Phalloplasty using radial forearm osteocutaneous free flaps in female-to-male transsexuals
Section snippets
Patients
We performed 40 cases of phalloplasty in female-to-male transsexuals with radial forearm osteocutaneous free flap at Dong-A University Hospital between March 1991 and December 2005. The mean age at the time of operation was 34, ranging from 15 to 53. All female-to-male transsexuals had already undergone mastectomy, oophorectomy and hysterectomy. For these patients, the follow-up period was 1 to 14 years after the operation, with the average follow-up period being 72 months.
Design of the radial forearm osteocutaneous free flap
The design involved
Results
All of our patients were extremely grateful for their surgery.
Almost all patients were satisfied with the appearance of the constructed phallus; 35 patients thought the result was excellent and four patients thought it good (Figure 4, Figure 5). The constructed phallus with osteocutaneous flap had sufficient firmness to perform satisfactory sexual intercourse. But about 1 year after the operation, some constructed phalluses had a soft shaft due to the absorption of adipose tissue; we then
Discussion
Numerous attempts to reconstruct the male phallus have been made since Bogoraz3 performed the first total penis reconstruction with tubed abdominal flap in 1936, and it has remained a very fascinating field and still a great challenge for plastic surgeons. To date, some problems still exist in making the reconstructed phallus a satisfactorily functioning organ. It remains an extremely difficult proposition to obtain a watertight urethra in transsexuals. The anatomy and function of the male
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Cited by (54)
Outcomes Following Gender Affirming Phalloplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
2022, Sexual Medicine ReviewsOptions for Masculinizing Genital Gender Affirming Surgery: A Critical Review of the Literature and Perspectives for Future Directions
2021, Sexual Medicine ReviewsCitation Excerpt :We identified 42 primary studies that primarily focused on phalloplasty techniques and outcomes in transgender patients.3,28–68 The most commonly reported flap used was the radial forearm free flap (RFFF) in 15 studies3,29–31,35,39,42,43,46,47,50,51,54,60,67 and the least reported were superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap53 and island tensor fasciae latae flap.55 Flaps used in phalloplasty are listed in Table 2.
Multimodal Evaluation of Functional Nerve Regeneration in Transgender Individuals After Phalloplasty With a Free Radial Forearm Flap
2020, Journal of Sexual MedicineCitation Excerpt :In contrast, vibration sensation was poor in this collective. Kim et al17 analyzed 44 phalli constructed with a radial forearm osteocutaneous flap. They also adapted the Chang technique and used the ulnar side of the flap for tubing the urethra.