Mel Williams, Visitor Services
In a recent tour of the Medical Museum at Kiwi North given by incredibly knowledgeable museum curator, Dr John Swinney, I saw a small device that sits upon a shelf with a variety of other medical implements. It is unimposing and easy to miss among the impressive collection, but coupled with the sign in front of it, has become one of the most memorable devices I was shown.
The Gomco Circumcision Clamp was created by inventor, Aaron Goldstein and obstetrician, Dr Hiram Samuel Yellen in 1935. It was designed to aid in the removal of more skin than in traditional circumcisions and was promoted as being a quick and effective, pain-free procedure that resulted in very little bleeding. The name Gomco is an abbreviated version of the Goldstein Medical Company, which was the original manufacturer.
Circumcision is one of the world’s oldest planned surgical procedures, although there is no definitive consensus about how it began. Historical evidence shows circumcisions had been regularly performed in multiple geographic locations, including the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Rock art in Algeria depicting the procedure dates to between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. One of the earliest records was found in Egypt where an image of mortuary priests using flint knives to circumcise a group of boys was carved into the tomb of Ankhmahor at Saqqara. The tomb is commonly known as the Doctor’s Tomb due to it containing depictions and scenes of medical practices.
Indigenous people from Oceania were known to participate in the practice of circumcision, including among Aboriginal and Polynesian communities. Explorer, Christopher Columbus also reported the procedure being used by Native Americans.
Male circumcision is an important part of some religions. In Judaism it is known as brit mila, a ceremony performed on male babies when they are eight days old. It is called kitan in Muslim communities, which is currently the largest single religious group to widely practice circumcision. The age at which boys undergo the procedure in the Muslim faith varies depending on family, region and country. It can range from one week after birth to the age at which they reach puberty.
The Gomco Clamp on display in the Medical Museum is around 10cm long and was used specifically for neonatal circumcisions, by applying pressure to interrupt blood supply while the procedure is being carried out. It is one of the methods still used around the world today. Another common technique is the Plastibell Method which involves a surgical tie and a plastic cylinder that cuts off blood supply and causes the skin to wither away gradually, similar to how the umbilical cord detaches after birth. Considered the most advanced procedure is laser circumcision which takes between 10-15 minutes using a high-intensity laser beam to remove excess skin. The use of the laser doesn’t affect neighbouring tissue and is said to result in minimal pain and almost no bleeding.
Many people disagree with circumcision, especially when performed on young children while others argue that the health benefits outweigh the temporary discomfort. These include lowering the risk of urinary tract infections by reducing the bacteria beneath the skin.
Whether for health reasons, religion or aesthetic purposes, circumcisions remain a common procedure in both children and adults, with the World Health Organisation estimating that 30% of males are circumcised globally.
The Gomco Neonatal Circumcision Clamp is a confronting piece of equipment that is somewhat uncomfortable to think about, but it remains one of the most memorable devices I’ve seen in the Medical Museum.
