How is a transgender operation performed?
I had a long conversation with a good friend of mine who's also really old and really gay. He's been around enough to see sexuality of ALL types. He explained to me in pretty good detail what they do to a guy to make him into a woman.
He told me about the M to F transition operation in great detail. He didn't know too much about the F to M transition. Creating a penis just seems like a lot more work than creating a vagina. However, after a little research, I was educated on how this is done. I'll let you read that article and attempt to describe this on my own.
It has to do a lot with basic plastic surgery techniques, because the parts used to make a vulva, vagina, and clitoris are all made from existing tissues of the penis and scrotum.
Primarily, any transgender operation is more than just a nip and tuck of the ol' "tools of the trade." The surgery is irreversible, thus a lot of psychological work is done to make absolutely certain that the decision to claim or surrender a Y chromosome is what is desired.
This is followed by much more external work than internal. A whole new identity is to be designed in the new gender. The subject of such a procedure must begin by living as the intended new identidy for some time before fully going through with the snip-snip. Facial reconstruction including electrolysis to eliminate a beard and manly body hair is the start of the operations, along with breast implants. One might have to assume a new voice, so voice lessons are suggested. They are to notify friends, family, employers and co-workers, etc. (this is usually the toughest part).
Anyway, on to the interesting bits. Obviously, the glans (the tip of the penis - the most sensitive part) is used to make a clitoris. The penis is split up and used to construct the labia minora
The labia majora are built from the scrotum (I could have that backwards, so please feel free to correct me). A real vagina consists of soft tissue akin to the inside of one's cheek, and is best not lined with "outside" skin. There is enough meat and muscle inside the pelvis to simple carve an opening and shape it up. Upon completion of the surgery, a small dildo nub (about five and a half inches long) is placed inside the newly formed vagina and cannot be removed for a couple of months (I'm guessing, that it is probably removed for cleaning and possibly for urination, depending on placement of the urethra). This is actually important to have the inner shaping conform to that of a penis if there is to be any sexual penetration use of the new vagina.
Many issues come up for transgenders, especially in the workplace. For example, at what point do they switch restrooms? That issue alone has put the ACLU and OSHA on their toes. Some workplaces have installed third restrooms to accomodate until co-workers are comfortable with the new identity.
Anywho, there's my educational contribution for today.
I had a long conversation with a good friend of mine who's also really old and really gay. He's been around enough to see sexuality of ALL types. He explained to me in pretty good detail what they do to a guy to make him into a woman.
He told me about the M to F transition operation in great detail. He didn't know too much about the F to M transition. Creating a penis just seems like a lot more work than creating a vagina. However, after a little research, I was educated on how this is done. I'll let you read that article and attempt to describe this on my own.
It has to do a lot with basic plastic surgery techniques, because the parts used to make a vulva, vagina, and clitoris are all made from existing tissues of the penis and scrotum.
Primarily, any transgender operation is more than just a nip and tuck of the ol' "tools of the trade." The surgery is irreversible, thus a lot of psychological work is done to make absolutely certain that the decision to claim or surrender a Y chromosome is what is desired.
This is followed by much more external work than internal. A whole new identity is to be designed in the new gender. The subject of such a procedure must begin by living as the intended new identidy for some time before fully going through with the snip-snip. Facial reconstruction including electrolysis to eliminate a beard and manly body hair is the start of the operations, along with breast implants. One might have to assume a new voice, so voice lessons are suggested. They are to notify friends, family, employers and co-workers, etc. (this is usually the toughest part).
Anyway, on to the interesting bits. Obviously, the glans (the tip of the penis - the most sensitive part) is used to make a clitoris. The penis is split up and used to construct the labia minora
The labia majora are built from the scrotum (I could have that backwards, so please feel free to correct me). A real vagina consists of soft tissue akin to the inside of one's cheek, and is best not lined with "outside" skin. There is enough meat and muscle inside the pelvis to simple carve an opening and shape it up. Upon completion of the surgery, a small dildo nub (about five and a half inches long) is placed inside the newly formed vagina and cannot be removed for a couple of months (I'm guessing, that it is probably removed for cleaning and possibly for urination, depending on placement of the urethra). This is actually important to have the inner shaping conform to that of a penis if there is to be any sexual penetration use of the new vagina.
Many issues come up for transgenders, especially in the workplace. For example, at what point do they switch restrooms? That issue alone has put the ACLU and OSHA on their toes. Some workplaces have installed third restrooms to accomodate until co-workers are comfortable with the new identity.
Anywho, there's my educational contribution for today.
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[Edited on May 24, 2004 9:09PM]