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Surgical Interventions for Gender Dysphoria

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Gender Dysphoria and Disorders of Sex Development

Abstract

For individuals with pronounced gender dysphoria, surgery is the ultimate and the most radical step in the process of gender reassignment and follows a period of real-life experience and hormone treatment.

In this chapter, a complete overview is first provided of all surgical procedures, both in male-to-female and female-to-male transsexuals: These include aesthetic operations, breast surgery, and genital surgical interventions.

For the male-to-female individual, a more in-depth description is provided of facial feminizing surgery (FFS), of breast augmentation, as well as of the different techniques for vaginal reconstruction. Emphasis is placed on functional outcomes, on the reduction of complications, and on aesthetic improvements.

In the female-to-male transsexual, the subcutaneous mastectomy (SCM) or male chest contouring and the different surgical options for phalloplasty or penile reconstruction are described in more detail. The advantages and disadvantages of the different techniques are addressed.

It is concluded that in order to obtain optimal results in transgender surgery, a close cooperation between the different professionals involved is an absolute requirement.

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Correspondence to Stan J. Monstrey M.D., Ph.D. .

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Monstrey, S.J., Buncamper, M., Bouman, MB., Hoebeke, P. (2014). Surgical Interventions for Gender Dysphoria. In: Kreukels, B., Steensma, T., de Vries, A. (eds) Gender Dysphoria and Disorders of Sex Development. Focus on Sexuality Research. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7441-8_15

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