Established and experimental techniques to improve phalloplasty outcomes/optimization of a hypercomplex surgery

Abstract

An increasing number of transgender and gender non-conforming patients are seeking genital gender affirming surgeries in order to better align their physical characteristics with their innate gender identity and treat gender dysphoria. Phalloplasty is the most complex of these surgeries, and this complexity creates a wide range of potential complications. Some of the most common complications and therefore, targets for improvement in outcomes, concern neourethral fistula/stricture, efficacy of reinnervation of the phalloplasty flap, postoperative flap monitoring, and donor site morbidity. In the setting of no established “gold standard”, this review seeks to describe the components and staging of phalloplasty, with an emphasis on established and experimental solutions to the most common and vexing problems.

Keywords

Phalloplasty / transgender / female to male / transmasculine / surgical complications / radial forearm flap / anterolateral thigh flap / genital gender confirmation

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