Top Home Care Tips For Your Child Post Hypospadias Surgery
Hypospadias surgery is a surgical procedure that repairs a congenital defect in the opening of the penis, where in the urethral opening is not located at the tip of the penis.
It is a skilled, sensitive, and time-consuming surgery to correct hypospadias. Hypospadias treatment has the advantage of rapid healing, and babies become well within seven to ten days of having their hypospadias corrected.
Fortunately, children are not concerned about the pain after hypospadias surgery, unlike adults. In this way, they live their lives to the fullest, taking in everything that surrounds them at every moment. Parents are responsible for making their children feel comfortable and caring for them.
In this article, we have provided parents and patients with detailed guidelines on how to take care of their babies after surgery.
Get in touch with the surgeon if you need more information regarding post-hypospadias repair instructions for the patient.
These are merely general instructions and may vary per patient.
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Top home care tips post hypospadias surgery.
Post hypospadias treatment, parents need to follow the following home care tips for primary hypospadias to look after their child:
Diet
Hypospadias patients can typically be fed 2-3 hours after surgery if sedated and administered caudal epidural anaesthesia. General anaesthesia may be required for surgery patients with complex hypospadias that have failed, and these children must remain empty for three to four hours afterwards.
Care for hypospadias dressings
After surgery, a Hypospadias Dressing care made of a soft gauze roll is placed on the penis to support its healing. A little bleeding after hypospadias surgery may occur in the diaper every 3-4 days for the first 3-4 days. Hypospadias dressings can sometimes become loose and fall out. If this occurs, the dressing should be changed within the first 2-3 days. Later, the dressing should be removed and the wound left open.
Catheter care
Hypospadias repairs almost always involve leaving a urinary tube across the repair site, known as a catheter. The tube drains urine continuously into the bladder spasms. If the hypospadias specialist performs an open repair, the catheter is removed after 5-10 days by a small stitch tied to the penis. However at our centre we generally remove the catheter in 2-3 days with a higher success rate than most. Dr Gursev also specialises in something known as a Stentless Hypospadias Repair.
Diaper care
A baby with hypospadias is kept in double diapers until the catheter is placed during past hypospadias treatment. A urine bag is recommended to parents if their child is 6-7 years of age.
A hole must be drilled on the front side of the inner diaper, and the catheter must be inserted to drain into the outer diaper.
The inner diaper remains dry since it only needs to be changed if the child passes the motion. Changing the outside diaper when it becomes full of urine is necessary.
Ointments on penis
As a general rule, it is advised that a broad-spectrum antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin is applied locally to the penis during each diaper change as a precaution against infection and to prevent the area from sticking to the diaper afterwards.
Medications
It is also advisable to prescribe an antibiotic like cephalexin for infection prevention and antacids like Lansoprazole for the first few days after surgery.
Even on the day of surgery, parents are encouraged to encourage the child to exercise and play within the house by evening, but we ask that the child not ride a cycle or use any toy that requires straddling. Sleeping on the tummy is fine if the child prefers it, and a double diaper prevents the hypospadias repair site from being overly compressed.
Bathing
After removing the dressing, a short bath in a warm tub can be given to the child on day 5. Parents should not use cotton or cloth for drying to prevent fibres from sticking to the raw area after hypospadias repair surgery. Rather than drying the body before putting the diaper on, it’s better to put it on directly after drying the rest.
Pain relief
During the first few days following surgery, the physician prescribes an oral syrup containing an analgesic medication, usually a combination of ibuprofen and paracetamol. This should be administered post-feeding rather than on an empty stomach.
In addition, parents are responsible for ensuring that their child has medicine that is called an anticholinergic and that prevents the child from getting bladder spasms (painful contractions that can be caused by having a catheter), which the doctor prescribes.
When should you call the doctor after discharge?
When your child exhibits any of these symptoms, please contact a medical practitioner:
- Low-grade fever lasting longer than a week after surgery or fever over 101°F (38.3°C).
- A wound that is swollen, painful, draining, or bleeding.
- Urination problems.
- Urine leaks from the catheter a lot, indicating that the tube has become blocked.
Keep in mind, it is common to experience some pain and discomfort while passing urine after the removal of the catheter, this pain should disappear in 1-2 days (24-48 hours). But if the pain reappears, get in touch with our team immediately. We advise you to do the same, even if your child has fever after discharge.
You can also call us if:
- The child has vomited more than three times and cannot keep fluids down.
- Catheter stitches are removed.
- Whenever your child's health is at risk.
Making Hypospadias Treatment Less Scary for Kids
Helping Your Child Thrive with Successful Hypospadias Treatment
Conclusion
Our guide shares information on taking care of children after hypospadias surgery for your convenience. Any complications of hypospadias surgery should be reported to the surgeon. After the procedure is completed and at the time of discharge, our dedicated pediatric surgeon and their team will explain the treatment to you.
Our team will also inform you about the expected recovery period. Keep in mind, the child is usually sent home without a catheter/stent or bandages. You can always feel free to reach out to us for more information. We would be happy to help you and your child. Another thing you should remember is that Hypospadias is completely treatable and has a high success rate when performed by a reputed and experienced specialist.
Hypospadias also occurs in teens, adults, and older people. If you want to learn more about hypospadias surgery in adults, refer to our guide: Hypospadias Surgery In Teens, Young Adults And Older People.
