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Published in: Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 1/2018

01-02-2018 | Original Article

Male-to-Female Sex Reassignment Surgery using the Combined Vaginoplasty Technique: Satisfaction of Transgender Patients with Aesthetic, Functional, and Sexual Outcomes

Authors: Dmitry Zavlin, Jürgen Schaff, Jean-Daniel Lellé, Kevin T. Jubbal, Peter Herschbach, Gerhard Henrich, Benjamin Ehrenberger, Laszlo Kovacs, Hans-Günther Machens, Nikolaos A. Papadopulos

Published in: Aesthetic Plastic Surgery | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Background

Currently available patient-reported outcome measures are limited in the field of sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Standardized questionnaires deliver high evidence data on satisfaction of male-to-female (MTF) transgender patients but do not allow any modification in their clinical application. We therefore designed a prospective study using self-developed indication-specific questionnaires to evaluate the aesthetic, functional, and sexual outcomes of MTF patients undergoing SRS.

Methods

Forty-nine adult MTF transgender patients who underwent two-stage SRS were eligible for study inclusion between September 2012 and January 2014. Forty patients (= N) ultimately filled out both parts of the questionnaire sets: 1 day before the first stage (T0) and 6 months after the second stage of SRS (T1). These questionnaires focused on demographic characteristics, the satisfaction with aesthetic and functional results, and sexuality.

Results

Patients rated their surgical satisfaction of most items with mean scores above 7 on a 0–10-point scale. Many items evaluating everyday life activities improved significantly after SRS compared to T0 (p < 0.01). All but one patient (97.5%) reported no regrets about having undergone surgery, and the majority recommended it to other patients with gender dysphoria. Femininity and sexual activity increased significantly postoperatively (p < 0.01). Satisfaction with intercourse and orgasm was high: 6.70 and 8.21, respectively, on a 0–10 scale.

Conclusion

Satisfaction with the cosmetic outcome, as well as the functional and sexual outcomes, reveal positive effects of SRS using the combined technique on transgender patient lives. Nevertheless, standardized and validated SRS-specific questionnaires are lacking.

Level of Evidence IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.​springer.​com/​00266.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Male-to-Female Sex Reassignment Surgery using the Combined Vaginoplasty Technique: Satisfaction of Transgender Patients with Aesthetic, Functional, and Sexual Outcomes
Authors
Dmitry Zavlin
Jürgen Schaff
Jean-Daniel Lellé
Kevin T. Jubbal
Peter Herschbach
Gerhard Henrich
Benjamin Ehrenberger
Laszlo Kovacs
Hans-Günther Machens
Nikolaos A. Papadopulos
Publication date
01-02-2018
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery / Issue 1/2018
Print ISSN: 0364-216X
Electronic ISSN: 1432-5241
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-017-1003-z

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