Long-term outcome of metaidoioplasty in 70 female-to-male transsexuals

In 1996, metaidoioplasty was introduced as an alternative to phalloplasty in female-to-male transsexuals. To assess the long-term outcome in 70 consecutive patients (mean follow-up 8 years), we established the characteristics of postoperative events and additional surgical procedures. Metaidoioplasty and primary or secondary scrotoplasty was uneventful in 8 patients. In the other patients, postoperative events included immediate postoperative complications (n = 23), urethral fistulas (n = 26) or strictures (n = 25), or loss (n = 22) or dislocation (n = 34) of testicular prostheses. An average of 2.6 surgical procedures per patient was needed to complete genital confirmation and cope with all events. Additional phalloplasty was performed or scheduled in 17 patients. We conclude that genital reassignment by metaidoioplasty cannot usually be completed in 1 step and that phalloplasty is feasible subsequent to metaidoioplasty. We still consider metaidoioplasty to be a method of choice in selected patients.