Hyposadius

My 6 week old son has a third degree hypospadius, while he uninates fine he has never had a erection. Is this common? Is it something that can be corrected? We already have an appointment with a specialists and I'm hoping to ask the right questions to understand what we should be most concerned about and is there anything we can do to help with the problem.

[HFHS M.D.-BE]

Dear Smells,
A third degree hypospadias is when the opening of the urethra which is normally at the tip of the penis, develops abnormally and is located at the region between the perineum (the crotch) and the junction of the scrotum and penile shaft. This kind of hypospadias is the most challenging to repair. It often is repaired in more than one stage. Further it has a higher complication rate than the less severe forms.

The appropriate age for the repair of hypospadias is largely determined by the size of the penis and the concern for the emotional trauma of the surgery and possible complications. Some well known hypospadias surgeons believe the ideal window for this operation is between 6 and 18 months. Never has the ideal age of correction been later in life to where the child could make their own decision.
There are patients who have had multiple hypospadias repairs to achieve a good cosmetic and functional result, just as your son might. Poor outcomes occur even in the most skilled hypospadias surgeon