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Reply to Comment on “Suprapubic Pedicled Phalloplasty in Transgender Men: a Multicentric Retrospective Cohort Analysis”

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 33, pages 862–863 (2021)Cite this article

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We read with interest the comment by Hontscharuk et al. [1] on our recent article focused on the outcomes of the suprapubic pedicled phalloplasty (SPP) for masculinizing genital gender affirming surgery (GGAS) [2].

We agree with authors admitting some limitations related to our study. Indeed, some of the goals requested by a total phallic construction, as the quality of micturition, the level of tactile and erogenous sensation of the neophallus and the ability to achieve penetrative sexual intercourses, have not been assessed in the present paperwork. The aim of our report was evaluate SPP as a valuable option to address masculinizing GGAS. We deliberately excluded from the study the outcomes related to urinary and sexual function. This choice was made for different reasons:

  • the limited numbers of patients enrolled in our series, particularly when considering those undergoing total urethral reconstruction and penile prosthesis implantation

  • the lack of validated instruments and questionnaires to assess the quality of micturition after masculinizing GGAS

  • the lack of validated tests to assess tactile and erogenous sensation after phallic flap-based reconstruction

  • the lack of validated questionnaires to inquire sexual function after penile prosthesis implantation in transgender men [3].

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References

  1. Hontscharuk R, Alba B, Schechter LS. Comment on: Suprapubic pedicled phalloplasty in transgender men: multicentric retrospective cohort analysis. Int J Impot Res. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-020-0273-1. [Epub ahead of print].

  2. Falcone M, Timpano M, Oderda M, Cocci A, Morelli G, Preto M, et al. Suprapubic pedicled phalloplasty in transgender men: a multicentric retrospective cohort analysis. Int J Impot Res. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-020-0238-4

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urology department, “Città della Salute e della Scienza”—Molinette Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Marco Falcone, Marco Oderda & Paolo Gontero

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  1. Marco Falcone
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  2. Marco Oderda
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  3. Paolo Gontero
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Correspondence to Marco Falcone.

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Falcone, M., Oderda, M. & Gontero, P. Reply to Comment on “Suprapubic Pedicled Phalloplasty in Transgender Men: a Multicentric Retrospective Cohort Analysis”. Int J Impot Res 33, 862–863 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-020-0274-0

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