Evaluation of surgical procedures for sex reassignment: a systematic review

Summary 

Objectives

To evaluate earlier reviews and literature concerning five individual surgical procedures for male-to-female (MTF) transsexism: clitoroplasty, labiaplasty, orchidectomy, penectomy and vaginoplasty. Further evaluations were made of eight surgical procedures for female-to-male (FTM) transsexism: hysterectomy, mastectomy, metoidoplasty, phalloplasty, salpingo-oophorectomy, scrotoplasty/placement of testicular prostheses, urethroplasty and vaginectomy.

Background

Increased prevalence and advances in surgical options available to patients requesting gender reassignment surgery have made this an important consideration for research. There remains a lack of systematic reviewing of the evidence, in particular, of the individual surgical options available.

Methods

Searches were undertaken in six electronic databases (Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts [ASSIA], Cochrane Library [Wiley Online], Embase [Ovid Online], Medline [Ovid Online], Medline in Process [Ovid Online], Psycinfo) providing coverage of the biomedical, grey literature and current research.

Results

Eighty-two published papers (38 MTF; 44 FTM) met the inclusion criteria identified across the 13 surgical procedures. For MTF transsexism there was no evidence satisfying the inclusion criteria concerning labiaplasty, penectomy or orchidectomy procedures. A large amount of evidence was available concerning vaginoplasty and clitoroplasty procedures. For FTM transsexism satisfactory outcomes were reported. Outcomes related to the ability to perform sexual intercourse, achieve orgasm and void whilst standing. Some complications were reported for both MTF and FTM procedures.

Conclusions

The evidence concerning gender reassignment surgery in both MTF and FTM transsexism has several limitations in terms of: (a) lack of controlled studies, (b) evidence has not collected data prospectively, (c) high loss to follow up and (d) lack of validated assessment measures. Some satisfactory outcomes were reported, but the magnitude of benefit and harm for individual surgical procedures cannot be estimated accurately using the current available evidence.

Keywords: Gender reassignment surgery, Transsexism, Male-to-female, Female-to-male, Evidence-based research