Transgender surgery

Transgender Surgery

In the following lines, we will try to elaborate more closely on a transgender surgery. Speaking in technical terms, a person can never completely change the gender, which is why this surgery is called sex reassignment surgery SRS. What doctors are trying to do is related to the change of physical appearance of a person, so that the anatomy can be as much as possible similar to the anatomy of the opposite sex. Secondary sexual characteristics are changed with hormonal therapy. There is a belief that penis and testicles are being amputated in this kind of surgery, but that is a false assumption. Internal penile tissue is removed, and outer penis skin is only inserted in the body, and created to be a vagina. Scrotal tissue of the testicles is used for formation of vaginal lips.

The procedure

When under total anesthetics, the patient is prepared for the change of sex. The plastic surgeon separates the skin of a penis and peals the skin of it. That skin is used to create inverted penis which will be a new vagina. Before this procedure, a small stub of tissue is left with the purpose to create sexual sensation in that area when it is under some stimuli. Then the clitoris is made out of erectile tissue and after that, a female urinary opening is made. In order to have a full sexual orgasm, abdominal muscles are placed around new vagina so that a vagina can squeeze. It is all filled with surgical gauze, so that, it can be shaped properly and stay in that place. It is all supported by thin surgical wire, which can be removed, along with the gauze, after seven days.

The post operative period doesn’t take too long, since one needs to stay in bed for 7-8 days and the pain appears only while sneezing or coughing. The bladder is also slowly recovering, but at first, a patient will have to pee through caterer. Six week must pass before a person returns to his sexual activities, and a sensation comes a little earlier.

Requirements for Surgery

There are some standards that must be fulfilled if a person wants to undergo this procedure. The persons have to live at least one year in the new gender role; they have to take hormonal therapy at least one year and have recommendations from psychologists or therapists after attending sessions, as well as psychical recommendation that they are in good mental health. If this is all provided, HIV test is done and an individual interview is scheduled with a surgeon. If one decides to take this major step, and later disappoints, there is always an option to continue life in the old gender.