Men and women can undergo gender affirming surgeries to alter their sexual orientation. It involves changing the penis and skin color of a male to female or vice versa. There are a few procedures that can be performed, such as a hysterectomy (orchiectomy). Others include inversion of skin and penis.
Hysterectomy
A surgical procedure that alters a male's gender from a woman to a man, called hysterectomy or gender affirming surgery. Around 0.4% are transgender. This condition can lead to symptoms of gender dysphoria, such as physical or emotional pain. While medical management is a common form of treatment, surgery is another option for transgender men. Some common surgical procedures for transgender men include hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. According to the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement data, only 3.3% of transgender people had hysterectomy in order to undergo a gender shift.
It is relatively recent and still in development to perform hysterectomy for gender affirmation. The majority of hysterectomy performed in the past was for medical reasons. Coexisting gender dysphoria might have also prompted a decision to hysterectomy. In recent years, however, insurance companies have begun to cover the procedure.
Orchiectomy
Orchiectomy is the procedure that removes the testicles. It is one of many first steps in a transgender individual's surgery transition. It eliminates the testicles and decreases the production of testosterone, the male hormone. This surgery can lower blood clot risk and simplify the patient's hormonal regimen.
It is possible to perform the procedure on an outpatient basis. Depending on the type of surgery used, recovery can take between two to eight weeks. It can be covered by Medicare, private insurance or the individual's own health insurance.
Inversions of skin and penis
Inversion of skin and penis, one of the most common methods of transvaginal surgical treatment, is widely used and considered to be the best method for genital reconstruction in transgender women. This involves placing the penis inverted into a vagina to give it the appearance of a natural woman's vagina. The entire procedure can take between three and five hours. It may take several days to recover. A special dressing is then placed inside the vagina for protection.
A standardized protocol is followed during the procedure. The doctor will explain aftercare instructions to the patient. The medical team will give you a kit to do follow-up dilations at home. Follow-up emails will be sent to you and appointments will be made with your surgeon.
Recovery time
Post-surgery healing is crucial for gender-affirming procedures that involve the conversion of a male penis to one female. Depending on which type of surgery was done, the recovery period can take between four and eight weeks. A mastectomy is most commonly performed, but it's also possible to have a breast augmentation or vaginoplasty. Both procedures take at most one week to complete, but may require up to five or six additional weeks of rest.
Gender affirming surgery reduces testosterone production. The procedure can remove the need for estrogen therapy and hormone-suppressive drugs. It can preserve the ability to have children naturally. The recovery time for gender affirming surgery male or female varies depending on the type of procedure and the patient's condition.