Surgical therapy in transsexual patients:
a multi-disciplinary approach
Monstrey S, Hoebeke P, Dhont M, De
Cuypere G,
Rubens R, Moerman M, Hamdi M, Van Landuyt K, Blondeel P.
Department of Plastic Surgery, University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
Abstract [Full Text] [PDF]
Abstract
A transsexual patient has the constant and
persistent conviction that he or she belongs to the opposite sex, thus
creating a deeply seated gender identity conflict. With psychotherapy being
unsuccessful, it has been proven that in carefully selected patients, gender
reassignment or adjusting the body to the mind (both with hormones and
surgery) is the best way to normalize their lives.
Optimal treatment of these patients
requires the multidisciplinary approach of a gender team with the input of
several specialties. Such a team consists of a nucleus of physicians who
sees the patient more frequently: the psychiatrist, the endocrinologist, the
plastic surgeon, the gynecologist and the urologist and a more peripheral
group that sees the patients more incidentally: the psychologist, the
otorhinolaryngologist, the dermatologist, the speech therapist, the lawyer,
the nurse and the social worker.
Between 1987 and 1999, a total of 71
male-to-female (MTF) and 54 female-to-male transsexuals have undergone
gender confirming surgery in our hospital. This article gives a review and
an update on the different surgical procedures as well as on the outcome in
our patient population. The results in this series of patients clearly
demonstrate that a close cooperation of the different surgical specialties,
within our multidisciplinary gender team, is the key to success in treating
transsexual patients.
Citation:
Acta Chir Belg 2001 Sep-Oct;101(5):200-9 an
article published on the Internet by PubMed <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/>