The Institute of Child Health now has a specialised unit to correct hypospadias, a congenital anomaly in male children.
In children with this condition, the external orifice to pass urine is abnormal. “Such children pass urine by squatting and it is painful,” says R. Velmurugan, paediatric surgeon, who specialises in surgical correction of the anomaly.
In the past six months the months, the hospital has treated 70 children for this condition, 37 of them with serious anomaly.
“Often, we see delayed referral, sometimes patients come as late as in their twenties. The surgery becomes complicated if the patient has undergone previous procedures for the condition,” Dr. Velmurugan said.
Earlier, the surgery was a three-step procedure and patients found it tedious. But, at the ICH, surgeons had specialised the technique and the procedure was completed with just one surgery, he said.
Doctors advise that the surgery should be done before the child reaches two years of age. The surgery takes around three-and-half hours.
If a patient has undergone a procedure for the condition, it takes longer. However, after the surgery the patient leads a normal life, the surgeon said.
The surgery could cost as much as Rs. 1.5 lakh, and persons without insurance cover tend to live with the condition.
Egmore hospital has treated 70 children for this condition, 37 of them with serious anomaly
