What is Hypospadias? 

Hypospadias is a common birth defect of the urethra in males where the urinary opening is not at the correct location. It can be an embarrassing condition as can cause urine to leak (making skin sore) and has been linked to an increased risk of testicular cancer, urinary tract infections and kidney damage. 

Hypospadias surgery helps normalise urinary flow.  The specific surgical approach depends on the severity of the hypospadias, which can vary from mild (the urethral opening is near the tip of the penis) to severe (the opening is closer to the scrotum). Surgery is typically a Stage 1 and Stage 2 repair:  Stage one sees the surgeon construct the new urethra and may perform chordee correction and stage 2 is  performed later,  and focuses on repositioning the urethral opening and ensuring it functions normally.

Normally children are operated on quite early as it helps limits complications. However, a lot of the children we fund this surgery for have lived with the condition for many years. 

Hypospadias repairs are ranked among one of the top health interventions in low income countries and is typical of the low-cost, high-impact operations we fund.