Hypospadias

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Preparing for your appointment

By Mayo Clinic staff

Because most infants with hypospadias are diagnosed while still in the hospital after birth, it's likely you won't have a routine office visit. If your child's hypospadias is less severe, however, it may be overlooked in the hospital.

If you think your son has hypospadias, call your family doctor or pediatrician. After reviewing your child's signs and symptoms over the phone or during a physical exam, he or she may refer your son to a pediatric urologist.

If your child will be seeing a pediatric urologist, you may want to check your health plan to see if it covers meeting with this specialist.

It's also a good idea to be prepared for any questions your son's doctor may ask. For hypospadias, he or she might ask:

  • Does your son's penis curve downward during erection?
  • Have you noticed any abnormal spraying when your son urinates? (This may be difficult to distinguish in an infant.)
References
  1. Hypospadias. American Urology Association. www.urologyhealth.org/print/index.cfm?topic=96. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
  2. Zaslau S. Hypospadias. In: Zaslau S. SOAP for Urology. Baltimore, Md.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006:118-119.
  3. McKee-Garrett TM, et al. Examination of the newborn. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
  4. Cooper CS, et al. Urology. In: Doherty GM, et al. Current Surgical Diagnosis & Treatment. 12th ed. USA: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2006. www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aID=2069265&print=yes. Accessed Oct. 13, 2008.
  5. Conte FA, et al. Disorders of sexual determination & differentiation. In: Gardner DG, et al. Greenspan's Basic & Clinical Endocrinology. 8th ed. USA: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2007. www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aID=2633104&print=yes. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.

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Jan. 22, 2009

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