Summary: As the transgender population increases, gender-affirming surgeries are being performed at unprecedented rates. Despite this increase, complications and long-term outcomes of gender-affirming interventions are largely understudied. We present a transgender patient who underwent radial forearm free flap (RFFF) phalloplasty as part of gender affirmation. Immediately following surgery, the patient reported paresthesia in the donor arm in the median nerve distribution followed by a neuropathic pain after 1 week. The patient complained of shooting and burning pain and reported a loss of sensation and function at the donor site. Electromyography and magnetic resonance imaging results indicated median nerve damage several inches above the donor site. The symptoms persisted for several months before spontaneously resolving. The spontaneous resolution and location of injury suggest that nerve damage occurred as a result of pneumatic tourniquet application despite adherence to all clinical guidelines for a safe tourniquet application of the same. This is the first reported case of neuropathic pain following RFFF phalloplasty occurring at the donor site. Given the large donor area and the long time of tourniquet application, surgeons offering RFFF phalloplasty must be aware of and actively counsel patients seeking this procedure about the potential for nerve-related damages before surgery.
Background: Transgender women seeking gender-affirming breast augmentation often present with differences in preoperative chest measurements and contours in comparison with cisgender women. These include a more robust pectoralis muscle and limited glandular tissue, raising important considerations in determining the optimal anatomical plane for implantation. Abundant literature has described advantages and drawbacks of the available planes for breast augmentation in cisgender women. Certain drawbacks may be more pronounced for transgender women, given their distinct anatomy. The subfascial plane offers lower complication rates than the subglandular plane when using smooth implants, and avoids implant animation and displacement associated with the subpectoral plane. To our knowledge, existing studies have not yet addressed this discussion in the transfeminine population. The goal of this article is to highlight potential benefits of the subfascial plane for gender-affirming breast augmentation, utilizing a case series of 3 transfeminine patients, and to review the literature on surgical techniques and outcomes in this population. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients presenting to a single surgeon for gender-affirming breast augmentation in 2019 was performed. A narrative literature review on surgical techniques and outcomes for gender-affirming breast augmentation was conducted. Results: Three cases of gender-affirming breast augmentation using subfascial implant placement are described. From the literature search, 12 articles inclusive of 802 transfeminine patients were identified. Conclusions: The subfascial plane represents an option for implant placement in gender-affirming breast augmentation that merits further investigation. There is a need for more research comparing surgical techniques and outcomes in the transfeminine population.
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