Mayo study proposes method to lower circumcision costs

Mayo Study Looks at Circumcision Savings

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) - A La Crosse hospital is at the forefront of cutting costs for a common after-birth procedure.

Doctors at Mayo Clinic Health System recently published the results of a two-year study into the benefits of training neonatal nurse practitioners to perform circumcisions instead of using a specialist.

Mayo is believed to be one of the first hospitals in the country to use the nurse practitioners for the procedure, who they say can perform them just as safely while also saving money.

"If the rest of the country used our model, we would save $110-200 million U.S. dollars in 2015 dollars every decade, just by making this change," said Dr. Dennis Costakos, who conducted the study. "If we could get our colleagues across town to do it, (and) if we could get people in New York to do it, this would save a lot of money for society."

Even though the study was only recently published, Mayo says they've been using NPs for circumcisions for several years.