The Necessary & Method of Scrotoplasty in Female to Male Transgender

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Transgender is a disorder of gender identity, who have appropriate chromosomal, hormonal and anatomical characteristics corresponding to their sexual phenotype but feel strongly with respect to their sexual identity, that they belong to the opposite sex. There is a persistence discomfort and sense of inappropriateness about one's assigned sex in a person who has reached puberty. Transgender is a psychiatric problem, but surgical method provides more satisfactory adjustment for patients. In gender reassignment surgery for female to male transgender, mastectomy, nipple reduction, hysterectomy, oophorectomy and phalloplasty are included. And as the final operation, recommended for scrotoplasty and artificial testes insertion. So we investigated the necessity and method of scrotoplasty in the final operation of female to male transgender. METHODS: The authors have long term follow-up of 75 cases female to male transgender from January 1991 to February 2008. Among them, 13 cases were evaluated in this study. During phalloplasty, the labium major skin preserved. And this labium majoral skin flap was made for the neoscrotum. At least six months later, artificial testes were inserted in neoscrotum with local anesthesia. Middle sized(3cm diameter) artificial testes(silicon gel or carving soft silicone implant) were used because of the limitation of the neoscrotum. We evaluated the questionnaire and interview about the postoperative satisfaction in configuration of reconstructed scrotum, and the necessity of operation, the postoperative psychosocioeconomic improvement and limitation of body exposure activities such as swimming, public bathing. RESULTS: Based on this study, satisfaction of reconstructed scrotum after scrotoplasty was improved(92%). The necessity of scrotoplasty was in 92.3% and the postoperative psychosocioeconomic well-being improvement was 77% in answers. Less limitation of activities requiring body exposure was 54% in answers. Most of the patients were satisfied with the results of surgical operation despite of some postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: This study reports that the scrotoplasty in female to male transgender is not only a conversion of external genitalia but also an improvement of psychosocial state. As most of the patients sincerely hope to take this operation, we improve our surgical method for more good results.