This post lists some suggested questions you can ask to help you find a doctor you’re most comfortable with for hypospadias treatment.

Questions on the Diagnosis

1. What is the diagnosis? Please include the name, severity, curvature, location of the opening, foreskin condition, and any possible associated abnormalities. It is usually recommended to get at least one second opinion if the case is not minor, as it can help with making a more thoughtful decision.
2. Are there any tests that need to be done? For example, some endocrine tests may be ordered during mini-puberty (i.e., around 1–6 months after birth) to gain insights into the boy’s testosterone levels without external stimulation. Occasionally, a heart echocardiogram may also be performed to ensure the structure and function of the heart are normal.

Questions on the Doctors

1. How many hypospadias surgeries do you perform each year and over the course of your career?
2. How many cases of similar severity to ours do you handle annually?
3. Based on your diagnosis, will the procedure be a single-stage or staged operation?
4. What is the success rate for each stage of the operation?
5. What are the possible short-term and long-term complications?
6. Who will perform the operation, and what are the responsibilities of each person involved? Will it be a single surgeon with an assistant, or multiple surgeons?
7. Who can we contact before and after the operation for questions or in case of emergency, and how?
8. What is your technique for correcting the curvature/chordee? Is it dorsal plication or ventral lengthening?
9. What technique do you use to reconstruct the new urethra? For example, do you use the urethral plate, a skin flap, or a skin graft?

Questions on the Surgery

1. How long will the catheter remain in place, and who can remove it?
2. What will post-operative care involve?
3. Is it recommended to undergo HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) before and after the surgery?

Other Questions

1. How long should we wait before traveling?
2. What activities can and can’t be done, and for how long?

Extended Reading

• Minipuberty of human infancy