Intersexand Complex Female Reconstruction

Overview

Intersex is a term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male.

Intersex is typically divided into four categories:

46, XX intersex – Person has the chromosomes of a woman and the ovaries of a woman, but the external (outside) genitals appear male.

46, XY intersex – Person has the chromosomes of a man, but the external genitals are incompletely formed, ambiguous, or clearly female.

True gonadal intersex – Person must have both ovarian and testicular tissue. Condition was once referred to as true hermaphroditism.

Complex or undetermined intersex – Many chromosome configurations other than simple 46, XX or 46, XY can result in disorders of sexual development.

Procedure

Reconstruction to create normal functioning and appearing genitalia is performed using many different techniques. In order to develop an individual care plan, Dr. Alter works with you to learn about your concerns, needs, and goals. You may wish for a smaller clitoris, a clitoral hood, reconstruction of the outer or inner labia, revision of the vaginal opening, etc. His surgical creativity is unique in that he individually applies many of the procedures he created from labia reconstruction, clitoral reduction, gender confirmation surgery, etc. to his intersex patients.

Depending on your condition, you may need to have multiple surgeries in order to achieve the results you desire. Dr. Alter and team will walk you through all the available options and discuss what you can expect from each procedure.