ideal to ask other mom's of boys in that practice with having a concern maybe, but that's not so easy to do. Hope things work out with it as it's really hard I'm sure to be "surprised" like that after a medical procedure.