Female to male reassignment surgery is a kind of surgery that is named gender affirmation surgery as well.
This surgery can be done in different forms like breast removal or bottom surgery which is performed to change genital regions.
Some examples of bottom surgery feature:
- Hysterectomy which is performed for uterus removal
- Vaginectomy that is performed to remove vagina
- Penis construction through metoidioplasty or phalloplasty
In this article, you are going to read about female to male gender-affirming surgeries. We are also going to describe the process of recovery the and the expectations of this surgery.
Female to male reassignment surgery
Before female to male reassignment surgery is performed, a person will get testosterone replacement surgery.
They will probably undergo one or two of procedures mentioned below:
Chest restructuring
A person who does female to male transition surgery has subcutaneous mastectomy to remove breast tissues. The surgeon will also make some changes in the breast appearance by modifying the position of nipples.
Uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes removal
If a person is uncomfortable having uterus, ovaries or fallopian tubes, they should undergo this kind of surgery.
In partial hysterectomy, the surgeon will remove the uterus and in a total hysterectomy the surgeon will remove both uterus and cervix.
Metoidioplasty
Metoidioplasty is a method to construct a new penis or neopenis.
This process involves altering clitoris into a penis. The person will receive hormone therapy before the surgery for enlarging the clitoris.
Meanwhile, the surgeon will also remove the vagina in a vaginectomy.
Furthermore, the surgeon lengthens the urethra and place it through the neopenis. The doctor uses the tissues of check, labia minora or other parts of vagina for lengthening.
Centurion procedure is another option that involves repositioning around ligament under the clitoris to enhance the girth of the penis.
The good point of metoidioplasty is that nenopenis may become erect because of erectile abilities of clitoral tissue.
Yet, the neopenis constructed through metoidioplasty is too small for penetrative sex and the person who has performed this surgery is not likely to have sexual relationship.
Phalloplasty
A phalloplasty usually uses grafted skin of arm, thigh, back or abdomen to form neopenis. Doctors reflect that taking skin from forearm is the best option in penile construction.
Phalloplasty forms larger penis when compared to metoidioplasty. Yet, this neopenis cannot erect on its own.
After recovery, a person can have penis implant to maintain erection and have penetrative sex.
During phalloplasty, the surgeon lengthens the urethra through vaginectomy.
Bad points of phalloplasty feature the numbers of visits, reversions and consequently higher costs.
Scrotoplasty
A person may wish to have scrotoplasty which is the creation of a scrotum through metoidioplasty or phalloplasty.
In scrotoplasy the surgeon takes out and replaces the labia magora to make scrotum and inserts silicone testicular implants.
Recovery
According to the type of procedure and factors like the person’s overall health and lifestyle choices, the recovery time of female-to-male surgery varies.
For instance, smoking and use of nicotine raises the risk of complications after surgery and slows down the process of recovery. If a person smokes, vapes or uses anything with nicotine, the medical team consider they are not well qualified to for this kind of surgery.
After female to male reassignment surgery, most people should stay in hospital for at least some days.
The person who leaves the hospital should involve in very restricted activities for almost 6 weeks or longer.
Moreover, if the person had a ureteral extension, they need to use a catheter for 3_4 weeks.
Some side effects of metoidioplasty or phalloplasty are metioned below:
- Urethral fistula_ a tunneled connection that forms between the urethra and another part of the body.
- Urethral stricture_ a narrowing that results in blockage of urine flow within urethra.
A person who has performed phalloplasty may experience the following:
- Tissue death or skin graft failure
- Scarring in the area that the graft was taken
Female to male sex reassignment surgery features the risks below:
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Reaction of anesthesia
- Dissatisfaction with the results
Gender affirming expectations
Although the person who performs a metoidioplasty has relatively small penis, they may have erection and enjoy more sensation in their nenopenis.
The nenopenis forms through phalloplasty is usually bigger in size but less sensitive to have erections.
If a person has urethral extension, the aim is to be able to urinate while standing after the full recovery process.
A 2005 study indicated that 80% of those who underwent female to male sex reassignment surgery have reported improvement of sexuality after surgery.
A 2018 study manifested that 94_100% of those who have performed gender affirming surgery were satisfied with the surgical results.
Outlook
The results of female to male reassignment surgery depends on the type of surgery, the person’s overall health and other elements. Many people report satisfaction after operation however the risk of this surgery is high.
Choosing an eligible surgeon and following recovery guidelines is rather fundamental.
