RESUMO
PURPOSE: We investigated the safety and efficacy of Shang Ring™ male circumcision and conventional sleeve resection circumcision in a randomized study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the same period, 479 cases of Shang Ring circumcision and 354 of sleeve resection circumcision were performed. Complete followup data were evaluated on the 2 groups. Operative time, pain score, blood loss, postoperative complications, wound healing time and treatment costs were compared. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in average age and foreskin status between the 2 groups preoperatively (p >0.05). Compared to the conventional group, there were shorter operative time, less blood loss and a lower intraoperative pain score in the ring group (p <0.05). In addition, ring male circumcision showed a lower complication rate than conventional circumcision (6.89% vs 13.28%, p = 0.002). However, wound healing time in the ring group was longer than in the conventional group (mean ± SD 19.86 ± 5.24 vs 13.42 ± 2.35 days, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Shang Ring male circumcision is a safe, efficient procedure with a relatively low complication rate and high patient satisfaction. It may be worthwhile to popularize this method, especially in countries where the general population has low to limited resources.