Phalloplasty with an innervated island pedicled anterolateral thigh flap in a female-to-male transsexual.

Abstract

Since 2001, we have been performing phalloplasty with a radial forearm free flap as the flap of first choice in female-to-male transsexuals (FTMTS). In the present case, a 22-year-old FTMTS with a negative Allen test, we achieved good results by performing phalloplasty with an innervated island pedicled anterolateral thigh flap using the "tube within a tube" technique, in which the penis and urethra are constructed with a single flap. As compared to a forearm flap, use of an innervated island-pedicled flap may have the following advantages in phalloplasty: 1) no need for a microsurgical technique; 2) no scars at noticeable sites; 3) small functional loss in the flap donor area; 4) no sacrifice of major blood vessels. Thus, this technique seems to be a useful clinical alternative for phallic reconstruction.