Genital surgical procedures for feminization in gender dysphoria

Abstract

The necessity and the benefits of genital approximating surgery in gender dysphoria are established, therefore the indications after careful diagnostics are indisputable. For vaginoplasty, the method of choice is penile inversion, in which the penile skin is inserted as a pedicled flap into the prepared vaginal space. Alternatively, free skin grafts or intestinal segments can be used. Lifelong bougienage of the vagina is obligatory for all methods. The spectrum of complications after vaginoplasty is broad. Of particular note, although rare, is injury to the anterior rectal wall, from which rectovaginal fistulas can result. During the course strictures of the urinary meatus or also the neovagina occur. Corrections must often be surgically undertaken but conservative measures, e.g. intensified bougienage and topical estrogen treatment, can also be successful. Neovaginal infections are treated analogously to infections of a native vagina. A special situation is inflammation of the intestinal neovagina, which must be treated with mesalazine.