High Surgical Complication Rates after Silicone Implant Use for Improvement of Glans Ridge Appearance.

Background: Construction of the glans is an important aspect of gender-affirming phalloplasty. In these surgeries, the glans ridge is commonly constructed using the Norfolk technique or a similar technique. In cases of glans ridge flattening after creation, we generally recommend a redo/revision glansplasty, which is often curative. However, in situations when the glans ridge flattens again, we developed a silicone glans implant technique in an effort to create a satisfactory and lasting glans ridge. Methods: We conducted a pilot study of our first 12 glans implant cases. A retrospective chart review and brief, ad-hoc patient survey measured patient demographics, implant status, and patient satisfaction. Results: A total of 12 patients received a silicone glans implant between November 2017 and February 2020. One patient had the glans implant removed before the survey, and also could not be contacted. Three patients did not respond to the survey. Of the eight patients who responded, only five (5/8, 63%) patients still had the silicone implant at the time of the survey. The average satisfaction score was 3.25 (range 1 = very satisfied and 5 = very dissatisfied). Common complaints cited included dissatisfaction with implant appearance, as well as infection, discomfort, and pain. Conclusions: Patients and surgeons should be aware of the possibility of a novel silicone implant technique to create a glansplasty in those with failed/flattened previous glansplasty surgery. However, the technique is in development: patient satisfaction remains spotty and complication rates are high, although technical improvements may increase future success rates.

Penile Prosthesis Placement by a Dedicated Transgender Surgery Unit: A Retrospective Analysis of Complications.

BACKGROUND: Penile prostheses may be used as a component of genital gender affirmation surgery for the purpose of achieving penile rigidity after phalloplasty, and transgender individuals experience higher complication rates than cisgender individuals. AIM: To observe complications with transmasculine penile prosthesis surgery over time and across surgical conditions. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of all transmasculine patients with phalloplasty undergoing penile prosthesis placement between 4/14/2017 and 2/11/2020 (80 patients). OUTCOMES: Independent variables include implant type, previous genital surgeries, and simultaneous genital surgeries. Dependent variables include prosthesis infection and mechanical complication (device malfunction, dislodgement, erosion). RESULTS: There was an overall complication requiring surgery rate of 36% and infection rate of 20% (15/67 for inflatable prostheses and 1/13 for semirigid), with 14% (11/80) experiencing infection requiring removal. Differences in infection rates appeared insignificant across categories of previous surgery or with simultaneous surgery, but we did notice a markedly lower rate for semirigid prostheses compared to inflatable. There was a significant relationship between infection and case number, with the probability of infection decreasing over time. Device loss at 9 months was 21% overall. Preoperative conditions of the neophallus such as prior stricture correction and perioperative factors such as simultaneous clean and clean-contaminated procedures seemed to pose no additional increase in complication rates. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Type and number of prior and simultaneous non-prosthetic surgeries should not be considered as a risk factor for penile prosthesis after phalloplasty for transmasculine patients, even those that are clean-contaminated STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: Our cohort size is large compared to currently available studies, although not large enough to generate sufficient power for group comparisons. We have reported every genital surgical step between phalloplasty and penile prosthesis placement and recorded complications with subsequent devices after failure. Patient-reported outcomes were not collected. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that preoperative conditions of the neophallus, such as prior stricture correction, and perioperative factors, such as simultaneous clean and clean-contaminated procedures, seem to pose no additional increase in complication rates. Our data suggest that surgical experience may further decrease complications over time. B. L. Briles, R. Y. Middleton, K. E. Celtik, et al. Penile Prosthesis Placement by a Dedicated Transgender Surgery Unit: A Retrospective Analysis of Complications. J Sex Med 2022;19:641-649.

Optimization of Second-stage Metoidioplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a planned 2-staged metoidioplasty. Metoidioplasty is a genital gender-affirmation surgery aimed at creating a neophallus, scrotum (if desired), and flat male-type perineum (if desired) from natal tissues. It generally requires a planned second-stage to place testes prostheses, address complications, and perform additional surgical steps to maximally lengthen the phallus. The details of this procedure are sparsely mentioned in the literature. We found that phallus length can be optimized in the second-stage by applying surgical principles already established in the surgical treatment of adult acquired buried penis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients after metoidioplasty between August 2015 and June 2020, and isolated those that underwent second-stage metoidioplasty. Each procedure was done by 1 of 4 surgeons in a single practice in 2 locations, San Francisco, CA, and Austin, TX. Details of procedures required, complications, and demographic information were recorded. RESULTS: Out of the 75 patients that had undergone metoidioplasty, 37 (37 of 75, 49%) underwent a second-stage metoidioplasty. Reduction of upper scrotal blocking tissue was the most common procedure performed during a second-stage metoidioplasty (31 of 37, 84%), followed by escutcheonectomy/penile lift (30 of 37, 81%), bilateral implant placement (20 of 37, 54%), chordee repair (13 of 37, 35%), and unilateral implant placement (1 of 37, 3%). 6 of the 37 patients (16%) developed major complications. 5 of the 37 (5 of 37, 15%) second-stage patients required a redo second-stage metoidioplasty. CONCLUSION: Second-stage metoidioplasties are commonly performed on patients to optimize results of phallic lengthening and release, and to repair complications that arise after single-stage metoidioplasty. Escutcheonectomy/penile lift, placement of scrotal implants, repair of chordee, and upper scrotal blocking tissue reduction are procedures that are often performed during a second-stage metoidioplasty.

Caring for Transgender Patients: Complications of Gender-Affirming Genital Surgeries.

Patients who undergo gender-affirming genital surgeries may present to the emergency department for their postsurgical complications. In this paper, we briefly describe the transfeminine and transmasculine genital procedures, review the diagnosis and management of both common and potentially life-threatening complications, and discuss the criteria for hospitalization and time frame for surgical consultation and referral.