Laparoscopic management of intersexual states

Abstract

Laparoscopy has gained acceptance as the ideal method of surgical treatment of the internal [figure: see text] genital organs in patients with intersex disorders. The intersexual states for which laparoscopy is needed are female and male pseudohermaphroditism, true hermaphroditism, and Turner's syndrome. In these patients, the indications for laparoscopy are the removal of normal gonads and ductal structures that are contrary to the assigned gender and the removal of dysgenetic gonads that are nonfunctional and that present potential for malignancy. In addition to being a minimally invasive surgery, one of the main advantages of this method is the lack of scars, a fact much appreciated by patients and their parents. Generally, gonadectomy is a straightforward operation because the gonads present with an accessible pedicle. Laparoscopic orchidopexy has been standardized and can be performed in patients in whom the testis must be relocated to the scrotum. The removal of ductal structures is also easily performed in most cases, whereas hysterectomy with resection of the vagina may present some difficulties owing to the location of these structures. In patients with a long vaginal component of the urogenital sinus, the distal segment must be removed by a retrograde perineal access, usually performed simultaneously with genitoplasty. Endocrinologists must be aware of the application of this method of treatment in intersex patients, and urologists proficient in laparoscopic techniques must extend their field of work in this area.