Please call our clinic at (403) 289-8996 to book your newborns circumcision appointment. A referral is not required.

The cost of the circumcision procedure is:

• From birth to 6 weeks – $400.00*
• From 6 to 8 weeks – $450.00
• Twins and triplets from birth to 6 weeks – $300.00 each
• Twins and triplets from 6 to 8 weeks – $330.00 each

*effective March 1, 2025

There is no preparation required before your appointment. When you arrive for your circumcision appointment, we will apply emla cream which will numb the area before the injection of the anesthetic. We will also give acetaminophen (Tylenol/tempra) to your baby to ensure he gets the correct dose. You do not need to bring any medications to the appointment.

Please bring the following to your appointment:

• Your baby’s Alberta Health Care number;
• 6 diapers
• Baby wipes
• Blanket
• Soother (if your baby takes one)
• Formula (if your baby is not fully breastfeeding)

NOTE: If you are coming to the appointment with your baby, it is important to you eat a meal beforehand.

We generally run on time. If you are late for your appointment, we may need to reschedule. This will ensure that none of the other babies and tired parents are inconvenienced.

The circumcision procedure itself only lasts a few minutes but the total appointment time will last approximately 1.5 hours. You will be given written instructions about how to care for your baby after the circumcision. We usually book a follow up visit (virtual) one week following the procedure to check on the healing. You will be given a phone number to reach Dr. Zwiers directly if there are any concerns.

When you arrive for your appointment, please check in at the front desk. Please ensure that we have your correct address and phone number on file. Please bring your newborn’s Alberta Health Care number. Payment is required prior to the procedure. Although the actual procedure lasts only a few minutes, you can expect to be in our clinic for 1.5 hours.

Before the circumcision, you will meet with Dr. Zwiers. She will ensure that you are well informed and answer any questions. We encourage you to stay with your baby for the whole procedure. He knows your calming touch and voice. If you stay, you do not have to watch the circumcision.

When it is time for your appointment, you will be brought into the procedure room. Please undress your son and put him into a clean diaper. Wrap him in his blanket to him warm. Please put three spare diapers and a package of diaper wipes on the bed for future use. Please feed your baby if he is hungry so that he will be more settled.

Your baby will be made very comfortable for the procedure. When you first arrive, we will apply a numbing cream (emla) to the skin of the penis. It needs to stay on the penis for 30 minutes before the procedure. We will also give Acetaminophen (Tylenol/Tempra) for pain relief. We will ask you to continue giving acetaminophen regularly for 24 hours after the procedure. Just before the surgery, we will inject xylocaine and bupivacaine freezing into the bottom of the penis.

We offer a sugar and water solution to your baby during the procedure to help with soothing. There will be a rare baby who cries during the procedure. We can reassure you that this is not due to pain. It is important to remember that baby’s fuss for many reasons including diaper changes and tiredness.

When ready to do the procedure, the nurse will kneel on the footstool. We will wrap your baby’s arms in the blanket so that he will feel safe and secure. The nurse will gently hold onto your baby’s legs. Parents are welcome to sit next to their baby, touching and talking to him. A soother or your baby finger will be placed into your baby’s mouth for him to suck on.

The surgery is done using a small clamp called a “Mogen clamp.” The surgery starts with stretching the opening of the foreskin. The foreskin is then pushed down so that the head of the penis is fully exposed. Dr. Zwiers will sure that the penis is normal before the skin is removed. If a problem is detected, the circumcision would not be done at this time. Your child would be referred to a urologist.

Once Dr. Zwiers is satisfied that the penis is normal, the foreskin is pulled back over the tip of the penis. The correct amount of skin to be removed is measured and then the excess skin is pulled into the Mogen clamp. The opening of the clamp is very small in order to avoid the tip of the penis getting caught in it. The clamp is closed and locked tight. This action squeezes the layers of skin together, sealing the inside and outside skin layers together like closing a zip lock baggie. This helps prevent bleeding from the skin edge and permits the procedure to be done without stitches. Next, the excess tissue is cut off and the clamp is removed.

We will explain how to care for your baby during the recovery. Everything we say is written in the section on AFTER CARE.

We will keep you for five to ten minutes after the surgery to be sure there is not too much bleeding. Please stay in the room with your son until Dr. Zwiers checks inside his diaper and tell you it is time to get him dressed and go home. You will put him in the car seat normally. Don’t loosen the straps.

We will book a follow up visit in one week to check on the healing. You will be given a phone number to reach Dr. Zwiers directly if there are any concerns.

At approximately one week after your son’s circumcision, you will be booked for a virtual visit with Dr. Zwiers.

The day before your virtual appointment, you will receive an email through our patient portal. It will ask you to send two pictures through secure messaging; one of the top of the penis, and one of the undersurface. It is important that Dr. Zwiers can see the cut mark all the way around the penis to make sure everything is healing well. It helps if the lighting is quite good and ensure the photos are not blurry.

The following day, Dr. Zwiers will call you. The timing of this call will be discussed at your circumcision appointment. During this phone call, you will be given instructions on bathing and the use of Vaseline. If during this phone call there are concerns, you may be asked to book an appointment at the clinic.

At the time of this visit, the circumcision will be mostly healed. It is common for there to still be a diamond shaped area of wet scab on the undersurface. This will continue to heal throughout the week. The clamp mark on the undersurface may still be present. This will round out over the next few weeks.

After your follow up visit, you will continue to apply just a small amount of Vaseline (the size of a pea) onto the tip of the penis each diaper change for one month. Put the Vaseline directly on the hole where the urine comes out (the urethral meatus). This will not block the urine from coming out and is done to prevent scarring of the hole (meatal stenosis).

There will be a new ring of tissue just below the head of the penis. This is called the coronal sulcus. It is common for it to look a little puffy. Sometimes it will be swollen a little more on one side than the other. The swelling can happen off and on for several months. It can even look like there is a little fluid inside the skin. You will know that it is normal if the skin remains soft and pink, and your baby does not seem to be in pain.

As your baby grows, sometimes the skin of the shaft of the penis becomes a little baggy and hangs over the head of the penis. If this happens, it is important to push this skin back a few times per day to clean the head of the penis. If you ever cannot push back the skin fully, please let us know and we will book you an appointment with Dr. Zwiers. Rest assured that all of the foreskin has been removed and that as the baby grows, the skin will once again become less baggy. Sometimes parents have concerns that after circumcision, the penis does not look perfectly symmetrical. This is normal. Just like the two sides of our face, nothing on our body is identical from side to side. Remember that as a baby, the penis is very small. As it grows, any differences from one side to the other will not be noticeable.

Sometimes parents will notice that the penis curves or bends a little towards the left or the right. This is normal. This has to do with the inner structures of the penis. The circumcision does not cause this. When the skin covering the head of the penis is removed, it does not affect the curvature of the penis.

Please call the clinic at any time in the future if you have concerns. The Medical Office Assistant will book you a follow up appointment with Dr. Zwiers (phone or in person). Please do not contact Dr. Zwiers via cell phone/secure messaging for non-urgent problems after the first week.

Can I meet with Dr. Zwiers before the appointment?
Yes. If you are struggling with the decision or would just prefer to meet us in person or virtually, please call the clinic to book a consultation. NOTE: Consultations are covered by Alberta Health Care.

Can I bring other children to the appointment?
Yes. The appointment will last approximately 1.5 hours. Please bring snacks and toys/books/games/downloaded shows to keep them occupied. FRIENDLY REMINDER: EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE HEALTHY TO ATTEND THIS APPOINTMENT.

Do I need to stay in the room for the procedure?
Although it is helpful to have a parent in the room for the procedure, we understand if this is too difficult. Please let us know if you would like to leave the room for the circumcision.

Does my baby need Vitamin K at birth?
YES. In Alberta, babies automatically receive a shot of Vitamin K at birth. The only time this is not given, is when parents refuse. If a baby does not have Vitamin K at birth, it really increases the risk of serious bleeding with circumcision. If your baby did not receive Vitamin K at birth, please consult your doctor or midwife so this can be arranged.

Will my baby cry during the circumcision?
We use both a freezing cream followed by an injection to make the area numb. Your baby will be wrapped comfortably and be able to suck on a sugar and water solution. Most babies are very calm during the procedure.

How do I care for the circumcision when I go home?
At the appointment we will give you an after care information sheet. You will be given a number to reach Dr. Zwiers if you have any additional questions. Please refer to the section on after care for further information.

Is there a follow up appointment?
A virtual, in person or secure messaging follow up appointment will take place one week after the circumcision to check the healing. If any concerns develop after the first week, please call the clinic for an appointment. These appointments are covered by Alberta Health Care.

What should I do if I have concerns after the one week follow up?
Please call the clinic at any time in the future if you have concerns. The receptionist will book you a follow up appointment with Dr. Zwiers (virtual or in person). Please do not contact Dr. Zwiers via cell phone/secure messaging for non-urgent problems after the first week.

What should I bring to the appointment?
Please see What To Bring To Your appointment above.