Preoperative Testosterone Therapy Prior to Surgical Correction of Hypospadias: A Review of the Literature

Hypospadias is a congenital anomaly of the male urethra that causes significant morbidity in the pediatric male population. The mainstay of treatment is hypospadias repair surgery. However, given the common co-occurrence of microphallus in these patients, surgery remains difficult without adequate tissue for proper reconstruction of the urethra. The use of preoperative testosterone therapy, parenterally or topically, has been a topic of study for several years in urologic literature. This literature review aims to summarize the different studies that have been conducted to address whether preoperative testosterone therapy is beneficial, inconsequential, or detrimental to the surgical and cosmetic outcomes of hypospadias repair as well as to address the differences in routes of administration.