Operative Treatment Many patients with gender dysphoria require some form of surgery to fully achieve their desired body image and psychological gender identity.
It's important to remember that hormone therapy is only one of the treatments for gender dysphoria. Others include voice therapy and psychological support. The decision to have hormone therapy will be taken after a discussion between you and your clinic team.
Gender-affirming surgery gives transgender people a body that aligns with their gender. It may involve procedures on the face, chest or genitalia. Common transgender surgery options include: Facial reconstructive surgery to make facial features more masculine or feminine.
What is Gender Affirming Surgery? Gender affirming surgery, also known as sex reassignment surgery (SRS) or confirmation surgery, is the surgical procedure(s) by which a transgender or non-binary person's physical appearance and functional abilities are changed to align with the gender they know themselves to be.
With bottom surgery (genital reconstruction), we can reconstruct and transform your genitals. We can remove the penis and testicles and create a vagina, clitoris and labia. We can also remove the vagina and construct a penis.
Gender dysphoria is a term that describes a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. This sense of unease or dissatisfaction may be so intense it can lead to depression and anxiety and have a harmful impact on daily life.
Transmasculine, or female-to-nonbinary, surgery involves removing breast or chest tissue. Before a person has top surgery, they need to meet a set of requirements, such as having well-documented and persistent gender dysphoria.
FFS surgery in Australia is not covered by Medicare and older TGD people, or TGD people with underlying health conditions are often restricted in their option of FFS. All told FFS is very expensive, and depending on the procedure surgery, travel, recovery and accommodation can easily be over $30,000.
Male to female (M2F) surgery
The scrotum is used to reconstruct the labia minora and majora and a clitoroplasty is usually performed, by using a neurovascular island flap and some of the glands of the penis. Male to female gender affirming surgery takes approximately 3 to 4 hours and requires a general anaesthetic.
A diagnosis for gender dysphoria is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association. The diagnosis was created to help people with gender dysphoria get access to necessary health care and effective treatment.
For gender dysphoria to be present, a patient must have had at least two DSM-5 criteria for at least six months, and it must cause significant distress to the patient. This generally includes any of the following: a significant difference between their own experienced gender and their secondary sexual characteristics.
Stage 1 consists of the administration of puberty suppressant hormones (“puberty blockers”). This treatment suppresses the onset of puberty and physical characteristics which may be incompatible with your gender identity. Stage 1 allows young people to explore their gender identity before beginning Stage 2.
They explain that research shows prepubertal children who assert a transgender or gender diverse identity know their gender as clearly and as consistently as their cisgender peers. Other research has shown that if gender dysphoria persists during puberty, it is very likely permanent.
No one knows exactly what causes gender dysphoria. Some experts believe that hormones in the womb, genes, and cultural and environmental factors may be involved.
Around age two: Children become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls. Before their third birthday: Most children can easily label themselves as either a boy or a girl. By age four: Most children have a stable sense of their gender identity.
Gender dysphoria and/or coming out as transgender can occur at any age. The DSM-5-TR* distinguishes between Gender Dysphoria in Childhood for those who experience Gender Dysphoria before puberty. The diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria in Adolescents and Adults can occur at any age.
Gender reassignment surgery is available in Australia, but only at a few private hospitals at a relatively high cost. The costs of some, but not all treatments for trans people are covered by the national Medicare public health scheme.
In Australia, any government department that operates at a federal level is required by law to allow you to update your gender marker without having had surgical intervention. This legislation also requires these organisations to provide an additional 'non-binary' or 'X' option.
How long does facial feminization surgery last? If you get a comprehensive FFS as a single surgery, it can take eight to nine hours. Some surgeons recommend splitting the procedures into two surgeries, separated by seven to 10 days or longer.
FFS generally causes more discomfort than pain
One would imagine that waking up from the surgery and going through the first night has to be a painful process. But in reality there is a lot of numbness, and the feeling of sedation lingers.
Like any other type of major surgery, many types of feminizing surgery pose a risk of bleeding, infection, damage to nearby structures, an imbalance in facial features and an adverse reaction to anesthesia. Other complications might include: Suture rupture along an incision line.
Medicare may pay for some of the individual treatments associated with gender confirmation surgery including surgeries, medications, tests and consultations. Medicare may only partially cover the cost of Top surgery. New Medicare codes for Gender Affirmation surgery may be available in late 2022.
You may feel some pain for the first couple of days—especially when you move around or cough—and some discomfort for a week or more. Your surgeon will prescribe medication to lessen the pain. The bandages will be removed a week or two after surgery during your first postoperative visit.
While a GP is able to provide this, not many GPs feel that they have the necessary knowledge or training to 'diagnose'. Much more work is needed in this area.