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There are many different medical issues that could arise that also concern the Bris ceremony. The intent of this page is to simply inform the reader of circumstances that may arise.
Hypospadias
Hypospadias is a birth defect found in boys in which
the urinary tract opening is not at the tip
of the penis. Bending of the penis on erection may be
associated with this and is known as
chordee. Hypospadias occurs in about 8 of 1000 male births.
There is some family risk of
hypospadias. When we see a boy with hypospadias there
is a 20% chance of finding it in
another family member.
There are different degrees of hypospadias - some minor
and others more severe. We name
the types of hypospadias according to their anatomic
location, but one must always determine
whether or not there is associated chordee.
Reasons For Repair
Surgical correction of hypospadias involves straightening
of any chordee and then extension of
the urinary tube (urethra) out to the tip of the penis
(glans).
The ability to stand and urinate is important for boys.
When the urethra opens before it
reaches the glans a boy may be unable to stand and urinate
with a direct stream. The
youngster who has to sit down to urinate on a toilet
is at a painful social disadvantage.
A straight penis is necessary for satisfactory sexual
function. Although this may not seem to be
an important matter in childhood, this is a crucial concern
later in life - early childhood is
generally the best time for correction.
Embryology
The penis begins to form around the fifth fetal week.
The urethral folds start to unite over the
urethral groove and by the fourteenth week the process
is complete. A short ingrowth from the
tip of the glans progresses inward to meet the urethral
tube at the fossa navicularis. Formation
of a normal circumferential foreskin (prepuce) certifies
that the urethra has probably formed
normally.
To learn about both Hypospadias and Epispadias.
This page is currently under construction...