Making a Statement: Positions of Professional Medical Organizations Towards Gender-Affirming Care.

OBJECTIVE: Despite politically charged media coverage and legislation surrounding gender affirming care (GAC), many organizations have released position statements to provide scientifically backed clinical practice standards, combat misinformation, and inform medicolegal policies. The purpose of this study is to objectively assess the availability and the content of the official position statements of relevant medical professional organizations regarding GAC. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: A list of U.S. medical professional organizations with likely involvement in GAC based on medical or surgical specialties was compiled. METHODS: For included organizations, we evaluated the availability, content, and publication year of positions on GAC through October 2023. When available, formal positions were categorized as supportive or unsupportive. RESULTS: A total of 314 professional medical organizations were screened for our study based on specialty, relevance to GAC, and issuance of patient guidelines or position statements. Inclusion criteria were met by 55 organizations. Most organizations (35, 63.6%) had formal position statements on GAC. Support for GAC was described in 97.1% (n=34). Further, 94.2% (n=33) of available statements explicitly addressed GAC in individuals less than 18 years old and were largely supportive (96.9%, n=32). CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional analysis demonstrates that a majority of multidisciplinary professional medical organizations with relevance to GAC have issued formal position statements on the topic. Available positions were overwhelmingly supportive of individualized access to gender-affirming therapies in adult and adolescent populations. However, silence from some organizations continues to represent a modifiable disparity in the provision of GAC.

BMI is Not Associated with Chest-Specific Body Image, Complications or Revisions in Gender-Affirming Mastectomy: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of Body Mass Index (BMI) on clinical and patient-reported outcomes following gender-affirming mastectomy (GM). BACKGROUND: BMI is a barrier for obese patients seeking GM despite increasing evidence that it is safe in this population. Currently little is known about the impact of BMI on chest-specific body image and satisfaction following GM. METHODS: This single-center, cross-sectional study included individuals 18 years and older who underwent GM between 1990-2020 and were at least 2 years post-operative. Patient-reported chest-specific body image was measured using the BODY-Q and Gender Congruence and Life Satisfaction (GCLS) chest subscales. Satisfaction was measured using the Holmes-Rovner Satisfaction with Decision (SWD) scale. Clinical and demographic variables were identified from chart review. Bivariate analysis was performed to determine if BMI was associated with chest-specific body image, satisfaction, complications within 30 days or revisions in GM. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-seven individuals meeting eligibility criteria were contacted to participate and one hundred thirty-seven responded (60.4% response rate). The mean age was 29.1 (SD=9.0) and mean BMI was 30.9 (SD=8.0), with 26.4% (N=60) of the cohort having a BMI>35. Chest-specific body image, and satisfaction with decision did not vary by BMI or breast resection weight. Complications and revisions were not associated with BMI. CONCLUSION: Individuals undergoing GM reported high rates of satisfaction following GM regardless of BMI. Complication and revision rates did not vary significantly by BMI or breast resection weight. Surgeons should re-evaluate the role BMI plays in patient selection and counseling for GM.

Gender Affirming Mastectomy Improves Quality of Life in Transmasculine Patients: A Single-center Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of gender-affirming mastectomy on depression, anxiety, and body image. BACKGROUND: There are many cross-sectional and ad-hoc studies demonstrating the benefits of gender-affirming surgery. There are few prospective investigations of patient-reported outcomes in gender-affirming surgery using validated instruments. METHODS: In this prospective study, patients presenting to the University of Michigan for gender-affirming Mastectomy were surveyed preoperatively and 6-months postoperatively. Primary outcomes were patient-reported measurements of anxiety measured by General Anxiety Disorder-7, depression measured by Patient Health Questionnaire-9, body image measured by BODY-Q and Body Image Quality of Life Index, psychosocial and sexual functioning measured by BREAST-Q, and satisfaction with decision measured by BREAST-Q. Linear regression analysis was used to control for presence of complication and existing history of mental health conditions. RESULTS: A total of 70 patients completed the study. The average age of participants was 26.7. The mean Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score pre-operatively was 7.8 and postoperatively was 5.4 ( P =0.001). The mean preoperative and postoperative General Anxiety Disorder-7 scores were 7.6 and 4.6, respectively ( P <0.001). There were significant improvements in both psychosocial (35 to 79.2, P <0.001) and sexual (33.9 to 67.2, P< 0.001) functioning related to chest appearance as measured by the BREAST-Q and global psychosocial functioning (-15.6 to +32, P <0.001) as measured by the Body Image Quality of Life Index. Satisfaction with chest contour (14.3 to 93.8, P <0.001) and nipple appearance (29.3 to 85.9, P <0.001) measured by the BODY-Q significantly improved. Patients had a mean satisfaction with outcome score of 93.1. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing gender-affirming mastectomy in this single-center prospective study reported significant improvements in anxiety, depression, body image, psychosocial, and sexual functioning after this procedure. Patients were extremely satisfied with the decision to undergo this operation.

Female-to-Male Gender-Affirming Chest Reconstruction Surgery.

There is an increased demand for gender affirmation surgery. Chest contouring, or "top" surgery, is especially important in the female-to-male (FtM) transgender population. This Continuing Medical Education (CME) article critically appraises the available literature on top surgery to allow plastic surgeons to understand current practices and determine the best surgical technique using a decision algorithm and the patient's preoperative anatomy and characteristics. Because a single best surgical approach does not exist due to significant variance in preoperative patient anatomy, and in order to provide a useful framework for decision making, surgical approaches described are categorized as: approach 1-remote incision procedures without skin excision; approach 2-procedures with periareolar skin excision; and approach 3-mastectomy procedures with skin excision other than periareolar skin excision. Decision algorithms that help determine the most suitable surgical technique for individual patients are reviewed. Data on complication rates and patient satisfaction will improve informed consent discussions and create realistic patient expectations.

Clinicopathological findings in female-to-male gender-affirming breast surgery.

AIMS: Gender dysphoria is a diagnosis whereby an individual identifies as the opposite gender. The management of patients seeking female-to-male (FTM) transition includes hormonal therapy and surgical intervention, including mastectomy. The aim of this study was to characterize the immunohistological findings in resection specimens from FTM patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We reviewed 68 cases (67 patients, one with re-excision) of FTM breast tissue resection by collecting clinical data, reviewing breast imaging and pathology reports (gross fibrous density, specimen weight, and number of cassettes submitted), and reviewing pathology slides [number of tissue pieces submitted, number of terminal duct lobule units (TDLUs), and the presence of histological findings]. Significant histological findings were present in 51 of 68 (75.0%) cases, including one case (1.5%) of flat epithelial atypia. Fibrocystic changes were the most common finding (27/68, 39.7%), followed by gynaecomastoid change, fibrotic stage, (22/68, 32.4%), and fibroadenomatoid change (11/68, 16.2%). Fibrocystic change was associated with increased numbers of TDLUs, and gynaecomastoid change was associated with lower body mass index and decreased numbers of TDLUs. Gynaecomastoid change showed a moderate proportion of luminal epithelial cells with strong-intensity immunohistochemical staining for oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and androgen receptor, and a three-layered epithelium demonstrated by the use of cytokeratin 5/6 immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: We identified gynaecomastoid change at a significantly higher rate than previously reported in female patients. We support the continued gross and histological evaluation of FTM specimens in light of the identification of atypia in one case.

Incidental testicular germ cell tumor in a transgender woman: A case report.

Testicular cancer found incidentally during gender-affirming orchiectomy is infrequently reported in the literature. This report details a 27-year-old transgender woman whose testicular cancer was discovered incidentally upon routine histopathologic examination of the orchiectomy specimen. The patient did not present with any clinical signs of malignancy. There was no evidence of metastases after further workup and the patient was able to resume hormone therapy after surgery. Transgender individuals must be screened according to their natal anatomy and even in absence of clinical signs excised tissue should be examined for possible malignancy.

A History of Gender-Affirming Surgery at the University of Michigan: Lessons for Today.

The University of Michigan has played an important role in advancing gender-affirming surgery programs in the United States. The University of Michigan was home to a little-known gender identity clinic shortly after the opening of the first such clinic at Johns Hopkins. Since 1995, the University of Michigan Comprehensive Services Program (UMCGSP) has been continually offering surgical services to transgender and gender diverse patients. Here, we present the history of both programs, drawn from program documents and oral history, and explore their implications for the future sustainability of gender-affirming surgery programs. The original gender identity clinic opened in 1968, and operated in a multidisciplinary fashion, similar to other clinics at the time. Eventually, the clinic was closed due to disinvestment and lack of sufficient providers to maintain the program, problems which are being increasingly recognized as barriers for similar programs. The modern program, UMCGSP is perhaps the longest continually running gender-affirming surgical program at an academic center. In spite of challenges, key investments in education, statewide community engagement, and the development of a comprehensive care model have helped UMCGSP avoid the pitfalls of the earlier clinic and remain relevant throughout its nearly 30-year history. In the face of rising challenges to gender-affirming care in the United States, much can be learned from the sustainability of the UMCGSP. Institutions seeking to maintain gender-affirming surgery programs should ensure the availability of comprehensive care and promote the education of the health care workforce.

Fat Grafting for Forehead Contouring in Facial Feminization.

For gender-diverse individuals assigned male at birth, postpubertal estrogen and testosterone-lowering therapies alone are often inadequate to reverse the testosterone-related facial characteristics projecting a male sex identity. Facial feminization surgery significantly improves quality-of-life outcomes for gender-diverse patients by relieving this gender incongruence of the face. Because the shape of the forehead is so radically different between men and women, feminization of this area is critical for many individuals. Several techniques are typically used in combination, including hairline advancement, browlift, burring of the supraorbital rims, frontal bone contouring, and anterior table setback. This report describes the use of fat grafting as an adjuvant technique to forehead contouring as means to avoid frontal bone osteotomy, which carries a higher complication profile and often requires hardware placement.

"Prostatectomy after gender-affirming vaginoplasty for a transgender woman with prostate cancer".

We present the case of a 75 year old transgender woman 18 months post gender-affirming vaginoplasty found to have unfavorable, intermediate risk prostate cancer. She elected a robotic radical prostatectomy with bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection. Postoperatively, the patient resumed neovaginal dilation without difficulty, and had improvements on International Prostate Symptom Score when compared to post-vaginoplasty, pre-prostatectomy. Incontinence measured by Revised Urinary Incontinence Scale remained mild. Robotic prostatectomy can, under appropriate circumstances, allow preservation of the neovaginal vault, but requires considerable experience and multidisciplinary intraoperative collaboration.

Conscientious Objection to Gender-Affirming Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Plastic Surgery and Urology Residency Programs.

OBJECTIVE: Medical conscientious objection is a federally protected right of physicians to refuse participation in medically indicated services or research activities that are incompatible with their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. Individual provider objections to gender-affirming surgery have been documented, however the prevalence of such objections is unknown. Our study aimed to characterize physician objections to gender-affirming surgery in plastic surgery and urology residencies and to assess related institutional policies. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional electronic survey was administered to program leadership of 239 accredited US plastic surgery and urology residencies from February to October 2023. Trainee exposure to gender-affirming surgery, programmatic experience with objections, and presence and content of institutional objection policies were collected. Bivariate analyses were performed to determine associations with objectors. RESULTS: One-hundred and twenty-four plastic surgery (n = 59) and urology (n = 65) residencies completed the survey, representing a 52% response rate. Most programs included didactic training (n = 107, 86%) and direct clinical exposure (n = 98, 79%) to gender-affirming surgery. Few (n = 24, 19%) endorsed existent objection policies. Sixteen programs (13%) experienced objections to gender-affirming surgery by trainees (n = 15), faculty (n = 6), and staff (n = 1). Neither geographic region, exposure to gender-affirming surgery, nor presence of objection policies significantly contributed to programmatic objections. Programs with formal objection policies reported increased confidence in addressing future objection events (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Objection to gender-affirming surgery is a rare, but plausible occurrence amongst plastic surgery and urology trainees. Residency programs should consider anticipatory policies to protect patients and, when feasible, provide reasonable accommodations for objecting trainees.

Rectal Injury during Penile Inversion Vaginoplasty: An Algorithmic Approach to Prevention and Management.

BACKGROUND: Penile inversion vaginoplasty (PIV) is a common procedure for transfeminine patients, with the goal of creating a functional vaginal canal and clitoris and a natural-appearing vulva. Creation of the neovagina requires opening of the prerectal space, most commonly from a perineal approach, and the reported rates of rectal perforation during this dissection range from 3% to 5%. METHODS: Adult patients who underwent PIV at the authors' institution were identified retrospectively. Demographics, operative information, and postoperative clinical outcomes were extracted from the electronic medical record. RESULTS: Ten of 146 patients (6.8%) experienced a rectal injury. All patients underwent an immediate repair (two-layer repair in eight patients, and three-layer repair in two), with two patients subsequently requiring temporary fecal diversion and two requiring muscle flaps (1.4% each). Literature review identified 18 relevant publications, with scarce in-depth analysis of management of initial rectal injuries. CONCLUSION: The authors' algorithmic approach to rectal injury during PIV is designed to facilitate decision-making based on preoperative preparation, consistent intraoperative monitoring, feasibility of primary repair of the rectum, and a multidisciplinary approach to longitudinal postoperative care. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Conscientious Objection to Gender-Affirming Surgery: Institutional Experience and Recommendations.

SUMMARY: As more academic institutions with surgical residency training programs begin to offer gender-affirming surgery, issues of trainee conscientious objection related to participation in these patient encounters may arise. In this article, the authors discuss their institutional experience with residents' conscientious objection to involvement in gender-affirming surgery. Although there are ethical arguments for and against conscientious objection, current U.S. federal policy grants all health care workers conscientious objector status upon their request. Recommendations are offered for other institutions that may experience similar situations regarding conscientious objection to gender-affirming care or to other aspects of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Gender-Affirming Vaginoplasty: A Comparison of Algorithms, Surgical Techniques and Management Practices across 17 High-volume Centers in North America and Europe.

Penile inversion vaginoplasty is the most common gender-affirming genital surgery performed around the world. Although individual centers have published their experiences, expert consensus is generally lacking. Methods: Semistructured interviews were performed with 17 experienced gender surgeons representing a diverse mix of specialties, experience, and countries regarding their patient selection, preoperative management, vaginoplasty techniques, complication management, and postoperative protocols. Results: There is significant consistency in practices across some aspects of vaginoplasty. However, key areas of clinical heterogeneity are also present and include use of extragenital tissue for vaginal canal/apex creation, creation of the clitoral hood and inner labia minora, elevation of the neoclitoral neurovascular bundle, and perioperative hormone management. Pathway length of stay is highly variable (1-9 days). Lastly, some surgeons are moving toward continuation or partial reduction of estrogen in the perioperative period instead of cessation. Conclusions: With a broad study of surgeon practices, and encompassing most of the high-volume vaginoplasty centers in Europe and North America, we found key areas of practice variation that represent areas of priority for future research to address. Further multi-institutional and prospective studies that incorporate patient-reported outcomes are necessary to further our understanding of these procedures.

Common Revisions after Penile Inversion Vaginoplasty: Techniques and Clinical Outcomes.

SUMMARY: Up to one-third of patients are reported to undergo secondary surgical revision to address functional and aesthetic concerns after penile inversion vaginoplasty. The most commonly performed revisions are posterior introital web release, clitoroplasty, labiaplasty, and urethroplasty. To illustrate effective strategies for each of these revisions, this Video Plus article reviews the case of a 32-year-old transgender woman undergoing revision surgery to correct functionally limiting posterior introital webbing and to improve clitoral and labial appearance. Intraoperative steps and postoperative considerations are detailed in the accompanying videos.

Vaginal Canal Reconstruction in Penile Inversion Vaginoplasty with Flaps, Peritoneum, or Skin Grafts: Where Is the Evidence?

BACKGROUND: To optimize neovaginal dimensions, several modifications of the traditional penile inversion vaginoplasty are described. Options for neovaginal lining include skin grafts, scrotal flaps, urethral flaps, and peritoneum. Implications of these techniques on outcomes remain limited. METHODS: A systematic review of recent literature was performed to assess evidence on various vaginal lining options as adjunct techniques in penile inversion vaginoplasty. Study characteristics, neovaginal depth, donor-site morbidity, lubrication, and complications were analyzed in conjunction with expert opinion. RESULTS: Eight case series and one cohort study representing 1622 patients used additional skin grafts when performing penile inversion vaginoplasty. Neovaginal stenosis ranged from 1.2 to 12 percent, and neovaginal necrosis ranged from 0 to 22.8 percent. Patient satisfaction with lubrication was low in select studies. Three studies used scrotal flaps to line the posterior vaginal canal. Average neovaginal depth was 12 cm in one study, and neovaginal stenosis ranged from 0 to 6.3 percent. In one study of 24 patients, urethral flaps were used to line the neovagina. Neovaginal depth was 11 cm and complication rates were comparable to other series. Two studies used robotically assisted peritoneal flaps with or without skin grafts in 49 patients. Average neovaginal depth was approximately 14 cm, and complication rates were low. CONCLUSIONS: Skin grafts, scrotal flaps, urethral flaps, and peritoneal flaps may be used to augment neovaginal canal dimensions with minimal donor-site morbidity. Further direct comparative data on complications, neovaginal depth, and lubrication are needed to assess indications in addition to advantages and disadvantages of the various lining options.

Prevalence of Psychosocial Distress in Transmen Seeking Gender-Affirming Mastectomy.

BACKGROUND: Although the benefits of gender-affirming surgery may be apparent to patients and providers, there remains a paucity of studies assessing the impact of these procedures. As an initial step, preoperative patient-reported outcomes using validated measures of depression, anxiety, and body image were used and compared to cisgender normative data. METHODS: Patients presenting for gender-affirming mastectomy were approached and surveyed using validated instruments measuring anxiety, depression, and body image. In addition, clinical data were collected from the medical record. Results were compared to published instrument norms in the general cisgender population. RESULTS: One hundred three patients completed the preoperative assessment; 70.3 percent and 66.3 percent of the cohort screened positive for mild to severe depression and anxiety, respectively. Only 25 percent and 29.8 percent of the cohort, respectively, had a previous diagnosis of depression and anxiety. The rates of depression and anxiety were significantly higher than those in cisgender normative data [mean Patient Health Questionnaire score, 2.7 (p < 0.0001); mean Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7 score, 2.66 (p < 0.0001)]. Body Image Quality of Life Index and BREAST-Q scores were also significantly lower than those in cisgender normative data. CONCLUSIONS: Patients seeking gender-affirming mastectomy have a significant mental health burden that appears to be underdiagnosed. They further have significant challenges with body image compared with cisgender normative data. These findings signify dramatic mental health disparities in the preoperative transgender population and the need for ongoing prospective research of gender-affirming surgery.