Gender Reassignment Surgery
National Health Service, UK
[Abstract] Full Text [PDF]
Introduction
Gender reassignment surgery, commonly known as a
sex-change operation, is the surgical treatment sometimes given to people who
are convinced that they are of the wrong anatomical sex, a condition known as
gender dysphoria, otherwise known as transsexual.
However, the term 'transsexual' also includes
people with ambiguous genitalia who have been thought to be male but are
genetically female.
Before gender reassignment surgery is
considered, a detailed psychiatric and psychological evaluation is made. This
is to ensure that the transsexual person has considered the full implications
of the operation and believes it to be the best course of action.
The transsexual person must have experienced
the desire to undergo sexual reassignment for at least two years and must also
take part in a trial period of dressing and living as a member of the opposite
sex.
Why is it necessary?
Transsexual people are convinced that their
bodies are of the wrong sex. They have all the emotional reactions,
preferences, tastes and desires of the opposite sex and wish to live and be
treated as members of that sex.
In some cases, their parents may have treated
them from birth as if they were of the opposite sex, often because the parents
wanted a baby of that sex. This early environmental conditioning may be more
powerful than the genetic influences.
Why it should be done
When extensive psychological testing has fully
established that someone is genuinely transsexual, is suffering from no
psychiatric disorder, and cannot ever be happy with the present anatomical
sex, reassignment surgery should be offered.
How it is performed
Female-to-male surgery involves Mastectomy to
remove the breasts, followed by removal of the uterus and ovaries.
Construction of a penis may then be attempted by grafting abdominal skin over
a catheter.
Operations for ambiguous genitalia are
usually done as soon as possible after birth.
[see the website for male-to-female
surgery details]
Results
In properly selected cases the results are
usually highly successful to the people concerned.
Citation:
published on the Internet by NHS Direct Online Health Encyclopaedia
<http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/nhsdoheso/print.asp?sTopic=Genderreassignment>
