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Gender Confirmation Surgery (GCS)

What is Gender Confirmation Surgery?

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Transmasculine Transition

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Choosing a Surgeon

Gender confirmation surgery (GCS), known clinically as genitoplasty, are procedures that surgically confirm a person's gender by altering the genitalia and other physical features to align with their desired physical characteristics. Gender confirmation surgeries are also called gender affirmation procedures. These are both respectful terms.

Gender dysphoria , an experience of misalignment between gender and sex, is becoming more widely diagnosed.  People diagnosed with gender dysphoria are often referred to as "transgender," though one does not necessarily need to experience gender dysphoria to be a member of the transgender community. It is important to note there is controversy around the gender dysphoria diagnosis. Many disapprove of it, noting that the diagnosis suggests that being transgender is an illness.

Ellen Lindner / Verywell

Transfeminine Transition

Transfeminine is a term inclusive of trans women and non-binary trans people assigned male at birth.

Gender confirmation procedures that a transfeminine person may undergo include:

• Penectomy is the surgical removal of external male genitalia.
• Orchiectomy is the surgical removal of the testes.
• Vaginoplasty is the surgical creation of a vagina.
• Feminizing genitoplasty creates internal female genitalia.
• Breast implants create breasts.
• Gluteoplasty increases buttock volume.
• Chondrolaryngoplasty is a procedure on the throat that can minimize the appearance of Adam's apple .

Feminizing hormones are commonly used for at least 12 months prior to breast augmentation to maximize breast growth and achieve a better surgical outcome. They are also often used for approximately 12 months prior to feminizing genital surgeries.

Facial feminization surgery (FFS) is often done to soften the lines of the face. FFS can include softening the brow line, rhinoplasty (nose job), smoothing the jaw and forehead, and altering the cheekbones. Each person is unique and the procedures that are done are based on the individual's need and budget,

Transmasculine is a term inclusive of trans men and non-binary trans people assigned female at birth.

Gender confirmation procedures that a transmasculine person may undergo include:

• Masculinizing genitoplasty is the surgical creation of external genitalia. This procedure uses the tissue of the labia to create a penis.
• Phalloplasty is the surgical construction of a penis using a skin graft from the forearm, thigh, or upper back.
• Metoidioplasty is the creation of a penis from the hormonally enlarged clitoris.
• Scrotoplasty is the creation of a scrotum.

Procedures that change the genitalia are performed with other procedures, which may be extensive.

The change to a masculine appearance may also include hormone therapy with testosterone, a mastectomy (surgical removal of the breasts), hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus), and perhaps additional cosmetic procedures intended to masculinize the appearance.

Paying For Gender Confirmation Surgery

Medicare and some health insurance providers in the United States may cover a portion of the cost of gender confirmation surgery.

It is unlawful to discriminate or withhold healthcare based on sex or gender. However, many plans do have exclusions.

For most transgender individuals, the burden of financing the procedure(s) is the main difficulty in obtaining treatment. The cost of transitioning can often exceed $100,000 in the United States, depending upon the procedures needed.

A typical genitoplasty alone averages about $18,000. Rhinoplasty, or a nose job, averaged $5,409 in 2019.  

Traveling Abroad for GCS

Some patients seek gender confirmation surgery overseas, as the procedures can be less expensive in some other countries. It is important to remember that traveling to a foreign country for surgery, also known as surgery tourism, can be very risky.

Regardless of where the surgery will be performed, it is essential that your surgeon is skilled in the procedure being performed and that your surgery will be performed in a reputable facility that offers high-quality care.

When choosing a surgeon , it is important to do your research, whether the surgery is performed in the U.S. or elsewhere. Talk to people who have already had the procedure and ask about their experience and their surgeon.

Before and after photos don't tell the whole story, and can easily be altered, so consider asking for a patient reference with whom you can speak.

It is important to remember that surgeons have specialties and to stick with your surgeon's specialty. For example, you may choose to have one surgeon perform a genitoplasty, but another to perform facial surgeries. This may result in more expenses, but it can result in a better outcome.

A Word From Verywell

Gender confirmation surgery is very complex, and the procedures that one person needs to achieve their desired result can be very different from what another person wants.

Each individual's goals for their appearance will be different. For example, one individual may feel strongly that breast implants are essential to having a desirable and feminine appearance, while a different person may not feel that breast size is a concern. A personalized approach is essential to satisfaction because personal appearance is so highly individualized.

Davy Z, Toze M. What is gender dysphoria? A critical systematic narrative review . Transgend Health . 2018;3(1):159-169. doi:10.1089/trgh.2018.0014

Morrison SD, Vyas KS, Motakef S, et al. Facial Feminization: Systematic Review of the Literature . Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016;137(6):1759-70. doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000002171

Hadj-moussa M, Agarwal S, Ohl DA, Kuzon WM. Masculinizing Genital Gender Confirmation Surgery . Sex Med Rev . 2019;7(1):141-155. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2018.06.004

Dowshen NL, Christensen J, Gruschow SM. Health Insurance Coverage of Recommended Gender-Affirming Health Care Services for Transgender Youth: Shopping Online for Coverage Information . Transgend Health . 2019;4(1):131-135. doi:10.1089/trgh.2018.0055

American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Rhinoplasty nose surgery .

Rights Group: More U.S. Companies Covering Cost of Gender Reassignment Surgery. CNS News. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/rights-group-more-us-companies-covering-cost-gender-reassignment-surgery

The Sex Change Capital of the US. CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-3445_162-4423154.html

By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine.

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• On the Road

9 inspiring photos to help you transition from female to male

Gender affirmation surgery can be an incredibly freeing and life-changing decision. But it’s also understandable if the thought of going under the knife makes you anxious. Like any major surgery, there are risks of complications, scarring, and infection. And depending on the kind of surgery you get, you can experience changes in sexual satisfaction and sensation in certain areas.

But for the majority of trans people who opt for  surgery , the benefits outweigh the risks and disadvantages. For one, researchers have reported that there are long-term  mental health benefits to gender affirmation surgery. Many trans people have said that the anxiety and depression they’ve had due to gender dysphoria lessens over time, and they begin to feel more comfortable, confident, and at home in their bodies. Plus, the complication rate for female to male gender affirmation surgery is relatively low at 5.8%.

If you’re still apprehensive about gender-affirming surgery and its effects on your sexual and physical health, perhaps seeing success stories from trans men who have gone through it all may help assuage your worries. So here are a few “female to male” transition photos to inspire and affirm so you can have a little bit of a preview of what to expect on your own transition.

Related:  Transgender People Are Less Healthy Than Cis People, Here’s Why

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9 Transition Photos That Prove That It Does Get Better

Before we jump into our list of inspiring images, we’d like to point out that transitioning is different for everyone. Some people may feel that gender-affirming surgery is integral to the improvement of their mental health. Others may not even see surgery and hormone therapy (HRT) as a necessary step in their transition journey. It’s totally fine either way, as long as you’re happy!

And for those who do undergo some type of procedure, remember that individual results vary. The photos included in this list are meant to inspire and affirm but are in no way the gold standard of what a trans person post-surgery is supposed to look like. In fact, there is no standard! All bodies are unique, valid, and beautiful either way.

1. Jamie Raines

Jamie Raines is an English YouTuber who often talks about his experiences as a trans man in his vlogs. Over the course of six years, Jamie documented his transition journey, taking viewers along for the ride as he experienced all the physical and psychological changes of undergoing HRT, top surgery, and metoidioplasty – a type of surgery done to create a “new penis” out of tissues taken from the clitoris.

Unlike a phalloplasty, which is a complicated procedure that involves lengthening one’s urethra and a skin graft from one’s forearm for penile construction, metoidioplasty surgery has a lower risk of urological complications and a faster healing time. Raines also underwent scrotoplasty, which is a form of lower surgery done to create a scrotum.

Check out these side-by-side photos of Jamie six months after their top surgery and eight years post-op.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Jamie Raines (@jammi.dodger)

2. Chella Man

Chella Man is a deaf, trans-masculine, Chinese-Jewish artist who, like Jamie, spent several years documenting his transition journey and sharing his experiences with HRT and top surgery. Chella has spoken up about having to be “his own representation” as he had a hard time finding someone else in the media who looked like him.

Last year, Chella shared a video of himself during his first top surgery consultation next to a video of himself one month post-op and eight months on testosterone. In the caption, he writes about the evident changes the procedures have done not only to his appearance but to his confidence as well.

“Today, one month post-op and 8 months on testosterone, I stand with ease, welcoming the reflection I now see,” Chella writes. “My days of dysphoria have finally passed. I am free.”

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Chella Man (@chellaman)

3. Aiden Mann

Aiden Mann’s journey proves that gender-affirming surgery won’t always be a walk in the park and that for some trans folk, revisions are just part of the process. Through Instagram and TikTok, Aiden has been open about his struggles with the results of his subcutaneous mastectomy (a procedure involving the removal of the tissues in one’s breasts). He’s had to undergo multiple visits to his surgeon and several revisions, particularly because of the way his nipple scars heal.

But still, Aiden persisted and seems happier than ever!

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Aiden Michael Mann 🏳️‍⚧️ (@aiden_m365)

4. Emmett Preciado

Emmett Preciado is a trans man and actor who has appeared on shows like Freeform’s  Good Trouble  and ABC’s  The Good Doctor . On his website bio, Emmett shares that he wrestled with his identity a lot growing up. When he hit puberty, he wore “layers and hoodies to cover his chest” because he didn’t want the girls in his class to see that he was becoming like them.

Today, you can see Emmett bare his chest proudly on Instagram. Proof positive that it does get better!

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Emmett Preciado (@emmettpreciado)

5. Jake Graf

While some trans men opt to get a total hysterectomy, others don’t or hold off on the surgery to have kids in the future. Such is the case of actor, writer, director, and activist Jake Graf, who had a baby with his wife via surrogacy. Jake paused his HRT for six months and had his eggs harvested at a fertility clinic.

Jake’s story is a great reminder that undergoing gender-affirming surgery and taking HRT doesn’t mean you have to give up your dreams of raising a family. Check out this precious photo of Jake with his wife Hannah and their adorable baby girl.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Jake Graf (@jake_graf5)

6. Skyler Jay

Like Aiden, trans activist and community organizer Skyler Jay has been open about the issues he’s had with his health following his surgery. After Skyler underwent a double mastectomy to remove his breast tissue, he went through surgery complications, revisions, and far more months of healing than expected, but he says he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I knew I had to go through my pain to have that top surgery”, says Skyler in a video to promote his non-profit,  Aadya Rising . “I would do it again if that’s what it meant to get me to where I’m at right now”.

Today, Skyler is living his best life. Skyler’s story and even footage of his top surgery were featured in a groundbreaking episode of Netflix’s  Queer Eye .

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Skyler Jay (@trans.ginger)

7. Laith Ashley

Laith is a model, actor, and activist who has been featured in major publications like  British GQ ,  Vogue France , and  Attitude UK . Growing up, Laith struggled with his sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as his family’s disapproval.

However, in an interview with  British GQ , Laith says that it was when he came across YouTube videos of trans people documenting their transition journeys that he realized “this is who I am”.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Laith Ashley De La Cruz (@laith_ashley)

8. Aydian Dowling

Looking for some fitspiration? Check out the inspirational Aydian Dowling. He is a life and fitness coach and the creator of TRACE, an app that trans people can use to document their transition, take voice recordings, and create reminders for essential appointments and procedures. On his Instagram page, Aydian drops some helpful truth bombs about fitness, mental health, self-image, and self-confidence.

Oh, and did we mention he’s the first trans man to appear on a special edition cover of  Men’s Health  magazine?

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Aydian Dowling (a•den) (@alionsfear)

9. Leo Sheng

Like some of the others on this list, Leo Sheng’s top surgery recovery process hasn’t always been pretty. The activist, public speaker, and writer recently shared some photos from the early days of their recovery, where their scars and bruises were still very apparent. He also opened up about some of the “what if’s” they’ve had when ruminating on their journey, and whether it was all worth it, despite not getting the results he intended.

“Everyone’s bodies are different, which means everyone heals differently,” Leo writes. “I feel good about my chest today. I feel proud of it. I’m reminded to give past and present self some grace. I know that healed the best that it could – that I did the best I could”.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Leo Sheng (@ileosheng)

Final Thoughts

Gender-affirming surgery doesn’t just change the way you look, it can change the entire trajectory of your life. And despite the possibility of complications, revisions, and the need for adjustments in one’s sexual expectations, most patients say they don’t regret having the surgery. And if these pictures are any indication, getting surgery is almost always worth it. Of course, as long as that’s what you really want to be happy and at ease in your body!

Related:  Drago Renteria Is The Father Of Deaf Queer Activism

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• GENDER REVOLUTION

In the Operating Room During Gender Reassignment Surgery

Behind the scenes with identical twin Emmie Smith during her medical transition.

Before August 30, 2016, getting stitches at age seven was the most time Emmie Smith had ever spent in a hospital.

That morning, she swapped her plaid shirt and jean shorts for a gown, tucked her hair into a cap, and prepared for surgery to conform her anatomy to the gender she already identified with: woman. In the operating room with her was National Geographic photographer Lynn Johnson. She and Emmie hoped they could demystify the procedure by documenting it, close-up and unflinching. “It was stressful and scary at times, but it almost created a mission other than just recovery,” Emmie says. “We were making something together.”

It had been a year and a half since Emmie had first come out as a transgender woman on Facebook. Telling her family and friends had been an enormous relief. “I’m not sure I could have taken another few years of being closeted,” she says.

Still, it was a challenging time for her family. Her mother, Reverend Kate Malin, is a prominent figure in their Massachusetts town, and her identical twin sons Caleb and Walker were familiar fixtures at her Episcopal church. A month after Walker came out as Emmie, Malin stepped out from behind her pulpit and walked into the aisle. Halfway through her sermon she decided it was time to address the change in her family.

“As most of you know, Bruce and I have three children,” she began. “Caleb and Walker, who are 17, and 13-year-old Owen. Walker’s new name is Emerson, and she prefers Emmie or Em. She’s wearing feminine clothing and makeup and will likely continue to move in the direction of a more feminized body.”

Follow Emmie's transition in pictures

Kate nervously revealed her struggle to the attentive New England crowd. “I feel broken much of the time,” she confessed. “I’ve wanted to run away, and I’ve prayed for this child that I would gladly die for, guilty for how much I miss the person I thought was Walker and everything I thought might be.”

After the sermon, the congregation engulfed her in a hug. Then they moved to offer words of support to the sandy-haired 17-year-old sitting in the pews. In the first of many awkward mistakes the family would later laugh about, it was Caleb—Emmie’s identical twin.

After that sermon, a “new normal” set in. On a Saturday night soon after, they had their first “out” outing. Kate took Emmie—whose hair was still short and chest was flat—to buy a prom dress at David’s Bridal. She feared someone would point or laugh, but the crowds of brides and bridesmaids in the dressing room offered only compliments.

Though she hadn’t initially considered surgery, after a couple of months Emmie had grown frustrated by the tucking and taping required to fit into women’s clothes. That fall, her senior year of high school, she decided to do it.

But waking up after the operation, Emmie felt none of the immediate relief she’d expected. In the recovery room her earbuds played a soothing loop of Bon Iver and Simon and Garfunkel, but it didn’t drown out her disappointment and fear. In retrospect, she thought, hadn’t life before been OK?

It wasn’t until months later, when she was home and could walk and sit again, that Emmie knew she’d made the right choice. “If you’re not living freely that’s time wasted, and I felt my time was wasted pretending to be a boy,” she says. “It was the best decision in my life.”

Now, halfway through a gap year, she’s applying to college theater programs. It’s strange, she says, knowing that her future classmates may watch Johnson’s film and learn the most intimate details of her life. She’s hopeful that her participation will evolve the public’s understanding of gender reassignment surgery. “It’s not science fiction or mythology,” Emmie says. “It’s what happens to women just trying to be at peace with themselves and their bodies.”

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How Gender Reassignment Surgery Works (Infographic)

Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private who was sentenced Aug. 21 to 35 years in a military prison for releasing highly sensitive U.S. military secrets, is seeking gender reassignment. Here’s how gender reassignment works:

Converting male anatomy to female anatomy requires removing the penis, reshaping genital tissue to appear more female and constructing a vagina.

An incision is made into the scrotum, and the flap of skin is pulled back. The testes are removed.

A shorter urethra is cut. The penis is removed, and the excess skin is used to create the labia and vagina.

People who have male-to-female gender-reassignment surgery retain a prostate. Following surgery, estrogen (a female hormone) will stimulate breast development, widen the hips, inhibit the growth of facial hair and slightly increase voice pitch.

Female-to-male surgery has achieved lesser success due to the difficulty of creating a functioning penis from the much smaller clitoral tissue available in the female genitals.

The uterus and the ovaries are removed. Genital reconstructive procedures (GRT) use either the clitoris, which is enlarged by hormones, or rely on free tissue grafts from the arm, the thigh or belly and an erectile prosthetic (phalloplasty).

Breasts need to be surgically altered if they are to look less feminine. This process involves removing breast tissue and excess skin, and reducing and properly positioning the nipples and areolae. Androgens (male hormones) will stimulate the development of facial and chest hair, and cause the voice to deepen.

Reliable statistics are extremely difficult to obtain. Many sexual-reassignment procedures are conducted in private facilities that are not subject to reporting requirements.

The cost for female-to-male reassignment can be more than $50,000. The cost for male-to-female reassignment can be $7,000 to $24,000.

Between 100 to 500 gender-reassignment procedures are conducted in the United States each year.

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Phalloplasty for Gender Affirmation

Featured Expert:

Fan Liang, M.D.

Phalloplasty is surgery for masculinizing gender affirmation. Phalloplasty is a multistaged process that may include a variety of procedures, including:

• Creating the penis
• Lengthening the urethra so you are able to stand to urinate
• Creating the tip (glans) of the penis
• Creating the scrotum
• Removing the vagina, uterus and ovaries
• Placing erectile and testicular implants
• Skin grafting from the donor tissue site 

Gender affirmation surgery is customized to each individual. Your surgical plan may include more or fewer of these steps and procedures. Fan Liang, M.D. , medical director of the Center for Transgender and Gender Expansive Health at Johns Hopkins, explains what you should know.

Are there different types of phalloplasty?

Phalloplasty involves using skin flaps, which are areas of skin moved from one area of the body to another. The skin flap is then reshaped, contoured and reattached to the groin to create the penis. There are three approaches the surgeon may use to construct the penis, using skin from the arm (radial forearm free flap), leg (anterolateral thigh flap) or side (latissimus dorsi flap). 

There are pros and cons to each approach. Factors for choosing skin flap locations include the patient’s health and fat distribution, nerve function, blood flow and desired surgical outcomes.

What is a radial forearm free flap?

A radial forearm free flap (RFFF) involves taking the skin, fat, nerves, arteries and veins from your wrist to about halfway up your forearm to create the penis. Typically, the surgeon will use your nondominant hand so it is easier for you to recover and return to your day-to-day activities.

During your surgical consultation, the doctor will check the blood flow to your arm and hand noninvasively. This involves temporarily putting pressure on arteries then releasing the pressure to test blood distribution in the arm and hand.

There are three stages to this procedure.

• Stage 1: The first stage of an RFFF approach is creating the penis using tissue from the forearm. The area where the forearm tissue is taken will require a skin graft. This may occur at the time of the initial phalloplasty surgery, or it may occur three to five weeks afterward. If it occurs later, patients will have a temporary skin covering over the forearm to help it heal.
• Stage 2: The second stage, scheduled about five to six months later, may include lengthening the urethra to allow for urination out of the tip of the penis, creating the scrotum and removing the vagina, and other procedures depending on the patient’s individualized plan.
• Stage 3: The third stage of surgery involves putting in place testicle implants and an erectile device to help the patient achieve an erection. The third stage typically takes place 12 months after the second.

Will I have a say in how the phalloplasty is staged and the surgical plan?

Your gender affirmation surgery is highly personalized. Depending on what is most important to you, your surgery team will work with you on a customized plan beforehand. You and your surgeon will discuss your priorities and decide which procedures are right for you. Each stage will be scheduled to ensure your health and safety and provide the best chance of good results.

How long will I be in the hospital?

After your stage 1 surgery, you will stay as an inpatient for four to five days. Your surgical team will frequently monitor the blood supply to the tissue that has been used to create your new penis and ensure you are able to use the bathroom and walk around after surgery. Procedures for stages 2 and 3 do not require a hospital stay.

Will I need a catheter?

During your inpatient stay for stage 1 surgery, you will have a suprapubic tube that goes directly into your bladder and another catheter in your native urethra for at least five days. It is typically removed in the hospital before you go home.

If you decide not to have urethral lengthening as part of stage 2, you will have a Foley catheter placed in the operating room and removed before you leave the hospital. If you decide to have urethral lengthening, you will go home with a Foley catheter in the new urethra and a suprapubic tube. A clamp ensures that the urethra does not leak urine.

What is a suprapubic tube?

A suprapubic tube (SPT) allows urine to drain from your bladder. It is placed in the lower part of your abdomen, below the belly button. The SPT stays in for four to five weeks, depending on your healing and recovery.

When will my SPT be removed?

Before the SPT is removed, around four weeks after surgery, a urologist will perform a retrograde urethrogram. This involves putting dye into the bladder through the new urethra. An X-ray tracks the dye to see if the new urethra is open and ready for urination. If so, the doctor will clamp the SPT and you will be allowed to urinate from your new urethra. If everything looks good after a few days, the SPT is removed.

Forearm Flap Phalloplasty

Stage 1: phallus creation. Enlarged image .

Stage 2: urethral lengthening and scrotoplasty. Enlarged image .

Stage 3: penile prosthesis. Enlarged image .

Other Skin Flaps Used in Phalloplasty

What is an anterolateral thigh flap.

An anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) uses skin, fat, nerves, arteries and veins from the leg to create a penis.  A special vascular CT scan can help the surgeon  examine the blood supply of each leg to determine which leg will be better for creating the skin flap.

The stage of the ALT phalloplasty are similar to the RFFF. The area where the thigh tissue is taken will also require a skin graft. The resulting scar on the thigh can be covered with shorts.

What is a musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap?

A musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi skin flap (MLD) involves the skin, fat, nerves, arteries and veins from the side of your back to create a penis. The surgeon may order a special CT scan to look at the blood flow throughout the donor site area.

The stages of the MLD phalloplasty are similar to the RFFF and ALT. However, the area from which the back tissue is taken usually does not require a skin graft and can be closed in a straight line. The scar can be covered with a shirt. Patients may experience some initial weakness raising their arm, but this improves with time.

How is penis size determined?

Penis size depends on patient preferences and the skin flap harvested from your body. Thinner patients with less fat on the skin flap will have a penis with less girth. Alternatively, patients with a greater amount of fat will have a thicker penis.

The length of the penis depends on the patient’s donor site, but typically it is about 5–6 inches. After the first stage, the penis may decrease in size as postoperative swelling decreases and the tissue settles into its new location.

What determines scrotum size?

Scrotum size is specific to the patient and depends on the amount of skin that is present in the genital area before phalloplasty. The more genital tissue there is, the larger the scrotum and the testicular implants can be.

There are different ways to create the scrotum, including a procedure called V-Y scrotoplasty, a technique that creates a pouch to hold testicular implants. AART silicone round carving blocks have been approved by the FDA to be used as implants.

Procedures to Discuss with Your Physician Before Phalloplasty

Each individual undergoing gender confirmation surgery is different. Your surgeon will work with you to discuss which procedures, and their timing, are best for you and your goals.

Should I have a hysterectomy before phalloplasty surgery?

For those interested in this procedure,  hysterectomies  are typically done before phalloplasty and do not require a vaginectomy.

Urethral Lengthening Before Phalloplasty

If you choose to have urethral lengthening, this procedure involves lengthening your existing urethra so that you are able to urinate out of the tip of the penis. It involves connecting your current urethra to the new urethra created in the shaft of the penis.

Not all patients choose to have urethral lengthening; however, this will be a necessary step if you want to stand when you urinate. It is also important to know that if you decide not to have urethral lengthening in stage 1 of your phalloplasty, it will not be possible to have the lengthening procedure later.

Complications of Urethral Lengthening

The most common complications for urethral lengthening include urethral strictures (narrowed areas of the urethra), fistula (creation of a passageway between the urethra and another location) and diverticula (formation of a pouch in the urethra). This may require an additional surgical procedure to fix.

What is a metoidioplasty?

A metoidioplasty is a surgical procedure to achieve masculine-appearing genitalia with fewer steps than a phalloplasty. The skin of the labia and around the clitoris is lengthened to achieve the appearance of a penis. Some people prefer to undergo a metoidioplasty if they do not want to use tissue from their arms or legs to create a penis or if they prefer a shorter, more straightforward surgery.

A metoidioplasty procedure has a quicker recovery and fewer complications. Surgeons can discuss metoidioplasty with patients and help them decide if this option is right for them.

Will I need to have hair removal?

Yes, before surgery, after you consult with the surgical team and choose a skin flap site, you will get a template for hair removal that you can give to your hair removal professional.

What if I have a tattoo on my preferred donor site?

As long as there is good blood flow and nerve function, donor sites — even those with a tattoo — can be used.

Penile Function and Sensation After Phalloplasty

What can i do with a reconstructed penis.

Penis function is determined by what you and your surgery team agree on for your surgical plan. If it is important for you to urinate out of the tip of your penis, then urethral lengthening may be a good choice for you. If sensation is most important, your team will focus on a donor site with good nerve innervation. If penetrative sex is most important, and you would like to maintain an erection, then implanting an erectile prosthetic can be part of your surgery plan.

Can I get an erection after phalloplasty?

In stage 3 phalloplasty, a urologist can place a prosthetic erectile device which will allow you to maintain an erection. As of September 2022, no implantable prosthetic devices have been FDA-approved for phalloplasty. Instead, the surgeon can use a device intended for patients with erectile dysfunction to allow transmasculine patients to achieve an erection. There is a risk of infection and implant rejection with an erectile implant . If this happens, it may take six months before another device can be placed into the penis.

What kind of sensation and feeling can I expect?

Sensation recovery varies by patient. Nerve regeneration can begin as early as three weeks after surgery, but it can take longer in some patients. Sometimes sensation can take up to a year or longer. Return of nerve sensation is not guaranteed. As nerves regenerate and strengthen connections, you might experience shooting pain, tingling or electrical sensations. As time goes on, the tingling feeling begins to subside.

What is nerve hookup during phalloplasty?

Nerve hookup involves taking existing nerves from the donor site, such as the arm, and connecting them to nerves located in the pelvis. This allows you to have sensation in the reconstructed penis.

What is clitoral burying during phalloplasty surgery?

Clitoral burying involves moving the clitoris into the base of the penis to increase sensation. This is typically done at stage 2.

Is orgasm possible after phalloplasty?

Orgasm is possible after phalloplasty, especially if your surgery plan emphasizes preserving sensation. It is important to note that your penis will not ejaculate with semen at the time of orgasm.

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