Penile length is a very important factor for cosmesis, function and psychosexual development in patients affected by hypospadias: Results from a long-term longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Few studies of long-term outcome of hypospadias treatment in terms of voiding, surgical complications, sexual functioning, intimate relationships and cosmetic results have been investigated and contrasting results have been obtained so far. The aim of our study is to investigate the long-term outcome of urinary and sexual function, cosmesis and the quality of intimate relationships in a series of hypospadias. In this study, 42 patients who underwent surgery for hypospadias were prospectively followed for 15 years. Medical records provided the hypospadias data, the number of reconstructive operations and the reconstruction technique that was used. Patients underwent physical examination, including penile length measurement and completed International Prostatic Symptoms Score (I-PSS), International Index Of Erectile Function (IIEF 15) and the Penile Perception Score questionnaire (PPPS). Twenty patients agreed to participate in the study. At the enrolment, the median value of HOSE was 13, as regards PPPS, 18/20 (90%) were satisfied, while in 1998 only 80% were satisfied. No significant statistical difference has been reported from the results obtained at enrolment and those obtained at follow-up, in terms of PPPS (P = 0.81), IPSS and IIEF-15. Penile length was 6.5 cm flaccid and 10.5 cm stretched. Our data show how cosmesis, function and psychosexual development for these patients are highly connected to surgical outcome, which is understood to be a decrease in penile size.

Keywords: HOSE; IIEF-15; IPSS; PPPS; hypospadias; penile size; psychosexual development.