NEW ZEALAND MAN WAKES FROM SURGERY FULLY CIRCUMCISED AGAINST HIS WISHES

PEOPLE

 

New Zealand Man Wakes from Surgery, Learns He's Been Fully Circumcised Against His Wishes

The patient consented to only partial circumcision to treat a skin condition on his penis but the surgeon performed a full circumcision

By Cara Lynn Shultz  Published on August 12, 2024 10:45AM EDT

 

A New Zealand man who sought medical treatment for a skin condition on his penis said he woke up fully circumcised against his wishes.

 

The unnamed man was seeking treatment for balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO), which the National Library of Medicine explains are “white inflammatory patches…In males, the affected areas usually involve the foreskin and penile glans.”

 

“The treatment is circumcision. Topical steroid use first may help reduce the inflammatory burden before surgical intervention.”

 

Prior to surgery, the man, who is in his 50s, was told that circumcision — either full or partial — could be warranted once the procedure was underway, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald.

 

But he was only willing to have the partial procedure and did not consent to a “full” circumcision during the September 2021 surgery, the outlet says.

 

“[I told the surgeon] directly to his face that I hadn’t come in for a full circumcision,” the patient said, according to the outlet, which adds that the surgeon who performed the procedure was a different surgeon from the one who initially consulted with the patient.

 

Although the surgeon says he didn’t recall the patient saying this, an anesthesiologist in attendance confirmed that the patient verbally objected to a full circumcision — although the surgeon who performed the circumcision wasn’t present at the time.

 

The New Zealand Herald reports that the patient was bandaged and didn’t realize he’d been fully circumcised until days after he was discharged.

 

The outlet adds that although the man did sign a consent form, he misunderstood the terminology that was used.

 

As a result of the circumcision, the outlet says the man “suffered adverse symptoms such as physical irritation, discomfort, and ‘a significant reduction in sexual contact with his partner due to increased sensitivity on the penis.’ “

 

An investigation into the incident by Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) Dr. Vanessa Caldwell found that the hospital had breached the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights, and was directed to formally apologize.

 

Following the surgery, Health HZ — the government agency that oversees healthcare in New Zealand — says it’s made changes to how consent forms are handled, and reminded staff to allow time for the patient to ask questions before any procedure.