Would You Test This Gadget?
Now and then, I come across a gadget that quite literally astounds me. This can be due to technical innovation, blatant stupidity or a whole bunch of other reasons in-between. However, this is the first gadget I have ever found that would definitely take my breath away if I used it. Actually, it would take far more than my breath away; it would also take a part of me I am very attached too!
I am speaking about the SmartKlamp, this device is… Wait for it… a disposable, single shot, self-circumcision device! Seriously, I cannot believe anybody would trust a piece of mass produced plastic to undertake this delicate and potentially eye watering operation on their behalf. I know darn well I would not.
The SmartKlamp is sold in several sizes and comes in a sterile package. It works by cutting off the blood supply to the foreskin and is left in place for a few days until the aforementioned piece of anatomy drops off! One can only imagine how this works; surely, if the blood flow has been stopped then it will start to rot before dropping off? The mind boggles trying to imagine how this entire process would progress.
The manufacturers recommend that a local anesthetic is applied before using the device, I do hope this is printed clearly in the instructions, you know how dumb some people can be. One particular fact that had me laughing was the statement from the manufacturer that tells us that although the SmartKlamp is currently only available in sizes to fit babies up to pre-pubescent boys, there are current tests being carried out upon an adult size model in Turkey. What sort of person signs up as a guinea pig to test a device like this? Would you?
Although the device is designed to be used by a doctor, it is stated that an individual under proper supervision can carry out the procedure upon themselves, and in fact, in the Far East where the product was initially developed, this is the major form of use. The local population has discovered that they can save on the cost of a doctor by combining the SmartKlamp with a sharp pair of scissors!
This is a prime example of a gadget that was developed for the benefit of the medical profession and has been adopted and adapted by the general population. The real problem here lays in the fact that although the SmartKlamp is designed to greatly simplify the circumcision process, it was never intended as an alternative to allowing a trained professional to undertake the operation. It is highly unlikely that the people who are using this as a cheap form of circumcision are trained to deal with any complications that crop up; certainly, they are unlikely to understand how to prepare a sterile environment to make sure the risk of infection is minimized.
Personally, I think anyone who decides to use this gadget outside of a medical facility is taking their life, or at least an integral part of it, in their own hands.