Representing Mario Viera, a child who was circumcised against his parents’ will by a South Florida hospital, has forced me to research and study about circumcisions in modern medicine. Since this case started I have been contacted by many who criticize routine infant circumcision and deem it unnecessary and barbaric.
Recently, I was informed that human foreskins are rich in “fibroblasts” or stem cells that secrete collagen and are used in anti-wrinkle creams and inject-able serums. I do not know what became of Baby Mario’s foreskin after it was amputated, but intend to find out.
As a Florida medical malpractice lawyer, I feel that if patient tissue or cells are to be used or sold that patient has a right to know and approve of it. Mario’s consent form states that the hospital has the right to appropriately dispose of any specimen or other bodily materials removed during the course of the child’s treatment. I wonder what that means.
Some physicians believe that the increased risks of circumcisions include:
* Infection
* Redness around the surgery site
* Injury to the penis
