What are the advantages of Alisklamp?
The main goal in both sutured and Alisklamp methods is to remove the excess foreskin. In both methods, the foreskin is surgically removed by cutting. In sutured circumcision, the skin is cut first, and then the wound ends are sutured one by one. In the clip method, the skin to be cut is first held and then cut. In both methods, the goal is essentially the same, that is, bringing the wound ends opened during the cutting process together. The main difference between the methods is that the sutures hold the wound ends together in the sutured method, while the Alisklamp holds in the clip method. The clip principle has been used for years for cutting the umbilical cord of babies. Circumcision with the Alisklamp method is actually the adaptation of this principle to the penis. The principle of clipping and cutting tissues brings the following advantages:
• The most important advantage of the Alisklamp method compared to sutured circumcision is that the complication rates, that is, the risks, are significantly lower. The biggest risk after sutured circumcision is bleeding. Bleeding after a sutured circumcision usually requires re-suture. In the Alisklamp method, bleeding is not expected while Alisklamp is attached. In short, the clip method significantly reduces the risk of bleeding. According to the results of a study published in the journal “Pediatric Surgery” in 2010, which compared the risk ratios of 5700 children circumcised with the sutured method to 7500 children circumcised by the Alisklamp method, the risk of bleeding was found to be 0.4% in the clip method and 5% in the sutured circumcisions. [Source: Senel FM, Demirelli M, Oztek S: Minimally invasive circumcision with a novel plastic clamp technique: a review of 7,500 cases. Pediatr Surg Int. 2010 Jul;26(7):739-4]
• The risk of infection is also extremely low in the Alisklamp method. In the study published in the journal “Urology” in 2011 and reporting the results of 2013 children and adults circumcised with the Alisklamp method, the infection rate was found to be 0.5%. Oral antibiotics were not used in any of the infections encountered, and all were treated with locally applied antibiotic cream. [Source: Senel FM, Demirelli M, Pekcan H: Mass circumcision with a novel plastic clamp technique. Urology. 2011 Jul;78(1):174-]
• Another important advantage of the Alisklamp method over sutured circumcision is that there is no suture and no open wound in this method. Alisklamp brings the cut wound edges together and the wound remains in a closed environment under the plastic. Since the wound has no contact with the outside, that is, there is no open wound, it does not require dressing after circumcision. In sutured circumcision, it is necessary to pay close attention to the wound, especially in the first 48 hours. Proper wound care and dressing are very important after sutured circumcision. In the Alisklamp method, no wound care or dressing is required after circumcision. Each dressing causes a lot of stress and pain in the child. One of the most important advantages is that there is no need for wound care in the Alisklamp method.
• After the sutured circumcision, there is a bandage on the penis and the wound should not come into contact with water for at least 48 hours. In the Alisklamp method, since the wound line is inside the Alisklamp, there is almost no risk of infection even in contact with poop or other dirt. In this way, after circumcision performed with Alisklamp method, children can easily take a bath even on the same day.
• In the first days after the sutured circumcision, burning is seen in the wound after each urination. When the urine touches the wound, the child suffers greatly and sometimes holds urine for a long time. In the Alisklamp method, there is no open wound, so there is no discomfort caused by urine.
Children can easily urinate.
• Sutured circumcision takes an average of 20 minutes, even with the fastest hands. The average duration of circumcisions performed with surgical technique and meticulously is 30 minutes. In the Alisklamp method, the average circumcision time is about 5 minutes. Considering the stress experienced by children, this degree of reduction in circumcision time can be considered as a great advantage.
• Movement of the child during the sutured circumcision may lead to incorrect cuts. For this reason, general anesthesia is mandatory for the child in many centers. In the Alisklamp method, the child’s movements do not cause cutting errors. In the clip method, there are no irreversible critical movements. Some movement of the child during the insertion of the clip is not technically dangerous. Because the foreskin is cut over the plastic after the clip is placed and locked, there is no wrong cut or damage to the penis. For all these reasons, general anesthesia is not required in the Alisklamp method.
• During the sutured circumcision, there is a small chance of damaging the urinary canal or the tip of the penis. We often see the mistakes that occur after sutured circumcision, especially in summer and after mass circumcisions. We encounter a large number of vital errors such as perforation of the urinary canal, cutting of the tip of the pipi, and obstruction in the urinary canal. To correct such errors, the child must be operated on. In the Alisklamp method, there is no possibility of damaging the penis because the cutting process is done over the plastic funnel that is placed on the tip of the penis and protects the penis. In short, this method virtually eliminates personal error and does not cause permanent damage to the penis.
• After the sutured circumcision, there are permanent suture scars in the form of notches or bruises, and these scars do not go away for years. Sometimes permanent scars occur for life. In the Alisklamp method, the wound edges are seen as a thin line.
• Since there is an open wound in the sutured circumcision, underwear or trousers cannot be worn for at least 2-3 days, or a cloth cannot be tied. Sutured circumcision creates serious care problems, especially in children with diapers. After circumcision performed with the Alisklamp method, children can wear their daily clothes, and diapers can be easily tied in diapered babies. For this reason, the Alisklamp method increases the quality of life of the child while bringing ease of care.
• Since the same surgical materials are used in each child in sutured circumcision, it must be sterilized in an autoclave after each circumcision. If this sterilization chain is disrupted, serious wound infections occur. Also, diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS can be transmitted from one child to another. In the Alisklamp method, only two materials are used: Alisklamp and scalpel. Both of these come in sterile i.e. germ-free packaging and are for use on a child only. That is, a material cannot be used on another child. Therefore, there is no risk of hepatitis or AIDS transmission in the Alisklamp method.
In sutured circumcision, the child should not move during the cutting and suture stages. Cutting the skin is the first move in sutured circumcision and is irreversible. Most of the circumcision errors that occur (eg cutting the tip of the penis) occur at this stage. In the Alisklamp method, small movements of the child during circumcision do not cause any problems. There is no irreversible movement in the process until the skin is cut. That is, the position of the clip can be changed until you are sure of the skin settings. After making sure of the skin settings, the locks are closed and the cutting process is performed. In short, there are no sudden, irreversible, critical moves as in sutured circumcision.