Your male child has had pediatric hypospadias surgery. This process aims to straighten the penis and move the opening of the penis to the tip of the penis. After this surgery, the majority of kids go home the same day. Here is some important information that will help you take care of your kid at home after pediatric hypospadias surgery.
A stent: caring for the tube inside the kid’s penis
Your kid might have a plastic tube known as a stent in the urethra after the surgery. The stent assists urine to get out of the bladder after the surgery. The tube is held in position with a stitch, but might as well be taped in position. If a stitch is used to hold the stent, you’ll be needed to bring your kid back to the clinic to have it removed 7 to 14 days after the process. The removal of the stitches can be done by your kid’s primary healthcare provider if you can’t go back to the clinic.
Sometimes, the stent can fall out. That won’t be an emergency provided the kid can urinate normally. If he can’t urinate, make sure you take him to a nearby emergency unit for examination. If the stent is hanging from the penis, call a urology nurse to schedule some time to have the stitch eliminated.
Helping your kid after pediatric hypospadias surgery
Caring for the kid’s pain and fever
Like any other operation, most kids get a fever immediately after the surgery. It’s normal for kids to experience pain during the first couple of days after the pediatric hypospadias surgery. If your kid has a fever and mild pain after this surgery, give him ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Make sure you read the medicine bottle and the label and also follow the guidelines.
If the kid gets more adverse pain or if the medications fail to work, he might be prescribed morphine. Ensure you read the label on the medicine bottle to know how often you need to give your kid each medicine. Make sure you follow the instructions. Consult your pharmacist or nurse if you have any concerns.
Removing the dressings after the surgery
If the kid underwent the first-phase pediatric hypospadias repair with a graft, the dressing instruction in this post won’t be used. You’ll be instructed to go back to the clinic nurse to have his dressing changed and the catheter removed.
The kid might have a beige dressing wrapped around the penis at the end of the operation. This should be removed a day after the operation.
There is usually a plastic dressing that resembles the cling-film that covers the penis. The dressing loosens as it gets subjected to water when the baby is bathing and detaches with time. If it’s not yet detached when the baby comes for stent removal, the nurse might remove it. You don’t need to attempt pulling the dressing off.
Below the plastic film. There might be some surgical glue that resembles nail varnish. That will peel off gradually in 7-14 days. Make sure you bathe the kid as per the instructions given by the surgeon.
Double diapers
It’s not necessary for the kids to double diaper after pediatric hypospadias surgery. Nevertheless, if the stent is long, you can do a double diaper. That means he will use two diapers.
There might be slight bleeding
You might spot some slight bleeding at the incision sites. This will happen if the kid bangs or bumps himself. Slight bleeding is normal. You might see a small quantity of blood when changing his diaper in the first couple of days. In case you notice a lot of red blood or active bleeding once you get home, use your hand to press firmly on the kid’s penis immediately. Continue pressing for 15 minutes and contact the clinic or take him to a nearby emergency unit.
Drinking and eating after pediatric hypospadias surgery
Your kid needs to have enough liquid after the surgery. Make sure he drinks more than he normally does when you get home from the clinic.