76. Robot-assisted Vaginoplasty: A Multidisciplinary Technique for Gender Affirmation

Abstract

Background: Gender affirming trans female bottom surgery is critical in treating gender dysphoria but can result in complications such as stricture/stenosis development, neovaginal prolapse, and rectal injury. The authors describe a multidisciplinary robot-assisted technique incorporating a free peritoneal graft to alleviate these complications. Methods: Patients who met the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) criteria for bottom surgery, underwent robotic-assisted penile inversion vaginoplasty with senior author (J.D.K), and had at least three months of follow-up were included in the study. Patients undergoing zero-depth vaginoplasty or revision vaginoplasty were excluded. The free peritoneal graft is harvested robotically and used as a strip of mucosal-like tissue for a more anatomic neovagina and sutured to scrotal skin grafts over a vaginal conformer. The construct is sutured to the remaining penile shaft skin and then then inverted and passed through the perineal body into the robotically-created space. The apex of the neovaginal lining created by the skin graft-peritoneal graft construct is then sutured to the peritoneal reflection with barbed suture in two layers intra-corporally via the robot. Results: Thirty-eight patients were included in our study. Average age at the time of initial consult was 31 years. All patients were on hormone therapy and 42% of patients had previously undergone top surgery. The average length of follow-up was 230 days. The most common complication was stricture/stenosis secondary to non-compliance with post-operative dilation protocol. Eight patients (21%) experienced stricture, four of which were managed with aggressive dilation. Three patients required surgical revision and one patient did not require any intervention. Seven patients (18%) experienced wound dehiscence with four patients requiring operative repair. Four patients (11%) developed labial banding/webbing that required revision. Other complications included one hematoma, one infection, and two episodes of post-operative bleeding. Eleven patients (29%) developed symptomatic granulation tissue during the healing process that was treated with silver nitrate application and resolved with time. Lastly, two patients (5%) had labial asymmetry that did not interfere with function, but who desired revision for cosmesis. Eighty-four percent of patients used Soul Source vaginal dilators (Sour Source Therapeutic, North Hollywood, CA) post-operatively and of those patients 53% could dilate with the orange dilator (the largest, 1 1/2 inch diameter), 13% with teal (1 3/8 inch diameter), 16% with blue (1 ¼ inch diameter) and 19% with purple (1 1/8 inch diameter). All dilators are 9 inches in length. Patients are cleared for sexual intercourse three months after surgery. Many patients had return of sensation to light touch of the neo-clitoris and were able to achieve organism through direct neo-clitoral stimulation. Conclusion: With experience and an interdisciplinary team, robotic-assisted vaginoplasty with free peritoneal grafting is safe and effective with a low complication rate and high neo-vaginal patency rate. Many patients report successful penetrative intercourse and the ability to achieve orgasm post-operatively.