How to operate for congenital hypospadias

  Hypospadias is a common congenital malformation of the lower urinary tract and external genitalia in males, resulting from an abnormal position of the urethral opening due to hypoplasia of the anterior urethra. The majority of cases occur in boys, but are rare in girls. It is caused by the fusion of the urethral wall being obstructed during the development of the urethra for various reasons, resulting in the opening of the urethra in different abnormal parts of the ventral side of the penis, resulting in various types of clinical hypospadias.  Hypospadias is a congenital abnormality of the external genitalia, which is easily detected and therefore not difficult to diagnose. The main manifestations are abnormal opening of the urethra, atresia of the anterior glans, opening of the urethra in different abnormal areas on the ventral side of the penis; downward curvature of the penis; absence of the ventral foreskin and dorsal foreskin cap-like accumulation. Hypospadias can be divided into penile head type, penile body type, penile scrotum type, scrotum type and perineum type according to the location of the external urethral opening. The penile body type is the most common type clinically. There are also cases of simple hypospadias without hypospadias. The penile head type usually does not prevent urination and the penile curvature may not be obvious. In penile corporal type, penile scrotal type and perineal type hypospadias, the penis is bent more severely and the urinary line is downward, so it is not possible to urinate standing up.  In the case of combined urethral stricture, the urine stream becomes thin. In severe perineal hypospadias, the penis is short and the scrotum is divided and deflated like the labia, so it is often mistaken for a girl. Children with severe hypospadias combined with undescended testes or hypogonadism often need to be differentiated from hermaphrodites.  Children with hypospadias are often unable to urinate standing up; the ventral fibrous band of the penis pulls and bends the penis downward, affecting the development of the penis and the psychological development of the child; the child cannot have sexual intercourse as an adult, affecting marital life, so it should be treated.  Treatment of hypospadias is based on surgical reshaping. To make the child have a shape close to the physiology, i.e. the urethra is opened in front of the glans and the penis is straightened; the male urinary posture is restored so that the child can have a normal sexual life in adulthood. The timing of surgery is based on the development of the penis and can be performed in infancy if possible. It should not be performed later than 6 years old to avoid affecting the psychological development of the child.  There are various surgical methods for hypospadias, the purpose of which is to correct the curvature of the penis and reconstruct the urethra. The surgery can be performed in one stage or in phases. The operation can be done in one stage for the penile head type, penile body type and penile scrotum type, while the scrotum type and perineum type often require staged surgery.