ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hypospadias

Hypospadias is a condition that some boys are born with where the opening for passing urine isn't in the usual place. Normally, when boys need to pee, the pee comes out through a small hole at the end of the penis. But in boys with hypospadias, the hole is somewhere else, like on the underside of the penis or even further down near the scrotum.

When babies are growing inside their mommy's tummy, their body parts develop. The penis is supposed to grow with a tube called urethra running through it, and at the end of the penis, there is a little opening for the pee to come out. But sometimes, the tube doesn't grow all the way to the end, and that's when hypospadias happens.

Most of the time, doctors can fix hypospadias with a special surgery. During the surgery, the doctor will move the hole to the right spot and fix the urethra tube if needed. The well-trained surgeon will make sure everything looks and works just like it should.

Before the surgery, the boy will be given some special medicine to make him sleepy, so he won't feel anything during the procedure. Then the doctor will carefully make a small cut in the penis to fix the problem. Sometimes, if the problem is more complicated, the doctor might need to use some extra skin from another part of the body to repair the penis.

After the surgery, the boy will have a little tube called a catheter in his penis to help him pee while it heals. It may feel strange or a bit funny for the first few days, but it's important to leave it alone so that the healing can happen properly. The doctor or nurse will explain to the parents how to take care of it.

After a while, when the penis has healed, the boy will be able to pee through his new opening just like other boys do. Boys with hypospadias can grow up to be healthy and do all the things that boys do, like standing up to pee, playing sports, and having babies when they're older.

The doctors and nurses will take good care of the boy throughout the whole process, making sure he's comfortable and healthy. They will answer any questions the boy or his parents may have about hypospadias and what to expect. It's important to remember that everyone is different, and some boys might need different treatments or more surgeries depending on how severe their hypospadias is. But the doctors will be there to help and support them every step of the way.