Behavior of children undergoing hypospadias repair.

We performed a prospective study on 10 boys between 2 and 6 years old undergoing repair for hypospadias. Clinical observation in the hospital ward rooms and play environment demonstrated a distinctive postoperative course of withdrawal and aggressive behavior with resultant increased parental anxiety, which results in strained staff-family relations. We speculate that this distinctive behavior may be owing to an interaction among parental attitudes, the pain and immobilization from operation and the level of the child's sexual development. Intervention was designed to give the boys behavioral outlets and to involve their family in preoperative and postoperative education.