{"id":963,"date":"2014-04-04T16:54:49","date_gmt":"2014-04-04T23:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=963"},"modified":"2015-02-02T08:16:27","modified_gmt":"2015-02-02T16:16:27","slug":"vancouver-doctor-will-train-doctors-in-haiti-in-circumcision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2014\/04\/04\/vancouver-doctor-will-train-doctors-in-haiti-in-circumcision\/","title":{"rendered":"Vancouver doctor will train physicians in Haiti in circumcision"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Neil Pollock instructs a team of surgeons in Rwanda on carrying out his technique of circumcision. (photo from\u00a0Dr. Neil Pollock)<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Neil Pollock specializes in circumcision, from newborn to adult, and adult vasectomy. As a leading expert in circumcision, he has traveled around the world to train physicians and, this summer, he will head to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to teach a team of doctors in medical newborn and infant circumcision.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter carrying out 50,000 infant circumcisions and traveling recently to Turkey, China and Africa to exchange ideas, I have evolved my technique to make it applicable to infants, children, teenagers and adults,\u201d Pollock told the Independent <\/i>in a recent interview. \u201cI have developed a technique to do circumcision in this older age group under local anesthetic without using sutures and using, instead, a cyanocrylate skin glue that closes the wound. Being able to do the procedure under local anesthetic and with skin glue instead of a general anesthetic in hospital provides for a much simpler, easier, quicker, safer and improved cosmetic outcome for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

This method, he said, is unique. \u201cI\u2019m unaware of this approach being used anywhere in [Canada] except in my clinics. The older age group is currently requesting circumcision for reasons like reduction in disease transmission, preference of their partners and improved hygiene.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2008, Dr. David Patrick was the head of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. Pollock said he was asked by his colleague \u201cto teach my surgical techniques for circumcision in Rwanda, where they were using scissors and stitches, without anesthetic, and their surgeons desperately required training in an alternative quick, safe and painless infant circumcision technique that would be accepted by their population. In coordination with their surgeons, I planned with my team a five-day surgical training mission that year and flew to Rwanda. I have been in contact with these surgeons by email since my trip and they have informed me that they are using my technique effectively and safely throughout the country now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe impact of our humanitarian effort became known in the international medical community, which led to Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, professor at [the University of California, Los Angeles] Medical School, contacting me recently and asking me to essentially replicate the work I did in Rwanda, but this time in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where they are being overwhelmed by the number of patients requiring treatment for AIDS and would receive huge benefit from introducing a preventative strategy to reduce AIDS transmission, such as infant circumcision, which will reduce the risk of their circumcised infants later contracting AIDS when they hit sexual age, by over 60 percent. Its impact and effectiveness has been referenced metaphorically to be like a vaccine.\u201d Circumcision, he added, \u201cworks to reduce AIDS by removing the portal of entry of the virus, which is the foreskin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Klausner, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases and the program in global health at UCLA, is an advocate in the use of medical male circumcision for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. He volunteers with GHESKIO, an organization run out of the Centre for Global Health at Weill Cornell Medical College in partnership with the Haitian government. Operating primarily in Port-au-Prince, their work is supported by Haiti\u2019s first lady and has a mission to combat HIV and improve conditions of maternal and child health. GHESKIO will host Pollock\u2019s training in Port-au-Prince.<\/p>\n

Raised in Winnipeg, Pollock explained that he decided to become a doctor \u201cbecause I had a strong interest in sciences, medicine and surgery from a young age.\u201d Early in his career, he decided to create a special focus on circumcision and vasectomy, and built a highly focused practice and a well-tested \u2013 and respected \u2013 technique.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy interest in developing a safe, quick and painless approach to circumcision for the medical community in B.C. arose initially from some of the rabbis approaching me approximately 20 years ago and encouraging me to become a mohel in Vancouver,\u201d Pollock said.<\/p>\n

The benefits of newborn and infant circumcision are many, but the rates of the procedure vary from region to region, and remain contentious to those opposed to what\u2019s seen as elective (non-consenting) surgeries for babies.<\/p>\n

Pollock noted, \u201cThe most important change recently in how the medical community has come to view circumcision is expressed in the … consensus statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics released in late 2012 declaring that \u2018the medical benefits of infant circumcision outweigh the risks.\u2019 This is the strongest statement of support ever issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Dr. Neil Pollock in Rwanda with an infant post-circumcision. (photo from Dr. Neil Pollock)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe benefits of circumcision are multiple; they include reduction in the risk of urinary tract infection, which can lead to kidney infection and renal failure, reduced risk of cancer of the penis, cancer of the cervix in partners, reduced risk of balanitis (which is infection of the foreskin), and other foreskin-related problems, like phimosis.\u201d As well, circumcised males also experience a \u201creduction of multiple sexually transmitted diseases, like HPV, herpes and AIDS transmission. The latter is exponentially more important in places like Haiti and Africa, where a large number of the population has AIDS in comparison to other regions of the world where AIDS is less common.\u201d Possible risks include \u201cbleeding and infection,\u201d he added, \u201cbut, in experienced hands, risks are extremely low.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rwanda and Haiti share a history of national trauma, which has led in both countries to poor health outcomes. In 1994, at least 800,000 Rwandans were massacred by their countrymen in a genocide. In 2010, Haiti, already the victim of more than two centuries of extreme poverty, dictatorships and U.S.-led military interventions, experienced a 7.0 earthquake that resulted in the deaths of more than 100,000, and displaced 1.5 million of the tiny country\u2019s 10 million people. Since then, Haitians have been hit by serious outbreaks of preventable disease, including cholera, tuberculosis and AIDS. According to the United Nations, life expectancy is 61 years for men and 64 for women.<\/p>\n

The health challenges that Haitians are very similar to those experienced in Africa, and the training is seen as critical in addressing those obstacles. \u201cLike there was in Rwanda, there is a need to train surgeons in Haiti to carry out a quick, safe and painless infant circumcision technique,\u201d Pollock explained. \u201cIn regards to what accounts to gaps in circumcision rates, there may be a deficiency in trained surgeons to carry out the surgery in an acceptable manner, along with variations in social and cultural norms that influence the choice to have circumcision.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ultimate intention of the training, Pollock said, is \u201cto set up a national program accepted by the population, to introduce infant circumcision safely and effectively, and have it evolve to become a widespread practice throughout the country, thereby reducing the transmission of multiple diseases, including AIDS.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pollock\u2019s visit to Haiti will involve intensive training. \u201cMy goal is to carry out a similar plan to what we executed in Rwanda. I worked with physicians there weeks ahead to set up a surgical schedule of 20-to-30 infants per day, over four-to-five days of operating. After working with doctors on models that I brought to demonstrate the technique and do the primary teaching, they moved to assist me with the surgeries and eventually carry them out under my supervision on the infants booked for circumcision.\u201d<\/p>\n

The training in Haiti, part of a nongovernmental public health initiative, will be partially supported by charitable donations. \u201cThe commitment from my end for Haiti will include a week away from my practice and the commitment to help raise the $25,000 for the mission to take place. The plan is to raise $25,000 from the Vancouver community in the next seven days or so as to be able to launch the teaching mission in Haiti by the end of the summer. During the week in Haiti, I will train two physicians, who will then train other physicians once our team leaves. I will maintain follow-up with these physicians to help them manage any issues that should arise.\u201d The goal is to create a sustainable public health campaign and donated funds not only will go towards covering the costs for the week, but also for \u201cthe next 500 infants once we leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Readers who would like to donate to the effort \u201cwill support an initiative, which will undoubtedly over the years save thousands and thousands of lives,\u201d Pollock said. \u201cIt\u2019s intended that Haiti will become a training centre for circumcision in the Caribbean. It is likely that my technique, once taught in Haiti, will soon be shared with multiple countries throughout the Caribbean, multiplying its effect to save lives throughout the entire region. So, I\u2019m asking readers and members of the community to reach deep and consider making a financial donation to help us raise $25,000 in the next [several] days to allow this mission to proceed.\u201d<\/p>\n

To make a donation, contact Dr. Neil Pollock at 604-644-5775 or drneil@pollockclinics.com<\/a>. \u201cWe will make it very easy for people to donate, and make arrangements for their cheques (made payable to the Vancouver Foundation) to be picked up by our team,\u201d he said. Donations can also be mailed to 4943 Connaught Dr., Vancouver, B.C., V6M 3E8.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Neil Pollock instructs a team of surgeons in Rwanda on carrying out his technique of circumcision. (photo from\u00a0Dr. Neil Pollock) Dr. Neil Pollock specializes in circumcision, from newborn to adult, and adult vasectomy. As a leading expert in circumcision, he has traveled around the world to train physicians and, this summer, he will head […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":946,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[242,241,239,240,247,244,245,249,238,248,243,246],"class_list":["post-963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-aids","tag-b-c-centre-for-disease-control","tag-circumcision","tag-david-patrick","tag-gheskio","tag-haiti","tag-jeffrey-klausner","tag-mohel","tag-neil-pollock","tag-port-auprince","tag-rwanda","tag-ucla"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}