Phalloplasty in female-to-male transsexuals: what do our patients ask for?

Abstract

Although the surgical goals of phalloplasty in female-to-male transsexuals have repeatedly been described, the requests by the patients themselves have never been assessed and evaluated properly. To obtain information on their desiderata in this matter a questionnaire was sent to 200 subjects. The answers in the 150 returned questionnaires made us conclude that the 79 subjects (52%) who seek phalloplasty express the following requests as to their external genitalia: a scrotum (96%), a glans (92%), rigidity (86%), and an aesthetically appealing look either while wearing a tight swim suit (91%) or being nude (81%). All but 1 patient wanted to be able to void in a standing position. We add minimal disfigurement and no functional loss in the donor area as two of the goals of phalloplasty.