UCSF Pediatric Urology

I took my 12 year old daughter to the UCSF Pediatric Urology Clinic for persistent enuresis, and I was sent down a frustrating pipeline that yielded no improvement after 2 years of «treatment». The trouble is that the clinic would not budge from their original diagnosis of constipation as the cause of the enuresis, despite dutifully following all of their recommendations for clearing it up. Thus, my daughter endured increasingly invasive constipation treatments, including daily adult dosages of laxative for *2 years*, multiple colon clean outs, one time enemas, daily child suppositories, then daily adult suppositories, then daily adult enemas. As my protestations increased, the clinic doubled down on their insistence that we needed to get the constipation under control. When I asked incredulously how my daughter could possibly still be constipated after all that treatment, the only answer I received was that «sometimes it takes a while to resolve.»
We finally bailed and started over again with the Pediatric Urology Clinic at Stanford, where the doctor reviewed our history and immediately ordered a set of tests that led to a different diagnosis and course of treatment. Constipation was never seriously considered as the cause of her enuresis; the doctor looked at my daughter’s age and history as indicators to look past the text book causes and actually solve our problem.
UCSF has a one-​size-​fits-​all approach, and for all I know they have good results based on the law of averages. For us, it was increasingly frustrating to see zero results and zero willingness to alter their prescribed course. I guess if all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail.

This is to address all pediatric urologists, pediatricians and any and all staff that may have contact with a man who may be seeking amputation of his son’s foreskin. The boy Chase has no medical condition requiring any surgery at this time and actually has a family history which contraindicates any such procedure. The boy has vehemently refused to be cut and his mother was jailed for over a week in order to force her signature under duress into «approval».
Dear Members of AAPU, AAP and AHA, Protect Chase (4) Against Unnecessary, Forced Circumcision Surgery! Uphold your Hippocratic Oaths!
Dear Medical Professionals, it is not the job of a Judge to order a medical procedure. That is the job of a Doctor. Under the Hippocratic Oath, doctors are sworn to «First, do no harm.» We believe that forcing a healthy boy to undergo a circumcision surgery, under anesthesia, where there is no medical necessity is doing harm to the patient and involves significant and unnecessary risks to the boy’s physical and emotional health. We urge you not to perform this unnecessary surgery.
On 5.22.15 Chase Nebus-​Hironimus’ mother, Heather Hironimus was forced, handcuffed and crying in a Florida courtroom, to sign consent for his father to circumcise him. His father has been given permission to travel with him anywhere in the U.S. to schedule the unneeded and risky surgery. We are encouraging all advocates to make a list of your local (or state wide) clinics, especially pediatric urologists, who could be hired to cut Chase and write to them urging them to review Chase’s case and *not* circumcise this child against his will. Encourage friends in other areas to do the same
As a growing international community of parents and civil groups, we have great concern for a young child named Chase Nebus-​Hironimus regarding the matter of his FORCED CIRCUMCISION.
The minor child Chase is a 4.5 year-​old who has verbalized he does NOT want to be circumcised. The testifying urologist in Chase’s case, Dr. Charles E. Flack, opined on May 9^th, 2014 that the procedure is not medically necessary. As a result of an ongoing legal battle between the two parents, Chase has been removed from his mother’s custody, who has been his protector on the topic, and given to his father, who wants to get him circumcised against Chase’s and his mother’s will.
A Florida judge has recently ordered Chase’s mother to sign a consent for his circumcision, while in handcuffs, and under duress, visible from her photographs in social media.
If Chase is brought to your practice or institution for the purpose of a circumcision, we ask you to consider the following:
We ask you to respect this child’s right to his body and genital autonomy.
We ask you to keep in mind that no medical organization in the world recommends circumcision, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.
We ask you to protect Chase from this forced and unnecessary medical interference to his body, which has now become nothing but a tool in a legal custody battle.
We ask you to recognize the inherent risks in all medical procedures, and keep in mind that any doctor performing a circumcision on Chase will be under great scrutiny from the global community.
We implore you to thoroughly review Chase’s medical history, specifically with regard to keloid scarring and tolerance of general anesthesia, when evaluating benefit-​to-​risk ratio for him.
We ask you to consider the psychological trauma and after effects such an unwanted procedure might cause Chase, not only in the short term, but for life.
Thank You

The pediatric urology practice staff is professional and very responsive — they quickly returned phone calls and were always friendly, despite some scheduling issues.
Dr Hillary Copp has an excellent bedside manner– she is very reassuring, gives thorough explanations, wonderful with kids, and an excellent surgeon. Our son was in great hands from start to finish both as a clinic patient and during his outpatient surgery.
My only frustration was that they rescheduled his surgery date– apparently a broader urology department issue with another surgeon claiming back time that had been opened for others to use– which was inconsiderate of the other surgeon and inconvenient for us.