Objective To explore the effect of pain management in children undergoing hypospadias surgery. Methods Children undergoing hypospadias surgery were chronologgically assigned to a control group of 62 and an intervention group of 64. The control group was given usual care, while their counterparts in the intervention group received pain management developed based on symptom management theory. The incidence of moderate to severe pain at postoperative 4 h, pain scores at different time points after surgery, family satisfaction with care and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups. Results The intervention group had significantly lower incidence of moderate to severe pain at postoperative 4 h, lower pain scores at different time points after surgery, whereas higher family satisfaction with care compared with the control group (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of urinary fistula between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Implementation of pain management can effectively enhance postoperative analgesic effect in children undergoing hypospadias surgery and improve family satisfaction with care.