A survey on circumcision in an online magazine that deals with pregnancy and the interests of fathers shows that 80% of fathers prefer their sons to be circumcised. I voted with the majority. I must say that I don’t even wear turtlenecks.

This survey inspired me to do some more research. Could you find some information outside of the typical “how does circumcision affect hygiene?” I figured if I couldn’t come up with anything more interesting and unique than that, I wouldn’t bother boring myself or anyone else with a hackneyed article. The Internet search paid off when I found a pediatrician, who is recognized among his peers for taking this simple and common procedure to a new level. I contacted him immediately and he kindly agreed to an interview via email:

k~ Dr. Abraham, do you consider it a strange coincidence that as an expert in this procedure you have the same name as the Old Testament patriarch who, at the instruction of God, instituted this procedure thousands of years ago as a ritual and a mark of faith?

Dr. A~ Not really. I myself drew the parallel before specializing in pediatrics. He prompted me to delve a little deeper into this procedure, also considered a ceremonial ritual, called bris, which has been carried out by the descendants of this patriarch, including my family, since the time of Genesis.

k~ Okay, let me clarify this question that has been asked a million times: How does circumcision affect personal hygiene?

Dr. A~ There is no question that genital hygiene is easier for the circumcised male, especially in the early years, and much later in life. Although you don’t have to be a neurosurgeon to remove the foreskin and apply a little soap and water. I’m glad I was the boy who heard from his mother, “don’t forget to wash behind your ears” and not the one who awkwardly had to hear, “don’t forget to pull back your foreskin and polish that.” little helmet”.

k~ Are there other medical benefits that can be attributed to circumcision?

Dr A.~ Certainly. There is a markedly lower incidence of urinary tract infections in circumcised men. In addition, two medical conditions that only affect the uncircumcised can be avoided. The first is infections of the foreskin that can occur during childhood. The other is a condition in which the foreskin cannot retract from the head of the penis, called phimosis. The normality or abnormality of phimosis and its treatment is actually a matter of debate around circumcision.

k~ What makes you different from other pediatricians when it comes to foreskin?

Dr A ~ I’ve experimented quite a bit with amputated skins. I developed a method to “quilt” these small skin samples together, creating a viable sheet of skin tissue. A small section of this “foreskin cloth” was used to treat a young boy who suffered a burn that caused the loss of his eyelids. Because the thickness and texture of the foreskin is so similar to the skin that forms the eyelid, the plastic surgeon was able to perform a successful reconstruction of the boy’s eyelids by grafting this skin that I developed in the lab.

k~ What a story! Is your plan to deposit this skin in a bank for future uses in plastic surgery?

Dr. A~ No. Unfortunately, it is too difficult to keep this delicate tissue alive for an extended period of time. The rest of the specimen I cultured died, turning into a thin leather that, rather than discarding it as medical waste, I subsequently fashioned into a unique wallet.

k~ That is incredible!

Dr. A~ Yes it is. But what I find absolutely amazing is that when I rub this wallet, it turns into a briefcase.

k~ Very funny doctor. By the way, what is the child’s prognosis?

Dr. A~ As she grows, the scar will fade and the surgeon plans to implant artificial eyelashes. After that, the lesion will be virtually undetectable. But until then he’ll be a little doe-eyed.