Hypospadias is a condition some boys are born with. It occurs when the hole where pee comes out isn't at the tip of the penis. It is lower down, anywhere from just short of the tip to down by the scrotum.

When a child has hypospadias, the penis may also curve downward. The curve can vary from mild to severe.

This condition does not affect potty training or control when peeing. Doctors often discover it during a newborn exam.

In most cases, doctors don't know why hypospadias occurs. Sometimes, it runs in families. Most of the time, there are no other related health problems.

In rare cases, hypospadias can be part of a more complex syndrome that involves other health issues. Concerns about a baby’s gender are not common.

In most mild cases of hypospadias, kids don’t need surgery. More severe cases will need surgery to correct the condition. Surgery helps achieve a normal look, ensure sexual function and improve the urine stream.

If your child needs surgery, it’s ideal to do it when they are between 6 and 12 months old. Recovery tends to be harder as the child gets older. Kids can usually go home the same day they have the surgery.

In most cases, the doctor will insert a catheter to drain the bladder. This will stay in place for five to 10 days while the repair heals. The catheter will drain into a diaper.

One surgery often repairs mild hypospadias. The success rate for this surgery is around 95%.

Once the procedure is successful, long-term issues are unlikely. But as the severity of the hypospadias increases, the repair becomes more complex. The risk of complications may also rise.

Sometimes, a child may need a second surgery to complete the repair. This is another reason to start treatment at an earlier age.