Male Hypospadias
Male hypospadias can be defined as an ingrained medical condition affecting the boy babies. The male sexual organ of the newborns does not function properly and may cause problems in near future. It is found in four per thousand male populations. It is a state where the urethral opening is not formed at the tip of the penis, but may be situated underneath it.
There are three types of positions for this abnormality. Distal location where the urethral opening is found at the top of the penis, is also called as subcoronal hypospadias. The proximal location is where the urethral opening is located beside the middle of the penile shaft, is called as Midshaft hypospadias and sometimes the urethral opening is found at the back of the scrotum and it is called Penoscrotal hypospadias. The most widespread hypospadias found in boys are the distal or sub coronal type. In some cases the fore skin of the newborn will be partially formed and will be exposed.
Symptoms of Male Hypospadias:
There are no symptoms in mild cases of hypospadias. But if the degree or the defect is high signs of dripping of urine and difficulty in urinating, erection dysfunction may occur. In few instances due to the defect they can urinate only in sitting positions.
Diagnosis for Male Hypospadias:
Hypospadias can be identified through clinical examination by the pediatric urologist/ urologist. Urogram may be suggested if the degree of hypospadias is more, they make use of X-rays in order to get a clear picture of the urinary tract so that treatment would be given accordingly.
Treatments:
Surgical procedure is the most recommended treatment for the Male hypospadias. The procedure is normally done between three to eighteen months of age and depends on the type of the defect the child has. The ultimate aim of the surgeon is to make a firm and straight penis with the urethral opening situated at the tip of the penis head. It is generally done under general anesthesia which will be very safe and administered by child care specialist.
It involves four main steps
The surgery is done under general anesthesia. The distal correction is a one hour operation and the proximal correction takes about three hours. Hormone therapy, where the testosterone is given prior the surgery is done mainly in proximal type.
Why is it necessary to undergo Hypospadias Correction?
It is very important to undergo surgery as early as possible, because it plays a vital role in the future. If the parents are not bothered their child may have erection problems and also difficulty in urinary streaming. This might affect them personally and their quality of life too. If the foreskin is left uncorrected it might look like a “hood of a snake” which makes them feel low. Hence the pediatric urologist recommends the correction even in cases of Mild hypospadias