New Delhi: A woman from Uttar Pradesh has undergone sex change through surgery after being diagnosed with a condition called 'Gender Dysphoria'. The surgery, which took place at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the capital, has seen a six-week post-operative recovery by Gayatri (name changed), who has now become Mahesh.
Gender Dysphoria is a term that is associated with the uneasiness of any person owing to a gap between their biological structure and gender identity.
"In the last six years, she had already undergone bilateral breast removal in 2017 and uterus, ovary and vaginal removal in 2019. She was on male hormone replacement therapy since 2016," the hospital said in a statement, adding that the person had physical attributes such beard, hair on chest, male voice and behaviour.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Dr. Bheem Singh Nanda, Senior Consultant at the Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery at SGRH, said the patient desired a male genital formation.
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"We decided to opt for the radial forearm flap penis reconstruction technique, which is challenging, as it requires sound knowledge of microsurgery to carry out tissue transfer, as well as that of the human anatomy. The penis was reconstructed on her left forearm. All arteries, nerves, and veins essential for organ's survival were carefully preserved" he said.
"It was thereafter shifted to the genital area using dissection, where we joined the penis to the artery to create blood circulation. Thereafter, the veins and urethra were surgically attached to it so that the patient could pass urine.
Our aim was to give good shape, length, urethra (to pass urine) and erotic sensation to the patient, said Nanda, further adding that the next step in the process was to "join the nerves of the reconstructed penis with the erotic nerves (pudendal nerve and nerve to clitoris) which is the most important pre-requisite for penile implant and sexual satisfaction later."
Six weeks post-surgery, the patient can now stand and pass urine, he added. Post-surgery, the patient has also married a woman he liked since his student days, the hospital said.
