An Updated Overview of Gender Dysphoria and Gender Affirmation Surgery: What Every Plastic Surgeon Should Know

Gender dysphoria: Quality of online information for gender reassignment surgery

An ever-increasing number of patients are using the Internet to learn about medical conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of Internet-based patient information on gender reassignment surgery for people who suffer from gender dysphoria. Twenty websites identified using Google and Yahoo search engines were selected and evaluated based on the modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) instrument (36 items). The EQIP tool comprises 36 questions to which the answer can be "yes" or "no". The final score for each website can be between 0 and 36. An overall score of 26 or above was considered high, because it co-related to the 72nd percentile. The average of the scores turned out to be 22.5 points, lower than our target; 7 (35%) sites were rated higher than the average and 13 (65%) were rated lower. The assessment of the websites included in the study showed a lack of information about the sequence of the medical procedures, perioperative criticalities and qualitative risks and side-effects descriptions. The overall quality of published information on gender reassignment surgery is very low. We believe that the Internet should not be used as the main source of medical information, and physicians should maintain the leadership in guiding patients affected by gender dysphoria. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case study.

[GrS Montreal: A private hospital specializing in gender-affirming surgery in Canada]

Gender dysphoria refers to the suffering an individual experiences when his or her sex at birth does not correspond to the expression of his or her gender. Gender-affirmation surgery is a procedure that can alleviate this suffering. For 20 years, GrS Montreal has been Canada's only center dedicated exclusively to this type of surgery. Thanks to its expertise, quality of care, state-of-the-art infrastructure and convalescent home, GrS Montreal receives patients from all over the world. This article describes the particularities of this center and puts into perspective the evolution of this type of surgery.

Gender Dysphoria and Its Non-Surgical and Surgical Treatments

Gender dysphoria is defined by severe or persistent distress associated with an incongruence between one's gender identity and biological sex. It is estimated that 1.4 million Americans and 25 million people worldwide identify as transgender and that 0.6% of Americans experience gender dysphoria. The pathophysiology of gender dysphoria is multifactorial and incompletely understood. Genetics, androgen exposure, neuroanatomy, brain connectivity, history of trauma, parents with psychological disorders, and being raised by less than two parents are associated with gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria most frequently presents in early teenage years but can present earlier or later. Anxiety and depression are the two most common comorbid diagnoses and may be the reason for presentation to medical care. Diagnosis is established through history and or validated questionnaires. Treatment includes psychosocial therapy, pharmacotherapy for underlying depression and/or anxiety, hormonal therapy, non-genital and/or genital feminization or masculinization operations. The frequency and severity of treatment related morbidity increases progressively as treatments go from conservative to more invasive. Gender dysphoria and its treatment is individualized and not completely understood.