The Gomco clamp is used in
circumcision of the
neonate. It safely crushes (yes, crushes) the skin of the foreskin before the skin is cut, thus producing hemostasis. If
anesthetic is used before it is applied, circumsion can be painless.
The gomco was introduced in the 1930s, and has undergone little modification since then. It is made of three parts: a base plate with a hole in it, a bell and post, and a screw nut. The vertical post and bell are placed over the glans and the foreskin is pulled over the outside of the bell. Post and bell are then drawn through a hole in the base plate, clamping the foreskin between the bell and the plate. The foreskin is then cut off with a scalpel that is run around the bell.