Hypospadias is when the hole that your child uses to pass urine is not at the tip of their penis, as it should be. It is a problem with the penis and the tube that carries urine (the urethra) is on the bottom of the penis, the foreskin (the skin that covers the tip of the penis) is not shaped properly and, in some children, the penis may also be curved.
Hypospadias operations can be done in one or two stages.
Dressing and Catheter
Your child will have a large protective foam dressing around their penis. They will also have a thin tube, called a catheter, to drain the urine away from the bladder and into their nappy (or a catheter bag, depending on their age).
This is to stop the urine from touching the operation site and to stop the dressing from getting wet.
The foam dressing and the catheter needs to stay in place for one week to let the wound heal.
It is important that the catheter is carefully looked after at home. Please observe that they have a lot of wet nappies and the urine is dripping from the catheter. The colour of the urine should be clear or straw coloured.
Your child will need two nappies.
The nurse will show you the best way to change them. Nappies should be changed regularly.
Your child won't be able to have a bath while the dressing is in place.
Discharge Home
Your child will need to stay in hospital one night for monitoring and they will be allowed to go home the next morning. One parent can stay with them overnight. Please bring food, toiletries, etc. for yourself.
Pain Control
You should give your child regular pain medication, such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen. It is important not to wait until the wound becomes painful. The hospital staff will tell you how to manage your son’s pain.
Bladder Spasms
The catheter can irritate the inside of the bladder, causing 'bladder spasm'.
Your child will be given a medicine called Oxybutynin to help with this. If your child has constipation, it can make bladder spasms worse, so make sure they eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids. If you are worried about your child having bladder spasms, please take them to your local accident and emergency department.
Infection
Your child will be given a one-week course of antibiotics to help stop them from getting an infection.
If the catheter is not draining
The catheter can become blocked or kinked. If you are concerned, please take your child to your local accident and emergency department.
Removal of dressing/catheter
If your child has had a single stage hypospadias repair, the dressing will be removed on the ward, seven days after the operation. Give your child pain relief (Paracetamol) one hour before coming to the hospital and they will need to stay in the ward until they have passed urine, this can take up to 6 hours.
If your child has had the first stage of a two-stage hypospadias repair, we will remove their dressing under a general anaesthetic. Allowing the surgeon to check the graft and the wound site.
In both options it is important NOT to give Oxybutynin on the morning of the dressing removal.
General care
It is advisable to dress your child in loose clothing.
Your child should drink plenty of fluids to stay well hydrated and prevent bladder spasms. Water, fruit juice and milk are all good options. If they don’t want to drink more, try adding ice lollies or extra fluids to their food.
For the first four weeks, please avoid playing on toys that need to be straddled, such as bicycles and rocking horses.
IMPORTANT: After surgery, if your child develops a fever, persistent swelling, prolonged bleeding or if the catheter is blocked you should go to your local accident and emergency department.
Contact numbers
Pre-op: Ward T11 admin: 020 3447 1100 (08.00-16.00)
Pre and Post-op: Admission’s team admin: 07966 774 271 (08.00-1600)
Ward T11S: 020 3447 1103 or 07950 869 745
UCLH Switchboard: 020 3456 7890
Page last updated: 13 February 2026
Review due: 08 January 2029