Verified By June 27, 2023
Verified by: Dr. Ashwini Khanolkar, Consultant Pediatric Surgery, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai.
Hypospadias is a condition in which the opening of the penis is on the underside rather than the tip. It is a birth defect in boys where the opening of the urethra (the tube that caries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body) is not located at the tip of the penis. It is a condition that affects 1 out of every 250-300 male children born. It
This condition is not fatal but can cause numerous side-effects that impair your lifestyle significantly if it isn’t corrected at the right time.
About the disease
In a healthy penis, the urethra carries the urine and sperms from the bladder to the tip of the penis, from where it is excreted in a good stream to fall away from the legs anteriorly.
Patients with hypospadias, this opening of the urethra is not at the tip but forms on the under-surface of the penile shaft anywhere between the end of penis to the scrotum. This is due to an abnormal development phase between 8-14 weeks of pregnancy while the baby is still in mother’s womb. There are different degrees of hypospadias, which determine the severity of the situation.
In short, hypospadias is when the development of the opening at the head of the penis is abnormal or displaced. In most cases, this is present in premature births, but other causes for this condition include:
The good news is that this condition is not fatal, and it can be surgically corrected.
Before talking about treatments for this condition, however, let’s first have a look at how to identify hypospadias.
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Symptoms
Hypospadias can manifest in three forms depending on the location of the penile shaft opening. These are:
In rare cases, the penis can curve in a downward-facing arch. This condition is called Chordee and can be most clearly observed in a penile erection. This could lead to abnormal spraying of urine, might have to sit to urinate so as to not wet his pants or shoes. If not corrected in time, it can lead to problems in later life, such as difficulty in performing sexual intercourse or difficulty urinating in a standing position.
The location of the opening is the only symptom that can visually be diagnosed. For further investigation, you will be directed to a pediatric urologist by your general physician.
Once the doctors identify the type of hypospadias your child may have, they will recommend an appropriate type of treatment.
Treatment for hypospadias
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Risks & Complications
Hypospadias, if left untreated, can lead to risks like:
Dietary Recommendation
The physical nature of the condition cannot be altered through any diet. However, physicians will recommend a light diet with no food intake for a few hours leading up to the surgery. This is standard practice for most surgeries to ensure there are no side-effects caused by the anesthesia used during the procedure.
FAQs
If left untreated, hypospadias can lead to male infertility or fertility problems, a rise in the chances of urinary infections, and problems with the urinary stream.
In most cases, hypospadias can be diagnosed visually. The problem is other similar looking conditions like epispadias which lead to misdiagnosis by those who aren’t professionals. To diagnose the condition accurately, visiting a pediatric urologist is a must.
Premature births most commonly cause conditions like hypospadias, but the second leading cause of the condition is genetics.
No, unfortunately, hypospadias is a birth defect that cannot correct itself. The only option for a correction is surgery.
Most cases of hypospadias repair occur in children between the age of 3-months to 18-months old.
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