A Review of Literature on Long-Term Outcomes of Proximal Hypospadias — Urinary, Sexual, and Psychosocial

Abstract

Proximal hypospadias management involves complex surgical interventions that can lead to the need for long-term specialized care. This review aims to explore the urinary, sexual, and psychosocial outcomes in patients with proximal hypospadias. Patients undergoing surgical correction of proximal hypospadias have generally acceptable urinary flow rates but can still suffer from increased rates of urinary tract infections, voiding difficulties, and leakage as compared to controls. Sexual outcomes of surgical repair closely mimic those of controls. However, a significant proportion of patients report dissatisfaction with their penile appearance after cosmetic surgery. While patients may report hesitancy in approaching sexual or emotional relationships, overall psychosocial outcomes were close to those reports in controls. While still generally very successful, proximal hypospadias surgery has been shown to have more complications in these areas than other milder forms of hypospadias and thus care must be taken to ensure patients are being treated with a holistic mindset throughout their journey.