Lip Feminization and Rejuvenation in Patients Assigned Male at Birth With Gender Dysphoria: Our 27-year Experience

Despite the increasing demand, the combination of lip feminization and rejuvenation in patients assigned male at birth with gender dysphoria is rarely reported in the medical literature. We present our 27 years of experience performing these procedures in this patient population.

All patients assigned male at birth with gender dysphoria from 1997 to 2023 were included and grouped into 4 age categories. Combined surgical procedures were performed to achieve lip rejuvenation and feminization, with detailed descriptions of the techniques used. Results were evaluated three months postsurgery using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale and the Global Satisfaction Scale. Complications and outcomes were documented, and statistical analysis was conducted to compare the differences between the results obtained.

During a 27-year period, 988 patients underwent 1789 procedures. Of these, 79.8% were younger than 50 years, with the largest group being between 20 and 35 years (47.6%). However, patients older than 65 had the highest average number of procedures (2.4 per patient). The results showed a high degree of improvement and satisfaction on both evaluated scales. There were only 2 hematomas, both resolved without incident. The main issues were volume loss after fat infiltration (14.3%) and poorly positioned scars in lip lifts (13.2%).

Surgical procedures to feminize and rejuvenate lips can be combined in patients assigned male at birth with gender dysphoria, achieving highly satisfactory results, high patient satisfaction, and few complications.