Outcomes for adult hypospadias surgery: What surgery can and cannot achieve for you!!

Adult hypospadias surgery is fundamentally different from operating on a child. When we started hypospadias foundation in 2008, we started with an aim to help children with hypospadias and DSD get better outcomes. In 2015 we started getting lot of enquiries from adults with hypospadias. We realised that neither adult urologist or pediatric surgeons or plastic surgeons are equipped to deal with a congenital anomaly like hypospadias in adults. Whether it a primary non-operated hypospadias in an adult or a failed hypospadias repair in an adult, it is very different from the children. Hence, it is very important for the hypospadias surgeon to set the right expectation during the counselling session before hypospadias repair surgery. Unless the expectations are matched, no one is going to be happy after surgery.

Dr A.K.Singal and Dr Ashwitha Shenoy operating on a patient with hypospadias

What can adult hypospadias surgery accomplish:

1.Straight penis by chordee correction: If the person has a hypospadias with a bent penis, it can be fully corrected, and a straight penis can be achieved. We use a variety of chordee correction techniques like 16 dot plication Chordee correction surgery in an adult redo hypospadias using 16 dot plication in adults to achieve good outcomes.

2.Achieve urine opening at the tip: In almost all primary hypospadias, we are able to achieve an urinary opening on the tip of penis. In failed hypospadias or ones with previous surgeries (unless the glans -the head of penis- is damaged), with modern techniques, we are able to achieve opening on the tip. Rarely, if there is fibrosis or deformed glans due to previous surgery- we try to bring the opening as close to the head as possible.

3.Good Cosmetic result: In most of adult hypospadias, we are able to achieve a good cosmetic result with a straight penis, opening on the tip and a circumcised appearance. With modern stitches, good instruments and trained expert hypospadias surgeons, the stitch marks are also very less. Single stage hypospadias repair in an adult

4.Ease in intercourse: Some of the adults come to us with difficulty in intercourse due to chordee. Once chordee is corrected, the intercourse becomes painless and easy.

5.Standing up and passing urine: One of the chief complaints in hypospadias is that the urine goes backwards. Hence, the male has to sit to pass urine. This is especially true for proximal penile, penoscrotal or scrotal hypospadias. Once hypospadias is corrected, the urine goes forwards and the person can stand up and pass urine like a normal man. (urine stream pic)

6.Straight stream without spraying: Most of unoperated or failed hypospadias repair come to us with spraying of urine. This happens when the urine hole is not on the head, the urine doesn’t get a proper direction to form a nice stream. Once the hypospadias is corrected, urine starts coming in a normal single stream from the head of the penis and directed forwards without spraying.

7.Passage of urine from one hole: Some of the failed hypospadias cases may have multiple holes due to urethral fistulae. Due to these the person may be passing in 2, 3 or more streams. We have seen cases where the person was passing urine like a watering can due to multiple holes. This can all be corrected with successful adult hypospadias surgery by an expert surgeon.

8.Healthy mental state: We have seen lot of young adults, who feel inferior and incomplete due to a deformed penis because of hypospadias. They often are hesitant to establish relations with opposite gender. Once repaired with a good result, these men report higher mental self esteem and comfort in establishing healthy relationships. If the depression and anxiety is severe, it is a good idea to discuss with your surgeon and take some psychology help before and after surgery,

What adult hypospadias surgery cannot accomplish:

1.Increase in penis size: Hypospadias surgery leads to correction of anomaly but not an actual increase in size of penis. In some cases with severe chordee, unrepaired penis may look small due to chordee. Once we correct such cases, the penis may look longer due to straightening of the penis.

2.Solve premature ejaculation: Premature ejaculation is not related to the hypospadias and hence surgery can’t solve this. For such issues we refer the cases to adult urologist for treatment.

3.Erectile dysfunction: Some men with hypospadias come with erectile dysfunction, generally this is not related to hypospadias itself. It may be psychological or due to some other anomaly. Hypospadias by itself doesn’t cause erectile dysfunction and repairing hypospadias doesn’t improve it either. For such issues we refer the cases to adult urologist for treatment.

4.Cure infertility: Hypospadias may cause difficulty in intercourse if there is severe chordee but generally doesn’t cause infertility. Hence, if the sperm count is low or poor, doing a surgery will not solve this. For such issues we refer the cases to adult urologist for treatment.

It is important that adults with hypospadias discuss these issues threadbare with their treating hypospadias surgeon before surgery. We also take help of a clinical psychologist or an adult urologist whenever needed before surgery to set the right expectations. At Hypospadias Foundation India, we are dedicated to helping adults and children with hypospadias get the right diagnosis, full counselling, expectation setting and surgical treatment with empathy. With both the surgeon and the patient aligned, great outcomes and happiness can be achieved.

Dr A.K. Singal is rated as the best hypospadias surgeon in the world for adult hypospadias surgery. Dr Ashwitha Shenoy is a well-trained pediatric urologist and hypospadias surgeon working with Dr Singal. Together as a team both of them treat hundreds of adults and children with hypospadias from across India and the world every year with best care and results. With advancing experiences, the complications of adult hypospadias have decreased significantly, and success rates are above 96% at Hypospadias Foundation.

Contact Form for Hypospadias Foundation

Please fill all clinical details and upload pictures and clinical summaries (if available)

    Attach Documents (pdf | jpeg | mp4)
    (upload size upto 5mb)

    Why does hypospadias occur?

    Why does hypospadias occur?

    Hypospadias is a congenital abnormality of the penis with an incidence of 1 in 150 live births. In hypospadias, the urinary opening (peehole) is in an abnormal position on the underside of the penis. As a parent of a child with hypospadias, you may wonder what causes hypospadias. Infact this is the most common question which parents ask us in the clinic- Why did my child develop hypospadias?

    Why does hypospadias occur

    The exact cause for hypospadias is not known but there are various factors which can increase the risk of hypospadias in your baby. This blog is to help you understand the probable factors which may lead to hypospadias in your baby boy.

    1. Genetic factors:

    Family history: While 90-95% of hypospadias are isolated cases, 5-10% of them do run in families. If the father or anyone in first degree family has hypospadias, then the risk of having hypospadias in subsequent male children increases.

    1. Environmental factors:

    Maternal exposure to pesticides or herbicides in pregnancy may cause hypospadias.

    These pesticides are known to be endocrine disruptors, they interfere with the androgen and oestrogen signalling pathways during genital development, hence causing hypospadias. This is a hypothesis and studies are still under process to clearly link exposure of pesticides to occurrence of hypospadias.

    There have been studies showing higher risk of hypospadias due to plasticisers in the single use plastic bottles. The chemicals here act as male hormone blockers and interrupt development of penis, hence causing hypospadias.

    1. Hormonal exposure in pregnancy:

    During pregnancy, certain hormones may be advised for the mother to decrease the chance of preterm labour or miscarriage. This is common after invitro fertilization (IVF) conception, twin pregnancy and in precious pregnancies. Carmichael reported that the use of progesterone to prevent early pregnancy loss was associated with risk of developing moderate to severe hypospadias.

    1. Maternal factors:

    Maternal pre pregnancy obesity with a BMI>30 has been associated with 1.3-to-2-fold increased risk of hypospadias compared to other women who had normal weight in the pre pregnancy period.

    Maternal nutrition is very important for the development of fetus. Folic acid supplementation in the pre conceptional period is necessary to prevent various congenital anomalies. Study conducted by Mavrogenis et al showed that folic acid supplementation early in pregnancy was associated with low risk of hypospadias.

    Hypertension in pregnancy and usage of anti-hypertensive medicines are associated with development of hypospadias in the fetus. Untreated hypertension has an odds ratio of is 2.1 and anti-hypertensive usage in pregnancy has an odds ratio of 1.6 for development of hypospadias. The cause for this is most likely because of reduced placental perfusion in hypertension.

    It has been hypothesized that the maternal use of estrogen and progestin may cause hypospadias because of interference with fetal androgen production or action. Several other medications have been associated with moderate to severe hypospadias. These include ibuprofen (odds ratio 1.2), Venlafexine(odd ratio 2.4), proton pump inhibitors(odds ratio 4.4) and clomiphene citrate(ovulation induction agent with odds ratio 1.9)

    1. Birth factors:

    Infants with hypospadias are most likely to be born preterm, low birth weight or small for gestational age. These are more strongly associated with severe hypospadias than the milder forms of hypospadias. Placental dysfunction may fail to stimulate fetal androgen production which is necessary for urethral closure. It also causes reduced transfer of nutrients to the fetus causing growth restriction. Placental dysfunction and androgen deficiency in early pregnancy are known to cause intrauterine growth restriction and hypospadias.

    The most important message here is that it is not the fault of the mother or father which can cause hypospadias in their child. The above-mentioned factors may increase the risk of hypospadias but that is not always true. A pregnant woman should take care of her health and avoid exposure to chemicals as much as possible. She should maintain a healthy diet, get good sleep, and avoid stress. Even if your child has hypospadias inspite of all the extra care, do not worry. Hypospadias is a condition that can be easily corrected by surgery by an expert pediatric urologist or a surgeon who specializes in hypospadias repairs.

     

    At hypospadias foundation India, we have been blessed to treated families having twins or two brothers with hypospadias. We also have cases where father had hypospadias and then their child had hypospadias. Some of these parents themselves did not achieve good results in their day and age but now with latest techniques which we use at Hypospadias Foundation, the results which their children get after hypospadias repair surgery are very good.

    In current era, success rate of hypospadias in first surgery itself is more than 95%. At hypospadias foundation, we treat hundreds of children and adults with hypospadias every year, both the ones which are primary or the ones where the previous repair has failed. If your child has hypospadias, do visit us, or consult us online to get the best hypospadias treatment for your child. Every child deserves the best and we are here to support you to give the best care to your child.

     

    Fill up contact form: https://www.hypospadiasfoundation.com/contact/

    Contact Form for Hypospadias Foundation

    Please fill all clinical details and upload pictures and clinical summaries (if available)

      Attach Documents (pdf | jpeg | mp4)
      (upload size upto 5mb)

      Guide to choose the best hypospadias surgeon for your child

      Hypospadias is a common congenital anomaly diagnosed at birth. Most of the children will need repair surgery for hypospadias and this surgery should be done by 18 months of age in a child who is born full term and is otherwise healthy. The hypospadias surgery, when done, should be carried out by an expert hypospadias surgeon. The hypospadias surgeon should be trained in hypospadias surgeries and have extensive experience and dedication to hypospadias-related work. 

      As a parent of a child with hypospadias, you may be confused about how to choose the best hypospadias surgeon. Any pediatric urologist or pediatric surgeon can operate on a child with hypospadias, but every surgeon may not get the desired and best post-surgery results. Here are a few tips that will help you shortlist the best hypospadias surgeon for your child.

      1. Ask your pediatrician: Pediatricians and pediatric urologists or surgeons often know each other well and work closely. Pediatricians are the first doctors to diagnose hypospadias and they can guide you to an experienced hypospadias surgeon who does lot of such surgeries and has good results for hypospadias surgery. Pediatricians often also get to see the children post-surgery and hence know the outcomes for each surgeon. Ask your pediatrician to guide you to seek the best hypospadias surgeon for your child. 
      2. Connect with parents of children with hypospadias: A parent of a child with hypospadias goes through a great deal of experience when it comes to hypospadias surgery. From pre-surgery OPD visits to post-surgery care, they become experts on how to manage their child in the hospital and after surgery. New parents can discuss with other parents whose child has already completed hypospadias repair and get an honest opinion regarding the hypospadias surgeon, experience in the hospital, and their overall experience. This will help other parents gain confidence and decide what’s best for their child.
      3. Search online for the best centres of expertise for Hypospadias Surgery: Most of the good centres for hypospadias treatment have a comprehensive website and a knowledge centre. Key things to look online are- qualification of the hypospadias doctor, years of experience, kind of cases they have managed, their success stories, their online reviews, the surgery videos, their publications and whether they are so good that they are training other surgeons. In the best hypospadias centres, their website will have enough information on all these points.
      4. Visit your hypospadias surgeon in the OPD: Make sure you visit your hypospadias surgeon or connect with them online for a hypospadias consultation at least once before you plan the surgery. In the Outpatient department (OPD) of a hypospadias surgeon you will find many other children with hypospadias which indicates hypospadias surgery is performed regularly at that hospital. Ask your hypospadias surgeon about the cases done so far, the success rate and similar cases done in the past which will help you gain confidence in the surgeon and take a decision if he/she is the right surgeon for your child.
      5. Success rate of hypospadias repair surgery: Every surgery has its own set of complications but when it comes to hypospadias the complication rates vary widely at various centers. The best hypospadias surgeon should have a success rate of more than 90% with a complication rate of under 10%.  When you visit your hypospadias surgeon do ask them about the success rate of surgery at their center. 
      6. Expertise in managing complex hypospadias: Complex hypospadias such as perineal, scrotal hypospadias and redo hypospadias (hypospadias after multiple previous failed attempts) need to be managed very differently. If your child has such a hypospadias, make sure that you ask your hypospadias surgeon about their experience in managing such cases and the technique which is going to be done in your child so that you are prepared for the post-surgery period. An experienced hypospadias surgeon will be well versed in managing complex cases as well as primary ones. 

      The first surgery is the best chance for a complete cure from hypospadias. Once the first surgery fails, subsequent surgeries become difficult. Hence, it is important that you do full research and choose wisely. Choosing the right hypospadias surgeon is not an easy decision for any parent. Every parent wants the best surgeon for their child. 

      At hypospadias foundation, we treat more than 200 children and adults every year with hypospadias. Our dedication and expertise in hypospadias makes us one of the leading centers for hypospadias repair in the world. Do not hesitate to write to us or visit us for more information on our expert hypospadias surgeons. We will be happy to offer a second opinion or help you with understanding hypospadias treatment for your child or yourself (adult hypospadias)

       

      Fill up contact form: https://www.hypospadiasfoundation.com/contact/

      Contact Form for Hypospadias Foundation

      Please fill all clinical details and upload pictures and clinical summaries (if available)

        Attach Documents (pdf | jpeg | mp4)
        (upload size upto 5mb)

        Why circumcision should be avoided in boys with hypospadias

        Circumcision is a procedure done to remove the foreskin over the glans. Boys hypospadias circumcision The definite indications for circumcision in a child are recurrent balanoposthitis (foreskin infections), failure of local steroid therapy in phimosis and infant boys with recurrent urinary infection. Another important reason why parents choose circumcision for their child is for religious or cultural reasons.

        During circumcision it is necessary to retract the foreskin completely and check for the position of the meatus. This is necessary because hypospadias can be sometimes missed and once the foreskin is excised, hypospadias repair becomes challenging. The hypospadias variants which can be missed are glanular hypospadias, MIP (megameatus intact prepuce) variant and chordee without hypospadias. Any surgeon performing the circumcision in a child should be vigilant and circumcision
        should be avoided at all costs in children with hypospadias.

        The reasons to avoid doing circumcision in children with hypospadias are as follows:
        1. Foreskin is required for skin closure in hypospadias: Hypospadias is generally associated with deficient penile ventrally and excess foreskin dorsally. During hypospadias repair if the child has already undergone circumcision, then we may encounter difficulty in skin closure.
        2. Dartos flap from foreskin is used in urethroplasty: In any urethroplasty we suture multiple layers of tissues over the urethroplasty to decrease the chance of fistula formation. This includes local tissues and dartos flap. In children who have undergone circumcision, dartos flap is unavailable to cover the urethroplasty.
        3. Use of prepuce in urethroplasty: Foreskin may be required for urethroplasty in children with poor urethral plate and shallow glans groove. Prepucial onlay flap urethroplasty is a good choice in these children. This is possible only if the foreskin is available. Hence in children who have undergone circumcision this technique will not be possible.

        Circumcision, though a simple procedure, has its specific indications in children. Not all boys with hypospadias need circumcision, and when deemed necessary, it should be approached cautiously. Identifying hypospadias during circumcision requires surgeons with keen observation skills to diagnose the condition accurately. The procedure should be abandoned if there’s any doubt, and the child should be referred to a specialist pediatric urologist for further management.

        Do consult a specialist pediatric urologist before planning circumcision for your child if you have doubt or your doctor has told you that there may be hypospadias or chordee.
        At Hypospadias foundation, we get children from all over India and from more than 25 countries all over the world in search of cure for hypospadias. At our centre we treat adults and children after multiple previous unsuccessful surgeries. Our experience clearly shows that previous circumcision makes subsequent hypospadias repair surgery difficult.

         

        Fill up contact form: https://www.hypospadiasfoundation.com/contact/

        Contact Form for Hypospadias Foundation

        Please fill all clinical details and upload pictures and clinical summaries (if available)

          Attach Documents (pdf | jpeg | mp4)
          (upload size upto 5mb)

          1 2 3 6

          Contact Us

          Call Now