hypospadia

[Gughi]

hello, my 2.5 year old son has hypospadia and he is going to be operated soon. He has a relatively mild form of it, as the urethra exits the glad at its middle,the penis is not curved and as of now seems of satisfactory length. It does have though a hooded aspect because of the skin above.
1) Is it possible that his hypospadia be associated with any male fertility problems or inflict in any way on the sexual dynamics?
2) if any of the above cases is possible, is there any standard medical investigative technique able to tell it for sure and is there a treatment that can be followed at this early age in order to solve the problems for the future?
3) can the operation give a perfectly normal functionality of the penis afterwards?
4) can the operation give a normal appearance of the penis, wihtout the marks of the former diformity and of the surgery?
5) are there any non intrusive surgery techniques to perform this type of operation?
6) how the child should be prepared for the operation?
7) what kind of reaction and special care will the child need after operation and how long does the full recovery take?
8) what kind of specific risks entails this kind of surgery?
Thank you
Elena


This discussion is related to Hypospadia.

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi Elena,

How are you? How is your son? When is he scheduled for the operation?
Hypospadias is treated with surgery to correct the placement of the urethral opening, usually during the first year of life. Complications, which are more likely to occur in older children and adults, can include bleeding, infection, narrowing of the urethra (stricture), and curvature of the penis. Corrective surgery usually results in a penis that looks normal and functions normally. Surgery can straighten the shaft, position the meatus at the tip of the penis, and remove the hooded foreskin. Patients are able to stand to void, and sexual activity and fertility are satisfactory. The child's hospital stay may range from a few hours in a day surgery unit to a few days or a week on an inpatient unit.

Surgical repair of hypospadias is done while the child is deep asleep and pain-free (using general anesthesia). The goals of the surgery are to repair the abnormal curvature of the penis, and to create a new urethra at the tip of the penis. A small piece of foreskin can be used to create a tube to extend the urethral length to allow placement of the urethral opening at the tip of the penis. The type of repair depends on the severity of the defect. Mild defects may be repaired in a single procedure, while severe defects may require two or more procedures.

I hope this helps. Take care and kisses to your son.