The postsurgical transsexual: empirical and theoretical considerations

Area of Science:

• Medical and psychological adjustment following gender-affirming surgery.
• Gender identity research and clinical practice.

Background:

• The study examines patient adjustment after gender-affirming surgery.
• Patients were divided into two groups: pre-clinic surgery and post-clinic surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the social, psychological, and environmental adjustment of patients up to two years post-surgery.
• To identify areas where surgery alone is insufficient for comprehensive patient well-being.

Main Methods:

• A nine-page, 59-item questionnaire was used for systematic follow-up data collection.
• Data collected included sexual, psychological, environmental, economic, parental, family, medical, and social functioning.
• Follow-up occurred up to two years post-surgery at varying intervals.

Main Results:

• Surgery within a comprehensive Gender Identity Clinic program may yield moderate social-sexual improvements.
• Psychological issues were not fully addressed by surgical intervention alone.

Conclusions:

• Psychotherapy should be considered for patients pre- and post-surgery to address psychological needs.
• A more systematic follow-up approach, including standardized tools and control groups, is necessary for future research.