Hypospadias is a birth defect of the male urethra. The opening of the urethra appears along the undersurface of the penis instead of the tip of the head of the penis. Boys with hypospadias may also have a downward curvature of the penis with erections (a condition called chordee) and a "hooded" foreskin, where the foreskin is present along the top of the penis but not along the bottom.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Surgery for hypospadias moves the urethral opening to the tip of the penis, its normal location, and corrects downward curvature. The choice of surgical technique is made on a case-by-case basis. There are several techniques, including using skin from the top of the penis as a flap to reshape the uretha, and placing an incision to open up the urethra along the top while closing the opening along the bottom of the penis (the Snodgrass repair).

We often manage patients who have had repairs that have failed. Sometimes the urethral openings are still not placed correctly, and there is also not enough skin to use in the reconstruction of the urethral opening. This condition requires a complex approach that may include the use of skin grafts from other parts of the body. Although these repairs are more involved, they show a high success rate.