Outcome of Sex Reassignment Surgery for Transsexuals

Fifteen years ago the author reviewed the world literature on male transsexualism (Pauly, 1965). Subsequently he summarized the results of sex reassignment surgery for male and female transsexuals (Pauly, 1968), and reviewed the literature on female transsexualism (Pauly, 1974). Very recently, Meyer and Reter (1979) concluded that 'sex reassignment surgery confers no objective advantage in terms of social rehabilitation' as compared with a group of individuals who sought sex reassignment but remained unoperated upon at follow-up. Both groups improved over time and led the Johns Hopkins Gender Identity Clinic to conclude that sex reassignment surgery would no longer be offered there. This report, and other non-surgical, psychotherapeutic approaches to gender dysphoric patients (Barlow et al., 1973; Barlow et al., 1979; Lothstein and Levine, 1980) call into question the justification for sex reassignment surgery. Therefore, it becomes important to update the results of sex reassignment surgery for transsexuals. Data on 283 male to female transsexuals and 83 female to male transsexuals are presented.