Dr. Jean-Philippe Bercier BSc, MD, CCFP
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Introduction
Preparing
Operation
Recovery
1 – Introduction
Circumcision is a simple procedure that involves the removal of foreskin that sheathes the head of the penis.
Baby circumcision is commonly performed early in life. Ideally, babies undergo circumcision within the first two weeks of birth, but the procedures may be performed in the first three months.
The Canadian Paediatric Society acknowledges the potential benefits of circumcision (see below) but stops short of routine recommendation for newborn babies. Thus, after weighing the benefits and risks, religious and cultural preferences, you and your partner need to decide if you wish to move ahead with circumcision for your son.
Potential circumcision benefits include reduced risk of urinary tract infections, reduced risk of phimosis*, reduced risk of penile cancer, reduced risk of sexually transmitted infections, reduced cervical cancer risk for women in relationships with circumcised men , and better hygiene.
*Phimosis is a scarring and thickening of the foreskin that prevents retraction over the glans.
Risks
- Acute complications of neonatal circumcision include adhesions released by simple retraction, minor bleeding (~ 1/500), local infection (~ 1/4000) and an unsatisfactory cosmetic result (~ 1/500).
- The most common late complication of circumcision is meatal stenosis (2% to 10%), which may require surgical dilation. It is possible to prevent meatal stenosis by applying petroleum jelly to the glans in the six months that follow circumcision. It is common to see partial re-adherence of penile skin to the glans. Such adhesions often resolve spontaneously by puberty. When they are extensive, however, they may benefit from treatment with topical steroid preparation. Surgical lysis is rarely required.
- Surgical procedures, including circumcision, are painful. Even with procedural analgesia, individuals experience postprocedural pain that must be treated. Pain can be reduced by using Tylenol, a 24% oral sucrose solution and local anesthesia with lidocaine.
- Severe complications, such as partial amputation of the penis and death from hemorrhage or sepsis, are very rare occurrences and never happened in our practice.
- The foreskin covers the glans and has an abundance of sensory nerves. No medical study states that circumcision has a negative impact on sexual performance or satisfaction in relationships. It has been reported that some parents or older boys are unhappy with the cosmetic result, but no specific data from the literature to quantify this outcome could be found.
Contraindications
Circumcision procedures cannot be performed if your baby boy has an uncommon medical condition. These conditions include congenital abnormalities of the external genitalia such as hypospadias or bleeding disorders such as hemophilia. Additionally, we will not perform circumcision procedures if your infant is sick and unstable, has an active local skin irritation or diaper rash, or has active diarrhea.
Consultation
You can book an appointment via this website. We mention the cost for the procedure prior to choosing a clinic.
READ OUR REVIEWS
Had my vasectomy performed by Dr Dumais, who has taken over for Dr Weiss who has since retired. She was absolutely excellent. Great bedside manner, clear explanations of what was happening and any potential discomfort that might be felt during each step. Entire procedure from freezing to finish took under 10 minutes.Before beginning Dr Bercier confirmed my age (31), that I had no children, and that I was 100% certain I never wanted to have any (and that my partner felt the same way). She reiterated that while surgical reversal is sometimes possible, the procedure should be considered permanent.Nurses/office staff were friendly and efficient. Got up from the table a bit too quick and ended up sitting down in the chair and fainting. They were right on top of things and immediately went into their usual routine for when those things happen. We had a little chuckle about it, and at no point did it feel weird or judgemental which I very much appreciated.A couple of other notes based on some things mentioned in a few other reviews here:- Total out of pocket fees are $170, consisting of a $20 deposit and $150 on the day of the procedure. Those costs are detailed in the attached photo of the “Pre and Post Vasectomy Kit”. As detailed on the page patients can choose to pay only for the specific items/services they want, and they also give you a week post-procedure to request a refund and pay only for the needed items. This information is not provided anywhere before going in, so most will just pay the $170 and be done with it. While some of these costs are certainly quite highly inflated, they do help make up for the fairly minimal compensation the clinic receives from OHIP for each procedure.- Website is a bit of a mess, although most of the important bits are easy to find (and all the most important info is attached to the emails you’ll get). Specifically one thing they have changed is that you do *not* need to travel to the office to pick up your vasectomy package before the procedure! You are given it after your appointment just before leaving.- To the few complaining about pain/discomfort lasting more than the first week and “not being made aware of the risks”… did you not bother to fully read through the documentation available both on the website as well as repeatedly sent to you in the emails? All of the risks and rates of various complications are explicitly laid out in advance. Every body is different, and there is a small chance of a variety of complications. Choosing to ignore the provided information and then complaining that you wouldn’t have gone through with it if you knew is just ridiculous.One last recommendation for the doctors here: I highly recommend investing the few thousand dollars towards having a professional web design company re-build you a new website from the ground up. The current site is a mess, particularly on modern phones, and this is something that will radically improve the patient experience.
Dr. Valerie Dumois did my vasectomy, and she was really quite kind willing to answer questions. It was for the most part painless and the pain you feel is minimal. Reception was also pretty great they answered all my questions to male sire I heal properly. Was great meeting them all and doing it the modern way or a scalpel and needle is definitely in every males favour. Thank you so much for being such great people
Half an hour to my appointment they told me to wait outside(35 degrees celcius) until exactly my appointment. Dr. Bercier if you can call him a doctor had the most rude and disrespectful attitude I've had from a doctor. I asked him three questions to which he said he didn't care. During the procedure I simply asked how long does it take and he replied with "How long do you think it takes? Did you see me with the other patients?" I think his attitude was racially motivated because I'm not French. Don't come here! Go somewhere else!
Great clinic, 5 stars all around. Leading up to the appointment they provide you with fantastic information that explains everything in detail. Great communication, super organized, friendly and professional. Everyone from reception, to the nurse, to the doctor - all were pleasant, efficient, and professional. It was a huge piece of mind. The doctor played my choice of music during the procedure. It was practically painless, with only minor discomfort for a brief moment, and it was quick. I am now recovering comfortably with very detailed instructions about how to enhance my recovery. Thank you Dr. Weiss and Dr. Bercier! Highly recommend.
The process of getting my vasectomy was quite efficient. From walking in the office door to sitting down in my car again was only 20 minutes. The staff was very friendly in greeting you and providing instructions and Dr. Bercier was pleasant to deal with, friendly and gentle. Dare I say the experience was enjoyable! Any trepidation one has about the procedure, don’t worry! Thanks to all.
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