Phallus Sparing Vaginoplasty/Penile Preserving Vaginoplasty

Conveniently located to serve Washington DC, Arlington, Bethesda

What is this technique?

Although standard and minimal depth vaginoplasty techniques tend to me more common, these surgeries are not for everyone. There are patients who desire no external genitalia (nullifications) or patients who want to preserve the function and appearance of the penis, while also having a functional vaginal canal. This procedure can be done with or without the removal of the testes and/or scrotum.

How is this procedure performed?

In all cases a vaginal canal with maximum depth and width is created. The depth is taken to the level of the peritoneum (max depth). For lining, some of the naturally lubricated tissue is used internally. For the rest of the lining, we either use scrotal skin (if the scrotum/testes are removed) or we use allograft (decellularized cadaveric skin) if the scrotum is not removed. This tissue acts like a scaffold to allow your own cells to populate and replace the scaffold. Since there are no foreign cells, no anti-rejection medication is needed. Allograft has been used in surgery for decades.

What are the risks?

Like any surgery, bleeding, infection, pain, slow healing are a possibility. There is a very low risk of injury to the rectum/urethra (fistula). Dilation is needed post operatively to keep the vaginal canal open and there is a risk of narrowing/loss of depth or width, especially if the dilation schedule is not followed.