A Comparative Study of Urinary Complication Rates before and after the Incorporation of a Urethral Lengthening Technique during Masculinizing Genital Gender Affirmation Surgery

Objectives Masculinizing genital gender affirmation surgery (MgGAS) consists of operative procedures designed to help the transition of transmen in their journey toward male gender role. Phalloplasty and urethral lengthening remain the most challenging of these surgeries, as the female urethra (4 cm...

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Main Authors: Richie Gupta, Rajat Gupta, Anurag Puri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2022-04-01
Series:Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0042-1749104
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author Richie Gupta
Rajat Gupta
Anurag Puri
author_facet Richie Gupta
Rajat Gupta
Anurag Puri
author_sort Richie Gupta
collection DOAJ
description Objectives Masculinizing genital gender affirmation surgery (MgGAS) consists of operative procedures designed to help the transition of transmen in their journey toward male gender role. Phalloplasty and urethral lengthening remain the most challenging of these surgeries, as the female urethra (4 cm long) must be lengthened to male dimensions (15–29 cm) with anastomosis at two sites, the native urethra/pars fixa urethra and the pars fixa urethra-penile urethra. As a result, there is a high incidence of urinary complications such as strictures and fistulae. Authors incorporated a urethral lengthening technique to reduce urinary complications in MgGAS. They compare the rates of urinary complications rates in cohorts before and after the introduction of this technique. Materials and Methods Authors have been performing phalloplasty since past 27 years, utilizing mainly free radial artery forearm flap (fRAFFp 431 cases) and pedicled anterolateral thigh flap (pALTp 120 cases). A retrospective review and comparison of urinary complications were performed before and after the introduction of their new technique since March 2017. Results There was a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of stricture with and without fistulae (25.94% with conventional and 4.17% with urethral lengthening technique p = 0.001) and fistulae alone (12.81% with conventional and 2.78% with urethral lengthening technique p = 0.011) in fRAFFp cases. In pALTp cases, the respective reductions were 43.08 to 17.07%, p = 0.006 (significant), and 13.85 to 4.88%, p = 0.197 (not statistically significant). Conclusion Over years, the rates of urinary complications in MgGAS have remained constant, varying from 25 to 58% for strictures and 17 to 75% for fistulae as noted by many authors. Authors noted that in most of their cases, strictures occurred at distal pars fixa urethra (DPFU)-penile urethra anastomosis and incorporated a urethral lengthening technique, which lengthens the DPFU by 3 to 5 cm at this anastomotic site, thus significantly reducing the anastomotic tension and the rate of urinary complications.
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spelling doaj-art-e4d19eee9b8e41a0bdedcf4e9fb268c92025-08-20T03:25:11ZengThieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery0970-03581998-376X2022-04-01550219620410.1055/s-0042-1749104A Comparative Study of Urinary Complication Rates before and after the Incorporation of a Urethral Lengthening Technique during Masculinizing Genital Gender Affirmation SurgeryRichie Gupta0Rajat Gupta1Anurag Puri2Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery and Gender Identity Clinic, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, IndiaDepartment of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery and Gender Identity Clinic, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, IndiaDepartment of Urology and Kidney Transplant, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, IndiaObjectives Masculinizing genital gender affirmation surgery (MgGAS) consists of operative procedures designed to help the transition of transmen in their journey toward male gender role. Phalloplasty and urethral lengthening remain the most challenging of these surgeries, as the female urethra (4 cm long) must be lengthened to male dimensions (15–29 cm) with anastomosis at two sites, the native urethra/pars fixa urethra and the pars fixa urethra-penile urethra. As a result, there is a high incidence of urinary complications such as strictures and fistulae. Authors incorporated a urethral lengthening technique to reduce urinary complications in MgGAS. They compare the rates of urinary complications rates in cohorts before and after the introduction of this technique. Materials and Methods Authors have been performing phalloplasty since past 27 years, utilizing mainly free radial artery forearm flap (fRAFFp 431 cases) and pedicled anterolateral thigh flap (pALTp 120 cases). A retrospective review and comparison of urinary complications were performed before and after the introduction of their new technique since March 2017. Results There was a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of stricture with and without fistulae (25.94% with conventional and 4.17% with urethral lengthening technique p = 0.001) and fistulae alone (12.81% with conventional and 2.78% with urethral lengthening technique p = 0.011) in fRAFFp cases. In pALTp cases, the respective reductions were 43.08 to 17.07%, p = 0.006 (significant), and 13.85 to 4.88%, p = 0.197 (not statistically significant). Conclusion Over years, the rates of urinary complications in MgGAS have remained constant, varying from 25 to 58% for strictures and 17 to 75% for fistulae as noted by many authors. Authors noted that in most of their cases, strictures occurred at distal pars fixa urethra (DPFU)-penile urethra anastomosis and incorporated a urethral lengthening technique, which lengthens the DPFU by 3 to 5 cm at this anastomotic site, thus significantly reducing the anastomotic tension and the rate of urinary complications.http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0042-1749104masculinizing genitoplastyphalloplastygender incongruencegender affirmation surgerysex change surgeryforearm flapanterolateral thigh flapurethral strictureurethral fistula
spellingShingle Richie Gupta
Rajat Gupta
Anurag Puri
A Comparative Study of Urinary Complication Rates before and after the Incorporation of a Urethral Lengthening Technique during Masculinizing Genital Gender Affirmation Surgery
Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
masculinizing genitoplasty
phalloplasty
gender incongruence
gender affirmation surgery
sex change surgery
forearm flap
anterolateral thigh flap
urethral stricture
urethral fistula
title A Comparative Study of Urinary Complication Rates before and after the Incorporation of a Urethral Lengthening Technique during Masculinizing Genital Gender Affirmation Surgery
title_full A Comparative Study of Urinary Complication Rates before and after the Incorporation of a Urethral Lengthening Technique during Masculinizing Genital Gender Affirmation Surgery
title_fullStr A Comparative Study of Urinary Complication Rates before and after the Incorporation of a Urethral Lengthening Technique during Masculinizing Genital Gender Affirmation Surgery
title_full_unstemmed A Comparative Study of Urinary Complication Rates before and after the Incorporation of a Urethral Lengthening Technique during Masculinizing Genital Gender Affirmation Surgery
title_short A Comparative Study of Urinary Complication Rates before and after the Incorporation of a Urethral Lengthening Technique during Masculinizing Genital Gender Affirmation Surgery
title_sort comparative study of urinary complication rates before and after the incorporation of a urethral lengthening technique during masculinizing genital gender affirmation surgery
topic masculinizing genitoplasty
phalloplasty
gender incongruence
gender affirmation surgery
sex change surgery
forearm flap
anterolateral thigh flap
urethral stricture
urethral fistula
url http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0042-1749104
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