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Objective: To evaluate the incidence of gender-affirming phalloplasty and postoperative complications in a large population-based dataset., Methods: Retrospective cohort study was done using the California Department of Health Care Access and Information datasets which include patient-level data from all licensed hospitals, emergency departments, and ambulatory surgery facilities in California. Adult patients 18 years or older undergoing gender-affirming phalloplasty in California from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019 were included. We examined phalloplasty-related complications using International Classification of Disease diagnosis and procedure codes and Current Procedural Terminology codes. Unique record linkage number identifiers were used to follow patients longitudinally. Statistical analysis included Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards analysis., Results: We identified 766 patients who underwent gender-affirming phalloplasty in 23 facilities. Of 475 patients with record linkage numbers, 253 (55.3%) had subsequent re-presentations to the inpatient, emergency department, and ambulatory surgery settings related to phalloplasty complications. Survival analysis indicated that 50% of patients re-presented by 1year post-phalloplasty. Asian/Pacific Islander patients had lower risk of complications, and California residents had higher risk of complications., Conclusion: This population-based study confirms that gender-affirming phalloplasty has a high complication rate, and demonstrates for the first time an association with high rates of return to hospitals, emergency departments, and ambulatory surgery centers. These findings provide additional higher-level evidence that may aid patient counseling, shared surgical decision-making, and institutional and government policy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors have no conflict of interest to report., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe the authors' experience with surgical management of complications following intestinal vaginoplasty and review the literature on incidence of complications following gender-affirming intestinal vaginoplasty., Methods: Retrospective chart review identified patients presenting with complications following prior intestinal vaginoplasty requiring operative management. Charts were analyzed for medical history, preoperative exam and imaging, intraoperative technique, and long-term outcomes. Systematic literature review was performed to identify primary research on complications following gender-affirming intestinal vaginoplasty., Results: Four patients presented to the senior authors' clinic requiring operative intervention for complications following intestinal vaginoplasty, all of whom underwent surgical revision. Complications included vaginal stenosis (2 patients, 50%), vaginal false passage (1 patient, 25%), and diversion colitis (1 patient, 25%). Postoperatively all patients were able to dilate successfully to a depth of at least 15 cm. Systematic review identified 10 studies meeting inclusion criteria. There were 215 complications reported across 654 vaginoplasties (33% overall complication rate). Average return to operating room rate was 18%. The most common complications were stenosis (11%), mucorrhea (7%), vaginal prolapse (6%), and malodor (5%). Six intestinal vaginoplasty segments developed vascular compromise leading to flap loss. There were 2 reported mortalities., Conclusion: Intestinal vaginoplasty is associated with a range of complications including vaginal stenosis, mucorrhea, and vaginal prolapse. Intra-abdominal complications, including diversion colitis, anastomotic bowel leak, and intra-abdominal abscess can occur many years after surgery, be life-threatening and require prompt diagnosis and management., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: 1) To describe the authors' technique of anterolateral thigh (ALT) phalloplasty with staged skin graft urethroplasty and 2) to report the surgical outcomes and complications of this technique in a preliminary patient cohort., Methods: Following IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval, retrospective chart review identified all patients undergoing primary three-stage ALT phalloplasty by the senior authors. Stage I involves single tube, pedicled ALT transfer. Stage II involves vaginectomy, pars fixa urethroplasty, scrotoplasty, and opening the ALT ventrally and construction of a urethral plate with split-thickness skin graft. Stage III involves tubularization of the urethral plate to create the penile urethra. Data collected included patient demographics, intraoperative details, postoperative courses, and complications., Results: Twenty-four patients were identified. Twenty-two patients (91.7%) underwent ALT phalloplasty prior to vaginectomy. All patients underwent staged split-thickness skin grafting for the penile urethra reconstruction. Twenty-one patients (87.5%) achieved standing micturition at the time of data collection. Eleven patients (44.0%) experienced at least 1 urologic complication requiring additional operative intervention, most commonly urethrocutaneous fistulae (8 patients, 33.3%), and urethral strictures (5 patients, 20.8%)., Conclusion: ALT phalloplasty with split-thickness skin grafting for urethral lengthening is an alternative technique to achieve standing micturition with an acceptable complication rate in gender-affirming phalloplasty., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None of the authors has a financial interest in any of the products, devices, or drugs mentioned in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To address instances when there is insufficient remnant tissue to perform revision following canal-deepening gender affirming vaginoplasty revisions as indicated by insufficient depth. Options for lining of the vaginal canal include skin grafts, peritoneal flaps, or intestinal segment. Our center uses robotically harvested peritoneal flaps in vaginal canal revisions. When the peritoneal flap is insufficient for full canal coverage, we use AlloDerm, an acellular dermal matrix, for additional coverage., Methods: Retrospective analysis of 9 patients who underwent revision RPV with AlloDerm was performed. Tubularized AlloDerm grafts were used to connect remnant vaginal lining to the peritoneal flaps. Revision indications, surgical and patient outcomes, and patient-reported post-op dilation were recorded., Results: Nine patients underwent revision RPV using AlloDerm for canal deepening. Median follow-up was 368 days (Range 186-550). Following revision, median depth and width at last follow-up were 12.1 cm and 3.5 cm, and median increase in depth and width were 9.7 cm and 0.9 cm, respectively. There were no intraoperative complications. Two patients had focal areas of excess AlloDerm that were treated with in-office excision without compromise of the caliber or depth of the otherwise healed, epithelialized canal., Conclusion: AlloDerm is an off-the-shelf option that does not require a secondary donor site. The use of AlloDerm for a pilot cohort of patients lacking sufficient autologous tissue for revision RPV alone was demonstrated to be safe and effective at a median 1-year follow-up., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe the authors' experience diagnosing and managing intra-abdominal complications following robotic peritoneal flap vaginoplasty. The peritoneal flap vaginoplasty is a technique used to achieve consistent vaginal depth regardless of available natal tissue. Intra-abdominal complications following robotic peritoneal flap creation are rare but prompt diagnosis and management is critical to preventing patient harm. Given the infancy of the technique there is limited data on associated complications and their management., Methods: Retrospective chart review identified patients undergoing robotically assisted peritoneal flap vaginoplasty by the senior authors between 2017 and 2020 who subsequently developed intra-abdominal complications requiring readmission and/or return to the operating room. Patient charts were analyzed for preoperative demographics, medical comorbidities, intraoperative details, postoperative complication presentation, diagnosis, management, and long-term outcomes., Results: Out of 274 patients undergoing peritoneal flap vaginoplasty during the study period, six patients were identified who developed intra-abdominal complications (2.2%). One patient developed a postoperative hematoma requiring return to the operating room for diagnostic laparoscopy and hematoma evacuation. Two patients developed intraabdominal abscesses requiring diagnostic laparoscopy and abscess drainage. One patient developed recurrent episodes of small bowel obstructions that resolved with bowel rest. Two patients developed incarcerated internal hernias requiring diagnostic laparoscopy and internal hernia reduction. In one case, the hernia occurred at the peritoneal flap closure site, and in the other case the hernia occurred at the peritoneal flap donor site., Conclusion: Intra-abdominal complications following robot assisted peritoneal flap vaginoplasty are rare. In addition to hematoma and abscess, small bowel incarceration and internal hernias are potential complications of peritoneal flap vaginoplasty that require prompt attention., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe the outcomes of single-stage and staged repairs in properly selected patients with phalloplasty anastomotic strictures., Methods: A bi-institutional retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent anastomotic stricture repairs between 7/2014-8/2020. Those who had prior augmented urethroplasties or poorly vascularized tissue underwent two-stage repairs (Group-2), all others underwent single-stage repair with a double-face (dorsal inlay and ventral onlay) buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty (Group-1). Postoperatively, urethral patency and patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) were assessed., Results: Twenty-three patients with anastomotic strictures were identified. Fourteen patients met inclusion criteria and had 1-year follow-up (9 in Group-1; 5 in Group-2). Nine patients (64%) had prior failed interventions (56% Group-1; 80% Group-2). At a mean follow-up of 33.9 (Group-1) and 35.2 months (Group-2) there were two stricture recurrences in Group-1 (22%) and none in Group-2. PROMs were completed by 12 patients. All patients reported the ability to void standing. Post-void dribbling was present in the majority of patients (7/7 Group-1; 2/4 in Group-2). Mean IPSS was 3.9 (0-14) for Group-1 and 1 (0-3) for Group-2. All reported at least a moderate improvement in their condition on GRA (Group-1 +3 71%, +2 29%; Group-2 +3 100%)., Conclusion: Single-stage repairs are feasible for patients with anastomotic strictures who have well vascularized tissue and no prior single-stage buccal mucosa augmented urethroplasty failures. Staged repairs are feasible for patients with poor tissue quality. Proper patient selection is important for successful reconstruction., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To present the technique and early outcomes of salvage neovaginal reconstruction using robotic dissection and peritoneal flap mobilization., Methods: Twenty-four patients underwent robotic peritoneal flap revision vaginoplasty from 2017 to 2020. A canal is dissected between the bladder and rectum towards the stenosed vaginal cavity, which is incised and widened. Peritoneal flaps from the posterior bladder and pararectal fossa are advanced and sutured to edges of the stenosed cavity. Proximal peritoneal flap edges are approximated to form the neovaginal apex. Patient demographics, comorbidities, surgical indications, and operative details are described. Outcome measures include postoperative neovaginal dimensions and complications., Results: Mean age at revision was 39 years (range 27-58). All patients had previously undergone PIV, with revision surgery occurring at a median 35.3 months (range 6-252) after primary vaginoplasty. Surgical indications included short or stenotic vagina or absent canal. Average procedure length was 5 hours. At mean follow up of 410 days (range 179-683), vaginal depth and width were 13.6 cm (range 10.9-14.5) and 3.6 cm (range 2.9-3.8), respectively. There were no immediate or intraoperative complications related to peritoneal flap harvest. No patient had rectal injury. One patient had post-operative canal bleeding requiring return to the operating room for hemostasis., Conclusions: Robotic peritoneal flap vaginoplasty is a safe, novel approach to canal revision after primary PIV with minimal donor site morbidity., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To report our novel technique and mid-term follow-up for robotic-assisted laparoscopic vaginectomy (RALV), a component procedure of staged gender-affirming penile reconstructive surgery., Materials and Methods: The records of patients seeking gender-affirming penile reconstructive surgery who underwent RALV, performed by a single surgeon at our institution, between May 2016 and January 2020 were reviewed retrospectively for demographic and perioperative data. Patients were included irrespective of history of previous phalloplasty. A subset of these patients elected to have urethral lengthening during second stage phalloplasty for which an anterior vaginal mucosa flap urethroplasty was performed. Postoperative complications and outcomes and most recent follow-up were obtained., Results: A total of 42 patients were reviewed, of whom 19 (45%) patients ultimately had radial forearm free flap, 15 (41%) had anterolateral thigh flap, 5 (12%) had metoidioplasty, and 1 (2.4%) had abdominal phalloplasty. A vaginal mucosa and gracilis flap was used in all of 36 (86%) patients in whom a pars fixa was created. Average operative time was 299 minutes (range 153-506). Median estimated blood loss was 200 mL (range 100-400). Median length of stay was 3 days (range 1-7). Complications within 30 days from surgery occurred in 15 patients (36%), of whom 12/15 were Clavien-Dindo grade 1 or 2, and 11/15 had complications unrelated to vaginectomy. Of the 4 patients who had vaginectomy-related complications, all resolved with conservative management. Median overall follow-up was 15.8 months., Conclusion: RALV offers a safe and efficient approach during staged gender-affirming penile reconstruction and may mitigate the subsequent risk of urethral complications., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe the technique of robotic remnant vaginectomy/excision of urethral diverticulum in transmen and report postoperative outcomes., Materials and Methods: Between 2015 and 2018, 4 patients underwent robotic remnant vaginectomy/excision of urethral diverticulum for relief of urinary symptoms. Patients were of mean age 36 ± 10.1 years (range 26-50) at time of vaginal remnant excision, and were 26 ± 9.1 months (range 20-39) post-op following their primary vaginectomy and radial forearm free flap (n = 3) or anterolateral thigh (n = 1) phalloplasty. All had multiple urologic complications after primary phalloplasty, most commonly urinary retention (n = 4), urethral stricture (n = 3), fistula (n = 3), dribbling (n = 2), and obstruction (n = 2). Indication for revision was obstruction and retention (n =3 ) and/or dribbling (n = 2). In each case, the robotic transabdominal dissection freed remnant vaginal tissue from the adjacent bladder and rectum without injury to these structures. Concurrent first- or second-stage urethroplasty was performed in all cases at a more distal portion of the urethra using buccal mucosa, vaginal, or skin grafts. Intraoperative cystoscopy was used in each case to confirm complete resection and closure of the diverticulum., Results: At mean follow-up of 294 ± 125.6 days (range 106-412), no patients had persistence or recurrence of vaginal cavity/urethral diverticulum on cystoscopic follow-up. Of 3 patients who wished to ultimately stand to void, 2 were able to do so at follow-up., Conclusion: Robotic transabdominal approach to remnant vaginectomy/excision of urethral diverticulum allows for excision without opening the perineal closure for management of symptomatic remnant/diverticulum in transgender men after vaginectomy., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To define the role of crossing vessels in the pathophysiology of ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction, we analyzed the relationship between the presence of crossing vessels and UPJ pathologic findings in patients undergoing laparoscopic pyeloplasty. The significance of crossing renal vessels in patients with UPJ obstruction is unclear., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 155 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic pyeloplasty. Pathologic specimens from the UPJ were evaluated in 95 patients. The presence or absence of crossing vessels was documented intraoperatively. The histopathologic findings allowed for categorization into 5 groups: group 1, normal ureteral tissue; group 2, chronic inflammation; group 3, smooth muscle hypertrophy, group 4, fibrosis; and group 5, smooth muscle atrophy. The pathologic findings between patients with and without crossing vessels were compared., Results: Overall, crossing vessels were identified in 98 patients (63.2%). Of the 95 cases with specimens retrieved for histologic analysis, 65 had crossing vessels and 30 did not. The most common UPJ histologic finding in patients with crossing vessels was no intrinsic abnormality (43%). In contrast, this was seen in only 10% of patients without a crossing vessel. In the group without crossing vessels, chronic inflammation (40%) was the predominant histologic findings. Patients with a crossing vessel were less likely to have intrinsic histologic pathologic findings (P < .0003)., Conclusions: Patients with crossing vessels and UPJ obstruction had no histologic abnormalities identified in 43% of cases. This finding implicates crossing vessels in the pathogenesis of select cases of UPJ obstruction and direct mechanical compression as the etiology of obstruction in these individuals.

Objectives: To report our experience with laparoscopic nephrectomy and autotransplantation for the management of a variety of conditions with significant loss of healthy ureteral tissue or ureteral length. Renal autotransplantation has been described as an effective method for addressing this problem, avoiding the need for nephrectomy or complex ureteral replacement. In an effort to decrease the morbidity associated with traditional autotransplantation we elected to perform laparoscopic procurement of the kidney., Methods: Four patients underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy using a transperitoneal four-port technique and subsequent autotransplantation into the iliac fossa for the treatment of proximal ureteral avulsion (2 patients), ureteral malignancy, and ureteral stricture. All patients had less than 5 cm of viable ureter., Results: All procedures were performed without intraoperative complications. All renal scans on postoperative day 1 demonstrated good perfusion. None of the patients had a postoperative rise in serum creatinine. On postoperative day 1, the mean creatinine value was 0.95 mg/dL. Three patients had an uneventful postoperative course. One patient, however, had loss of the graft because of renal vein thrombosis on postoperative day 7. She was later found to have an undiagnosed thrombophilic disorder (decreased levels of antithrombin III) and to have a recent history of oral contraceptive use., Conclusions: Laparoscopic nephrectomy with renal autotransplantation is a feasible minimally invasive alternative to treat patients who have significant ureteral loss. This approach avoids the need for an upper abdominal or flank incision, resulting in decreased morbidity. The initial follow-up studies indicated stable renal function. Additional long-term observation is currently under way.