Improved results after implementation of the Ghent algorithm for subcutaneous mastectomy in female-to-male transsexuals

Abstract

The subcutaneous mastectomy is an important step in the treatment of female-to-male transsexual patients. At the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, a two-step procedure was used for mastectomies through 2002–2011. With this procedure, all patients were operated on with a concentric circular incision in the first session of surgery, followed by a second session 7–12 months later. From July 2011, a new approach was adopted, which consists of treating patients according to the algorithm and methods described by Monstrey et al. The aim of this study is to evaluate these two different approaches and determine if similar results, possibly with fewer surgeries and overall lower complication rate, can be achieved by using multiple techniques and a decision-making algorithm as compared to the two-step approach where only a concentric circular technique was used. All female-to-male transsexuals who had mastectomy at Sahlgrenska between 2002–2012 were included in the study. These were divided in two groups: those who were treated according to the single-step, algorithm based, approach (16 patients, 32 mastectomies), and those who were treated with the two-step, concentric circular approach (14 patients, 28 mastectomies). Within the single-step, algorithm based, group the following techniques were used: 6% transareolar technique, 6% semicircular, 13% free nipple graft, 31% extended concentric circular, and 44% concentric circular. Data including type of surgical technique used, complications, and number of surgeries were collected and compared. Complications (e.g., haematoma, nipple necrosis, seroma, wound dehiscence, and infection) occurred in 50% of the patients following the first surgery in the two-step, concentric-circular approach group, for a total of 71.43% of patients with complications following either the first- or the second-step surgery; complications occurred only in 25% of the patients in the one-step, algorithm-based group. The mean number of surgeries per breast was 2.5 for the two-step concentric circular approach, and 1.25 for the single step, algorithm-based approach; particularly, when the concentric circular technique was chosen for the single step, algorithm-based approach, only two of the patients required revision surgery to improve the cosmetic outcome. This study shows that the number of complications and the total number of surgeries performed to satisfy patients were lower after Monstrey's algorithm for mastectomies was implemented as routine practice at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital.