If your son has had a hypospadias repair can you come and tell me about the week at home afterwards.

[MehgaLegs]

DS4 (age 2 1/2) is due his hypospadias repair and double orcidopexy on 22nd Feb.

I actually feel quite calm about the surgery and the GA now. I'm just wondering what the days that follow will be like.

He will have a stent, a pressure dressing and a double nappy on for the week, hopefully, all being well this will be removed the following Friday.

He will have anti biotics, anti spasmodic for the bladder and a laxative if he needs it. On top we will piggy back the Calpol and Neurofen.

DS1 had the orcidopexy op last year and he had two days of being really uncomfortable but was then ok and back at school the following week.

Would like to hear your experiences of the recovery period. TIA

I have had 2 sons with hypospadias. They had their repairs rather older than your son (ds1 was 5 and ds3 was 4) but I guess the problems are the same.

Basically, ds1 had few problems except his wee bag kept leaking through a faulty valve, and ds3 had a rather scary moment when he was weeing lots of blood but they could not decide if this was an infection or some site bleeding and it went away son anyway. Ds3 also had the spasms but it was not too traumatic. Ds1 did not have any.

The worst bit is when the catheter is removed and they have to do their first wee. This is extremely traumatic for them and mother! Ds1 was again lucky and did not suffer after a day or so, but ds3 had pain for a couple of weeks.

Anything else you want to know?

Thanks DG. I think I'm most worried about him being in pain, and also the keeping him still is going to be tricky. He has SN and has little speech but his understanding is getting better.

I'm sort of assuming that he'll not feel like tearing around anyway.

He is currently obsessed with Monsters inc and Harry Potter on DVD so I hope I can distract him with some telly.

I'm just worried he'll get an infection or do himself some damage and undo all the good work.

I keep wondering if we should leave it until he's older but then again it will soon be over and all done with.

Um, it wasn't a good experience for us. DS2 had an intermediate hypospadias repair and a single orchidectomy at 12 months. He got terrible bladder spasms from the catheter, and I had a night of hell waiting to get hold of the consultant, who told me to double the meds. He was on the max dose calpol and baby neurofen, plus antibiotics and laxatives. I had to give up on the laxatives as it was just too much medicine to get down him. He also really missed his bath!
We did a lot of walks in the pushchair (but careful about the harness).
Watch the laxatives. On about day 5, my son did the most disgusting runny poo which basically wrecked the pressure dressing. We had to go back to hospital to have it removed early. His poor penis looked raw and swollen, and he refused to urinate for HOURS, which meant an unscheduled stay overnight for us. He then shrieked every time he weed.
My top tip for a recovering penis is to use the fleece liners sold with cotton nappies. The circumcision site is very raw and the disposable nappies seemed to make it worse. As soon as I went back to my cotton nappies, I could stop the painkillers. Just putting the fleece liners into a disposable would work. They are really cheap, about a quid each and can be washed on 60 with napisan (to kill any bacteria).
My son also split an external stitch at the base of the repair, which had me frantically worrying that he had developed a hole in the actual repair, but it was just external and you would not notice now.
Good luck. I have got a huge post on this somewhere in the archives if you do a search under my nickname.

Don't you believe it (re him not wanting to do too much). My sons were very subdued for a few days but then they were full of beans. Ds1 (with his leaky catheter valve) was on the climbing frame at the park when we first realised the valve was leaking, and ds3, the day he had his catheter taken out, rushed out into our garden to play on the slide, got knocked by dd on her way down and knocked open his wound. Cue some bleeding. So, yes they are subdued for about 2/3 days after the op, but not for as long as you need them to be!

The pain is the worst thing. Both dss were in agony doing their first few wees, and Calpol etc is useless for that sort of pain, or the pain of spasms. Ds1 refused to wee when he had his catheter taken out because of the pain and I do know a doctor gave him some special numbing gel which helped, but we got to the desperate state before they would offer this. It still makes me mad to think about that now, all these years later. You could try asking for it to try and ease the pain for your son.

Oh shit! It is going to be hell isn't it?

eldestgirl, good idea about the fleece liners. I still have a load somewhere will dig those out.

Hoping we won't need the laxatives as he has been ok in the pooh department for awhile now ( used to get v constipated) but I guess the day of the op he'll dehydrate with the fasting.

Poor little boy. I was looking at his willy as I changed him today, it's not that bad, just slightly bent over at the top and the foreskin all bunched on top. I'm secretly hoping they'll say he doesn't need the op. The testicles need to come down though but I've coped with taht before.

I know exactly how you feel. I also thought my boys' penises were not that different to others and I felt especially guilty that I was putting them through this experience for what basically amounted to "cosmetic" reasons. But you know, I have no regrets about it, now that I am on the other side. There were bad moments, but overall, it is not too bad and it is a lovely time to indulge your son and give him treats. Also, as dh, my father, brother and the male surgeon all pointed out to me, a man's penis and how he perceives it, are all of paramount importance to that man! So you are doing him a favour sorting it out now rather than him maybe needing to do it later on in life.

Meanwhile, I remember the guilt I felt at knowing what was coming to my little innocents. The day before ds3 had his op (only last year) he went to a party and was so excited about it and so full of the innocent joys of it. I could hardly bear to look at him, knowing that the next day he would be in hospital. Be strong. It will be worth it in the end.

Thanks DG - you are right. DH said the same about the penis thing. DS4 has enough problems but atleast we can fix this one.

It's hard because he is going through such a happy, boisterous stage and I'm dreading seeing him in pain.

hi - anyone got any tips on how to preprare 3 yr old for 1st stage hypospadias repair operation - i thought of a few things to say but all come with possible furture negative associations!
Any advice welcome.
L