After Chordee Repair: How to Care for Your Child

Chordee repair corrects a curve in a boy's penis. Most boys recover from this surgery quickly without ongoing problems.

Chordee is when a boy's penis curves downward. The curve is sometimes noticeable without an erection, but usually is more obvious when the penis is erect. 

Chordee often happens with hypospadias, which is when the urine (pee) opening is not at the tip of the penis. Hypospadias, when present, usually is corrected during the same surgery to straighten the chordee.

To straighten the penis, the surgeon separated the skin from the deeper layers of the penis. This repairs many mild curves. Some curves need stitches to tighten the longer side. Rarely, severe curves may need extra tissue placed to lengthen the shorter side. The foreskin is often used to cover any areas of the penis that might not have enough skin. These steps result in a straight, circumcised penis. Some boys with chordee or a curved penis may need more than one surgery to repair it. Your health care provider has discussed your son's care plan with you.

• Give your son any medicine as instructed by the health care provider. This may include pain medicine or antibiotics if hypospadias was repaired also.

• Your son's incision may be covered by a dressing or surgical glue. Keep it clean and dry. The glue will fall off on its own. The dressing will either fall off or need to be removed by you or the health care provider. Follow the health care provider's instructions for caring for the dressing.

• Keep the area around the incision clean. Follow the health care provider's instructions for applying an ointment like petroleum jelly or a diaper ointment. 

• Your son should avoid straddle toys until the health care provider says it is okay. For infant boys this means things like jumpers. Car seat harnesses are OK. If your son is older, he should avoid bicycles, tricycles, and rough play.

• Follow your health care provider's instructions for bathing. Sponge baths might be best.

• Avoid swimming until the health care provider says it is okay.

• Schedule a follow-up appointment with the surgeon as directed.

• Your son has pain that does not get better with pain medicine. In an infant, this might mean the baby is irritable and not able to be comforted.

• The penis becomes very red, bleeds, or drains pus.

• The swelling does not go down over the next few days, or gets worse.

• Your son has a fever above 101ºF (38.3ºC).

Your son:

• Cannot pee.

• Has bleeding that can't be stopped by applying pressure with gauze or a towel.

• Is drowsy or hard to wake up.

• Has trouble breathing.

• Throws up more than once the day after surgery or cannot keep fluids down.

• Appears sick to you.

Rarely, chordee returns as a boy grows older. Your son's health care provider can check for this during regular exams, especially during adolescence when the chance of chordee returning is slightly increased.