The risks of penile reconstruction surgery (phalloplasty) appear higher in female-to-male transgender (transmale) patients undergoing gender confirmation surgery, compared to native male (cismale) patients undergoing phalloplasty for other reasons, reports a study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Complications are also less frequent when reconstruction of the urethra (urethroplasty) is done as a single-stage procedure, according to the new research by ASPS Member Surgeon Jeffrey B. Friedrich, MD, of University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues. “Our results provide useful information for surgeons and patients to consider when discussing options, risks, and expected outcomes of phalloplasty,” Dr. Friedrich comments.
