Hypospadias is a common congenital condition in boys where the urinary opening (urethral opening) is located on the underside of the penis instead of the tip. Hypospadias surgery is usually performed in early childhood, ideally before the age of five.

After successful hypospadias repair, the penis appears similar to a circumcised penis with urinary opening on tip and no curvature. The child will be able to pass urine in a single straight stream from the tip of the penis without pain or difficulty.

Because the surgery is performed very early in life, many children do not remember the condition or the procedure. As a result, many parents wonder:

Should we tell our child about his hypospadias surgery?

The answer is yes—open communication is important for your child’s long-term emotional and medical well-being.

Why parents have difficulty in talking to their son about hypospadias?

Many parents struggle with discussing hypospadias with their child due to social and emotional concerns such as

1. Cultural Taboo Around Genital Health

In many families, conversations about genitals or sexual health are considered uncomfortable or inappropriate. Parents who grew up in such environments may find it difficult to discuss these topics openly.

2. Fear of disclosure leading to social judgement and stigma

Parents often hesitate to disclose such conditions to their child due to fear that the child might share it with others, leading to social judgment. They may worry about teasing, stigma, or misunderstandings from peers, relatives, or the wider community. Concerns about how
the information could affect the child’s social relationships, self-esteem, and even future aspects like marriage or fertility can make parents cautious. As a result, some choose to delay or limit discussions, hoping to protect the child from potential negative reactions.

3. Concern About the Child’s Emotional Reaction

Some parents fear that their child may feel embarrassed, feel different from others, or become emotionally distressed if he learns about his hypospadias condition. Although these concerns are understandable, keeping the condition completely hidden may lead to problems later in life.

Why It Is Important to Tell Your Child About Hypospadias

1. Prevents Trust Issues

Children may eventually discover their medical history through records, online searches, or medical consultations. Learning about hypospadias surgery later in life from another source may make them feel betrayed or confused. Hence open communication is necessary to build trust and prevent unnecessary anxiety.

2. Reduces Body Image Concerns

As boys grow into adolescence, they naturally become more aware of their bodies. If they notice that their penis looks slightly different without understanding the reason, it may lead to unnecessary insecurity.

3. Prevents Anxiety During Puberty

Puberty brings many physical and emotional changes. Understanding their medical history helps adolescents feel confident and reduces anxiety about their bodies.

4. Helps With Healthy Relationships in Adulthood

Men who are unaware of their hypospadias repair history may feel worried or embarrassed about their appearance during intimate relationships. Knowing the truth early helps build confidence and reduces fear of judgment.

5. Seek help if they have medical issues

While with current hypospadias surgery techniques, the long-term results are very good, some of the children may develop issues in adulthood related to hypospadias or surgery done in childhood. These issues may include stricture, diverticulum, recurrent chordee or rarely urinary infections. Hence, it is important that the parents handover the medical records and tell their child about surgery so that they can seek proper help should anything happen.

6. Future urological interventions

Even in men without prior hypospadias, some of them develop kidney stones or prostate issues in late adulthood. At time of intervention, there is often cystoscopy done via urethra. Hence, it is important for them to know that they have a reconstructed urethra and share the same surgery record with their treating adult urologist.

What Is the Right Age to Talk About Hypospadias?

The best time to discuss about hypospadias with your child is during adolescence. At this stage, teenagers are mature enough to understand medical information and can process the explain logically.

Parents can explain that:
 He was born with a small difference in the position of the urinary opening.
 A hypospadias surgery was performed in childhood to correct it.

The condition has been successfully treated. It will not affect his normal life, urination, or future relationships. Having this conversation in a calm and supportive manner helps the child feel reassured and informed.

Why Medical Records of Hypospadias Surgery Are Important

When your child becomes an adult, it is important to provide him with all documents related to his hypospadias repair surgery. These records can help doctors if he ever needs medical evaluation later in life. Although most boys who undergo hypospadias surgery in childhood live completely normal lives, some rare complications can occur in adulthood, including:

1. Urethral Stricture: The reconstructed urethra may become narrow over time, affecting urine flow.
2. Urethral Diverticulum: The reconstructed urethra may become slightly dilated or relaxed.
3. Residual Chordee: A mild curvature of the penis that was not fully corrected in childhood may become more noticeable in adulthood.

Having the surgical history and medical records helps doctors provide appropriate treatment if any issue arises.

Who Should Explain about Hypospadias to the Child?

The best approach is for parents to have the conversation along with the hypospadias surgeon.

Together, they can reassure the child that:
 The condition was corrected successfully.
 He can lead a completely normal life.
 If he has questions or concerns, he can discuss them privately with the doctor.

We also recommend a follow-up consultation around 18 years of age so that the young adult fully understands his medical history and can address any concerns.

Final Thoughts

Talking to your child about hypospadias and hypospadias surgery may feel uncomfortable at first, but open and honest communication is important. When parents discuss the condition At the right age, it helps build trust, confidence, and a healthy body image. Providing accurate information ensures that your child grows into adulthood feeling reassured, informed, and comfortable with his medical history.

About hypospadias foundation

Hypospadias Foundation, located at MITR Hospital in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra, India is a centre specialized for the treatment of children and adults with hypospadias. Our expertise in hypospadias makes us one of the best centres for hypospadias repair in the world. We treat children from more than 30 countries in the world and from all over India. Our dedication in this field has helped us achieve excellent outcomes.

Dr A K Singal is an expert and top hypospadias surgeon in India. He is a gifted surgeon and his expertise in this area has helped us achieve excellent outcomes in primary and failed hypospadias in children as well as adults. Dr Ashwitha Shenoy is an expert hypospadias surgeon with a special interest in hypospadias and pediatric urology. Both Dr Singal and Dr Shenoy work together to give best results for hypospadias surgery in India for both children and adults.

Hypospadias is a congenital condition in which the urinary opening (meatus) is located on the underside of the penis instead of at the tip. Hypospadias repair surgery is a well-established and successful procedure that can be performed in infants, children, adolescents, and adults. However, choosing the best age for hypospadias repair plays an important role in healing, recovery, and long-term outcomes.

What Is the Best Age for Hypospadias Surgery?

Most expert hypospadias surgeons recommend performing surgery between 6 and 18 months of age. Surgery before 3 years of age is considered ideal, and if someone misses this period, surgery before 8 years of age is still strongly recommended if early repair was not possible.

Hypospadias Surgery in Infants (6–18 Months)

The ideal age for hypospadias surgery is between 6 and 18 months. At this age:

• Penile tissues are soft, elastic, and heal faster
• Scarring is minimal due to high tissue regeneration
• Infants are unaware of their genitalia and body image
• There is no psychological impact or memory of surgery

Early hypospadias repair also allows normal toilet training and smooth bladder control development. Post-operative care is easier in infants, as diaper changes simplify wound care and recovery is less stressful for parents.

Older children:

• Are more aware of their genitalia and may feel shy or anxious
• Experience more fear and perceived pain after surgery
• May find dressing changes difficult
• Sometimes hold urine after catheter removal due to fear of pain

Despite these challenges, healing and success rates remain high when surgery is performed by an experienced hypospadias surgeon.

Hypospadias Surgery in Teenagers

Teenage boys with untreated or failed hypospadias often feel embarrassed and reluctant to undergo surgery. In cases of hypospadias with chordee (penile curvature), we recommend delaying surgery until penile growth is complete. Avoiding surgery during active growth may prevent interference with natural penile development

Hypospadias Surgery in Adults

Hypospadias repair in adults is possible and can be highly successful. However, recovery is slower compared to children because:

• Adult penile skin is thicker and less elastic
• Healing takes longer
• Pubic hair can affect wound care
• Night-time erections may stress sutures and increase complication risk
• Infection issues are higher
• Urethral and extra safety supra-pubic catheter are also needed.

Even in adulthood, good outcomes are achievable in expert hands. Adult hypospadias surgery success rates at Hypospadias Foundation India are over 95%, which are best in the world.

Is There an Age Limit for Hypospadias Surgery?

There is no upper age limit for hypospadias surgery. The success of repair depends more on the experience of the hypospadias surgeon than the age of the patient. With proper evaluation and surgical expertise, excellent results can be achieved even in adulthood.

Importance of Choosing an Expert Hypospadias Surgeon

Before planning hypospadias surgery, it is essential to consult a specialist hypospadias surgeon. An experienced surgeon will:

• Carefully examine the child or adult
• Assess severity, chordee, and previous surgeries
• Recommend the best timing and surgical technique

At Hypospadias Foundation, children and adults from over 30 countries undergo hypospadias repair. The oldest successfully treated patient was a 50-year-old man with failed hypospadias repair and urethral stricture, operated without complications. This highlights the importance of choosing a specialized center for hypospadias treatment.

Dr A K Singal is a highly experienced and internationally renowned hypospadias surgeon in India, widely regarded as one of the leading experts in hypospadias repair for both children and adults. He has dedicated his professional life to the treatment of complex and failed hypospadias cases, helping patients achieve excellent functional and cosmetic outcomes.

With decades of focused experience in primary and redo hypospadias surgery, Dr Singal’s expertise has contributed to consistently high success rates in infants, older children, adolescents, and adults with hypospadias.

Dr Ashwitha Shenoy is an expert pediatric surgeon with a special interest in pediatric urology and hypospadias surgery. Her training and experience in managing hypospadias in children ensure meticulous surgical care, age-appropriate planning, and excellent long-term outcomes.

Together, Dr A K Singal and Dr Ashwitha Shenoy work as a dedicated team to provide comprehensive hypospadias treatment in India. Their combined expertise allows them to manage simple to complex hypospadias cases, including failed repairs and adult hypospadias, delivering some of the best outcomes for hypospadias surgery in India.

Contact us:

For appointment kindly contact us at the contact details given below.

MITR hospital & Hypospadias Foundation, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, India – Tue/Saturday 4:00pm-6:00pm, Call for appointments: +91-6262840940. Or email us at hypospadiasfoundationindia@gmail.com

Mast A.T., a one-year-old male, presented to the Hypospadias Foundation clinic with an abnormal ventral urinary opening on underside of penis and downward penile curvature. Clinical examination revealed a distal penile hypospadias, deficient ventral foreskin, and
ventral chordee (penile curvature).

A single-stage surgical hypospadias repair was planned, comprising of chordee correction (Orthoplasty) and urethroplasty (reconstruction of the urinary channel)

Intraoperative Procedure

The procedure commenced with a 5-0 Prolene stay suture on the glans for traction. Local anaesthesia (Xylocaine with adrenaline) was infiltrated at the marked incision sites. Following the initial incision and complete degloving of the penis, an artificial erection test was performed to assess the degree of curvature.

 Chordee Correction: A curvature of less than 30 degree was noted. This was corrected via Tunica Albuginea Plication (TAP) on the dorsal aspect (upper part) of the penis, opposite the site of maximum curvature. A repeat artificial erection test confirmed complete correction of the chordee.

 Urethroplasty: The glans wings were marked, incised, and widely mobilized. A midline incision was made in the urethral plate to increase its width (TIP – Tubularized Incised Plate technique). The neo-urethra was constructed in two layers:

o Layer 1: Continuous subcuticular sutures.
o Layer 2: Interrupted sutures.

 Waterproofing: A preputial dartos flap was raised and transposed over the urethroplasty site to provide a vascularized waterproofing layer, significantly reducing the risk of a fistula (leak).

 Completion: Glansplasty was performed to reconstruct the glans. The skin was closed in two layers using 6-0 PDS and 6-0 vicryl Rapide.

Postoperative Outcome and Follow-up

The repair was stented using a 7 Fr infant feeding tube, with the new meatus successfully positioned at the tip of the glans.

 Day 7: The catheter and dressings were removed. The patient demonstrated a strong, straight urinary stream with no associated pain.

 Healing: The surgical site healed by primary intention without complications (e.g., hematoma, infection, or dehiscence).

 1-Year Follow-up: The patient remains asymptomatic with excellent functional and cosmetic results.

Mast B.E, 14-year male from Mumbai had undergone two unsuccessful hypospadias repairs at another hospital in the past. He presented to Hypospadias Foundation with complaints of passing urine from two sites, which is from the tip and from the distal penile region. On clinical examination, there was an eccentric subcoronal fistula with a thin glans bridge separating it from the glanular meatus. There was some residual skin on the dorsal side. The urine stream was spraying as shown in the photo below

He was planned for single/ two stage repair depending on the degree of chordee, status of native urethra and quality of urethral plate. Cystoscopy was noted to be normal. Chordee assessment showed no residual chordee. The thin glans bridge between the meatus and the fistula was divided. The urethral plate was noted to be wide with no scarring. Considering all the above factors he was planned for single stage repair – simple tube urethroplasty or Glans Approximation Procedure was decided.

Stay suture was taken on the glans with 4-0 prolene. Complete degloving was done. Artificial erection test showed no residual chordee. Glans wings were marked and raised. Urethroplasty was done by continuous inverting subcuticular sutures with 6-0 PDS over 8Fr infant feeding tube. Second layer closed over the urethroplasty with local tissues with 6-0 PDS interrupted sutures. Right dartos flap was raised and sutured over the urethroplasty with 6-0 PDS. Glansplasty was done with 5-0 vicryl. Unhealthy skin was excised; edges were freshened and closed in 2 layers with 6 0 PDS and 6-0 vicryl rapide.

The birth of a child brings immense joy, but also concerns about their health and well-being. For parents who have experienced the challenges of hypospadias in their firstborn, questions about the risk of recurrence in a second child understandably arise. This blog aims to provide insights and guidance on this sensitive topic.

What is Hypospadias and is it necessary to repair it?

Hypospadias is a birth defect affecting boys, characterized by an abnormally positioned urethral opening. This opening, which normally lies at the tip of the penis, can be located anywhere along the shaft, scrotum, or even perineum. While the severity varies, hypospadias can affect urination, sexual function, and self-esteem. For very minor hypospadias without any chordee, family may choose to not do surgery but after consultation with an expert hypospadias surgeon. For all other hypospadias, correction surgery is recommended.

Is My Second Child at Risk of Hypospadias?

The possibility of hypospadias occurring in a second child depends on several factors:

• Family history: If the father or a brother has hypospadias, the risk in subsequent sons increases. Estimates suggest 5-6% risk for a second son and this risk increases further if both father and brother are affected.
• Environmental factors: Exposure to certain environmental toxins, such as pesticides and herbicides, may play a role. 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.
• 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 in his study reported that the use of progesterone to prevent early pregnancy loss was associated with risk of developing moderate to severe hypospadias¹.
• Maternal health: Maternal smoking, pre pregnancy obesity, folic acid deficiency is some of the associated factors causing hypospadias.

Understanding the Probabilities of second child with hypospadias

While the above factors influence the risk, it’s important to understand that they do not guarantee the condition’s recurrence. Each pregnancy is unique, and predicting with certainty is impossible.

Here’s a breakdown of the estimated risks:

• For a family with no history of hypospadias, the general risk is around 1 in 250 births
• If the father has hypospadias, the risk rises to about 1 in 50
• With a brother affected, the risk increases to approximately 1 in 30
• When both father and brother are affected, the risk becomes roughly 1 in 20

Moving Forward: Taking Charge

Despite the uncertainty, proactive measures can empower parents to understand hypospadias and get proper counselling to understand the possibility of hypospadias in their second child. This includes:

• Genetic counselling: Consulting a genetic counsellor can provide personalized risk assessment and guidance based on your specific family history. Genetic analysis can help us know the possibility of hypospadias in subsequent pregnancies.
• Preconception care: Maintaining good health and avoiding harmful substances during pregnancy can minimize potential environmental influences. Folic acid supplementation should be started before conception and continued during the first trimester to avoid hypospadias.
• Prenatal testing: While currently no specific tests diagnose hypospadias in utero, advanced ultrasound technology may detect anatomical abnormalities suggestive of the condition. This is possible only in countries where predetermination of sex of the child is allowed in ultrasound in pregnancy.
• Early diagnosis and intervention: If hypospadias is diagnosed after birth, early intervention through specialized treatment can optimize outcomes. Early referral to an expert hypospadias surgeon, early surgery can help the parents and child to overcome the hypospadias problem.

Remember that Knowledge is power. By understanding the risk factors and available resources, parents can navigate the uncertainty surrounding hypospadias and make informed decisions about their second pregnancy.

Let’s work together to raise awareness and offer support to families affected by hypospadias.

Additional Resources:

1. Carmichael SL, Shaw GM, Laurent C, Croughan MS, Olney RS, Lammer EJ. Maternal Progestin Intake and Risk of Hypospadias. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.2005;159(10):957–962. doi:10.1001/archpedi.159.10.957
2. Urology Care Foundation: https://www.urologyhealth.org/educational-resources/hypospadias
3. National Institute of Child Health & Human Development: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35398463/
4. Hypospadias Association: https://heainfo.org/

About Hypospadias Foundation

Hypospadias Foundation is a centre specialized for treatment of children with hypospadias. Our expertise in hypospadias makes us one of the best centres for hypospadias repair in the world. We treat children from more than 25 countries in the world and from all over India. Our dedication in this field has helped us achieve excellent outcomes. Hypospadias foundation is located at MITR Hospital in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra.

Dr A K Singal is an expert and top hypospadias surgeon in India. He is a gifted surgeon and his expertise in this area has helped us achieve excellent outcomes in primary and failed hypospadias in children as well as adults.

Dr Ashwitha Shenoy is an expert hypospadias surgeon with special interest in hypospadias and pediatric urology. Both Dr Singal and Dr Shenoy work together to give best results for hypospadias surgery in India for both children and adults.

Chordee is a condition where the penis is curved downward. Most of the times it is associated with hypospadias but can occur without hypospadias. Chordee correction is very crucial step during hypospadias repair. Without chordee correction, urethroplasty should not be attempted because there will be a stress of the urethral passage and there is high risk of complications after surgery.

Chordee surgery is usually successful in correcting the curvature of the penis completely. However, there is a small chance that chordee can come back after surgery. This is called recurrent chordee.

Risk factors for recurrent chordee:

• Incomplete correction of chordee: When the chordee is severe, it must be corrected completely during chordee correction surgery. If there is any residual chordee after chordee correction surgery, it will only worsen in the future.
• Fibrosis during healing: After chordee correction, fibrosis can occur on the underside of the penis during healing process. Sometimes the fibrosis can improve with steroid massage but if it persists then recurrent chordee correction may be required. This fibrosis can be at the level of skin, tissue under skin or even urethra.
• Due to flaps: Recently we have seen some cases where tunica vaginalis flaps were used for second layer cover during hypospadias surgery at other centres. Somehow the flaps didn’t heal well and they caused chordee to come back. Similar outcomes we have seen when a very tight urethra was made from prepucial flaps or koyanagi repair in first surgery.

Symptoms of recurrent chordee:

The common symptoms which children present with are downward bending of the penis, urine which goes backward and may have occasional pain during erections.

Adults with recurrent chordee may have pain during erection, inability to perform sexual intercourse, painful sexual intercourse and infertility

Treatment for recurrent chordee:

If you think you may have recurrent chordee or your child has recurrent chordee, it is important that you see a doctor right away. You need to visit a hypospadias surgeon or a pediatric urologist who has expertise in the field of hypospadias and chordee correction.

Chordee correction can be done by various methods. First and foremost, the cause for recurrent chordee has to be identified and then appropriate method is used to correct chordee. Chordee correction method differs for children and adults.

1. If a child presents with residual chordee due to incomplete chordee correction in the past, then the following methods of chordee correction are used: Complete degloving is done and chordee is assessed, if chordee persists even after degloving then the following methods are adopted.  If the chordee is due to short urethra due to flaps or tunica vaginalis flaps, we divide them at this stage.

Pre degloving and post degloving chordee assessment

(a) Dorsal tunica Albugenia Plication (TAP): If the chordee is less than 30 degree then it can be easily corrected by placing a non-absorbable suture at the site of maximum curvature on the dorsal side(upper side) of the penis. This will correct the chordee completely.

Post Degloving showed less than 30-degree chordee. 12’o clock dorsal tunica albuginea plication done. Chordee completely corrected by this plication.

No chordee noted after 12’o clock dorsal tunica albuginea plication

(b) Urethral plate division and Proximal urethral mobilization: If the chordee is more than 30 degrees then one of the reasons for persistent chordee is short urethra, in these cases we will have to divide the urethral plate ventrally and mobilize the proximal urethra. This will effectively correct chordee if it is due to congenital short urethra.

Urethral plate division and proximal urethral mobilization

(c)If chordee persists inspite of urethral plate division then urethral mobilization, ventral corporotomies are done. This will correct the chordee if the cause for chordee is due to disproportionate corporal bodies.

Three ventral corporotomies

(d) If none of the above measures can correct chordee then we perform a ventral lengthening procedure called as the dermal graft. Deep incision is given in the tunica on the ventral side at the site of maximum curvature and dermal graft is placed at the site. This method is adopted in cases of severe chordee.

Dermal graft

The chordee is corrected completely after the above steps of chordee correction.

2. If the child presents with severe chordee inspite of complete chordee correction in the past, then it is most likely due to ventral fibrosis. In these cases, along with some or all the above methods, removal of fibrotic tissues from the underside of the penis is important to correct the chordee.

Adults with recurrent chordee after previous surgery

In most of the adults at first we assess the fibrosis and degloving is done. If the chordee is still there, then we divide the urethral plate and mobilise it. Post this, if the chordee still persists, we can correct chordee completely by a method called as “16 dot plication”. In this method, 4 sutures are placed on either side of maximum curvature on the dorsal side, which will correct the chordee uniformly in an adult penis.

In most of the cases of recurrent chordee in addition to chordee correction, urethroplasty will also be required. In redo cases, chordee correction and urethroplasty will most likely be done in two to three stages and oral mucosa graft will be used in more than 95% of such cases. Only in few exceptional we may be able to repair everything in single stage.

About Hypospadias Foundation India:

Hypospadias Foundation in Navi Mumbai, India is dedicated to offering care and cure for chordee and hypospadias in children and adults. Set up in 2008, more than 3000 children and adults have benefitted from care and achieved best in class results for chordee and hypospadias. Dr A.K.Singal and Dr Ashwitha Shenoy, hypospadias expert surgeons at Hypospadias foundation have dedicated their lives to the art and science of hypospadias repair.

If you feel your child or you are suffering from recurrent chordee even after previous chordee correction, then do get it checked by an expert pediatric urologist or a hypospadias surgeon. Chordee correction surgery has good result when done in childhood than in adulthood. Do not hesitate to write to us or contact us

Contacting the Hypospadias Foundation:

• Website: https://www.hypospadiasfoundation.com/
• Email: hypospadiasfoundationindia@gmail.com
• Phone:
  • +916262840940
  • +916262690790
  • +919324180553(whatsapp and teleconsult)

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

Keywords: recurrent chordee, residual chordee, chordee repair, chordee repair surgery, chordee correction surgery, bent penis repair, best hospital for hypospadias in india, best hypospadias surgeon, hypospadias repair in india, adult chordee repair, dermal graft repair, 16 dot plication for chordee

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/

Hypospadias remains the most common urological abnormality affecting more than 1 lakh kids in India alone (based on incidence of 1/150 in newborn boys). Leaving aside very minor hypospadias without chordee- almost 70-80% of these require hypospadias treatment in form of repair surgery in early childhood.

For a child with Hypospadias, the first surgery is always the best surgery but still there can be complications and failure even in expert hands though complications are much less if operated by a surgeon or a centre where there is a focused practice in treating children with hypospadias. Literature and experts suggest that if a hypospadias surgeon is doing more than 50 hypospadias repairs in a year, then his results will be better and more predictable as compared to a general pediatric surgeon or a urologist who does only 10-20 hypospadias repairs in a year. Once a hypospadias surgery fails, then the next surgeries become more difficult and result more unpredictable. The failure rate of hypospadias surgeries vary from 5% to 50% depending on the type and severity of hypospadias in general centres and less than 10% in centres where hypospadias surgeries are done by expert hypospadias surgeons on a day to day basis.

Case details

Master A.P. was born with a distal penile hypospadias and underwent first surgery in Ahmedabad at the age of 6 years. Unfortunately, the surgery failed and he started passing urine from the same place on the underside of penis- a fistula. The new urinary passage through the head of the penis got tight and closed off. The surgeon tried to open it many times by catheter insertion but it failed. Coupled with failed hypospadias, the child also had an unsatisfactory cosmetic appearance in form of bunching of skin on underside of penis. With this situation they contacted Dr A.K.Singal, Pediatric urologist and expert Hypospadias surgeon at Hypospadias foundation in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai when the boy was ten years of age. After examining and confirming that the whole urinary pipe will have to be remade from distal penile region to the tip of penis (glans), Dr Singal advised a Onlay island flap repair for which the flap would be raised from the nearby bunched up skin. This repair is technically challenging because of previous failed hypospadias surgery but this was the only chance for the boy to have a single stage repair. The surgery for failed hypospadias was finished in 2 hours and A.P. was ready for discharge the next day but since they had travelled all the way from Gujarat, they decided to stay for 7-8 days in Navi Mumbai. The catheter was removed on day7 and he passed urine well from the tip. For the first one month after surgery, there were some chances of new opening getting tight, hence we taught the boy to insert a small catheter just 1cm into the new opening with an antibiotic ointment. The penis healed well in next 3 months and he has remained free of all symptoms now for last 5 years. At 15 years of age and after his 10^th standard exams, A.P visited us and had a big smile on his face. He is looking forward to higher education and he shared with us his dreams and further education goals. We plan to see him again one last time at 18 years of age. His penis growth and his functional & cosmetic outcome has been excellent so far.

Across the borders for Hypospadias

Hypospadias is one of the most common congenital anomalies affecting more than 4,00,000 newborn babies every year across the globe. The problem is not restricted to any particular country or race. Every year, our team at Hypospadias Foundation lead by Dr A.K. Singal manages kids with hypospadias from across India and also from other countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Iraq, Bangladesh, USA and recently Greece.

Well, the kids from Greece were a whole different story. Though originally from Greece, their father Ioannis Padadatos was employed with a company in Delhi. Master Konstantinos and Spyridon Papadatos, twin babies were born in Delhi to Maria and Ioannis were noted to have hypospadias at birth. The hypospadias was relatively severe in both the children and had associated chordee. The urethral opening was near the scrotum (testis) called Penoscrotal hypospadias. Parents were very hassled as they had never heard of the condition before and now both their newborn babies had severe variety of hyposapdias. Dissatisfied with the information given by pediatricians, pediatric surgeons and urologists in Delhi, they took up to internet for more information. They contacted Dr A.K.Singal, Pediatric Urologist & renowned Hypospadias surgeon who regularly writes articles at www.hypospadiasfoundation.com . Though they had visited the multiple doctors in delhi, what reassured them was the blogs written by dr A.K.Singal about his experience with children who had hypospadias.

After exchange of a few emails, Maria and Ioannis travelled all the way to Mumbai when the babies were 6 months old, in Nov 2013 to consult Dr A.K.Singal at Fortis Hospital in Vashi. Since the right age of surgery for hypospadias is 6 – 15 months, the parents elected to get the surgery done as soon as possible. After the blood tests, the parents again came to Mumbai in December to get the surgery done for both the kids. Master Spyridon underwent surgery on a Monday while Konstantinos underwent surgery on Tuesday. Though both had severe hypospadias and the parents were counseled that a two staged correction may be needed, the whole hypospadias surgical correction was performed in one stage using an Onlay Island Flap urethroplasty of which Dr Singal is an expert. The correction of penile curvature (chordee correction) and formation of new urinary tube (urethroplasty) were all performed in one stage.

After one more day post-surgery in Mumbai, the family travelled back to Delhi and kept in regular touch with Dr Singal via email. Dr Singal visited them one week later in Fortis Hospital in Delhi while attending a conference. Finally the catheter (urinary pipe) was removed after ten days of surgery and babies passed urine in good thick stream signifying a successful outcome in one stage. Now almost nine months after hypospadias surgery, both the babies are doing extremely well.

The family has now shifted to Doha, Qatar but they have taken a lot of India with them and most of all fond memories. We at Hypospadias Foundation are very happy to see the kids grow well and pass urine from a normal opening.

Dr Singal adds “With the advances in instruments and sutures plus better surgical techniques, we are able to do single stage correction for even severe hypospadias in most cases. Rarely we need second surgery and that too if there are complications in the first hypospadias surgery. I am happy that Maria and Ioannis trusted us for management of their children for hypospadias. They came with full faith and trust and that made my job so much easier. I will always remember their family and their beautiful kids. It was indeed a joy meeting them and knowing them. Sometimes I wonder as a hypospadias surgeon what kind of leap of faith the parents must take to travel in an unknown country to an unknown doctor and trust him/ her with the lives of their little ones. I truly appreciate their courage and faith.”

Hypospadias is often diagnosed at birth or in the first few weeks when a pediatrician does a general examination. It may be a time of great anxiety for the parents when they learn that their child has a urological abnormality which may need surgery. The word surgery may be itself be scary and on top of that surgery on a child and that too on penis. That being said, results of hypospadias repair procedure are very good now, mostly with a smooth pre surgery and post surgery course.

Parents often wonder about what needs to be done before the hypospadias surgery in terms of preparation. Hence, we have tried to put some of this information in this blog which is more general in nature as the specific information can be only shared by the actual hypospadias expert surgeon managing the child.

Before the surgery, besides the usual tests for fitness to make sure that the blood parameters are fine, we always ask for thorough examination to make sure that the child is not having any other concurrent illness such as respiratory, skin or intestinal infection. If the examination and the tests are normal, then we sit with the family and fix up a date for surgery. If the date is far out, we call for another review one week before surgery to ascertain that everything is ready for surgery. Sometimes the parents and families are travelling to us from a long distance away from within India or other countries, then we try to conduct a phone call one week before the hypospadias repair. In our pediatric urologist services, we try to keep hypospadias operation as the first case every day. This ensures that the staff is in the best of their spirits and best of their energy.

1. Empty stomach: The child needs to be empty stomach for atleast 4 hours for breast milk and 6 hours for solid foods/ breads on the day of surgery before surgery. This is a mandatory safety precaution to prevent vomiting during anesthesia. Keeping a 6 months or a one year old child hungry for 4 hours is not an easy task. Infact some of the parents are more worried about keeping a young child hungry than the actual surgery but this is something which is non-negotiable. Often we give the child light sedative syrup 1-2 hours before surgery to help the baby sleep.
2. Bathing: We ask the parents to give the child a bath on the morning of hypospadias operation as it will be difficult to give a formal head to toe bath for next 5-7 days after..321 surgery.
3. Potty: Some of the children may be a little constipated, we advise parents to give a glycerine suppository or a laxative the night before so that the child has an empty bowel. Post hypospadias surgery, local pain often leads to a temporary constipation.
4. Admission: In a hospital with daycare facility, we admit the child for hypospadias operation at 6:30am -7am. If the parents live farther away from the hospital or the hospital doesn’t have a daycare facility, we like to admit the children the night before surgery. At Hypospadias foundation in Navi Mumbai, India we mostly admit the children in the morning of the surgery itself unless the parents live more than 50km away or do not have a means of traveling early in morning.
5. Clothes: Children are changed into hospital clothes appropriate for their age on the morning of surgery. Make sure that the iv canula is inserted after changing of clothes.
6. Sedation: If the child is irritable while staying hungry we either advise a pacifier or a light sedative syrup till the time of anesthesia.
7. Induction: Crying child is not a good sight just before hypospadias surgery for the parents or the hypospadias doctor. If the child has an iv line, anesthesia team often administers a small dose of premedication to help sedate the child before shifting to operation theatre.
8. Consent: Before hypospadias surgery is started, family has to fill up an anesthesia and a surgery consent form which is quite detailed in general. Sometimes the parents get alarmed on seeing the form. But please feel free to ask us about any doubts which you have. We always have the best of intentions and efforts to get your baby back home safely after hypospadias surgery.

We must understand that getting the child with hypospadias fully cured is a team effort and it needs devotion and patience from both the family as well the surgical team. We at Hypospadias Foundation are committed towards making the whole hypospadias treatment experience seamless, less bothersome, more baby friendly and easy for the families. This also translates into better results sheerly stemming from deep interest in wellbeing of babies with hypospadias.

Please contact us if you have any questions for us by submitting your query here. Dr Singal and his team will be more than happy to help.

Dr A.K.Singal is a renowned and one of the best Pediatric urologist’s in Indian subcontinent. He is known for excellent results and devotion to managing children and adults with hypospadias and Disorders of sex development. He runs his urology and hypospadias clinics in Navi Mumbai and Mumbai area of western India. Dr Singal is outspoken advocate of achieving best results for hypospadias both clinically and psychosocially.