title: Long-term surgical results and patient satisfaction with male pseudohermaphroditism or true hermaphroditism: a cohort of 63 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To improve treatment policy, we retrospectively evaluated the results of early corrective genital surgery in 63 sexually ambiguous patients 14 to 38 years old.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed all records classified under male pseudohermaphroditism and true hermaphroditism. Anatomical and functional results and data on self-reported satisfaction were recorded by the managing physician at the last routine followup visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 38 patients were raised female and 25 were raised male. Basal procedures for external genital reconstruction were initiated shortly after birth, when gender was assigned. Complementary surgical procedures were usually required later. In both sexes there was a significant negative correlation between the number of basal, but not complementary, procedures required and year of birth, due to the adoption of 1-stage procedures in the early 1980s. Most patients with gonadal dysgenesis were raised as females and menstruated under treatment but breast development was abnormal in 30%. Spontaneous puberty was observed in true hermaphrodites raised as either sex. In females with partial androgen insensitivity the main problem was shortness of the vagina. Amenorrhea and infertility often led to transient distress. In males results were poor due to intractable micropenis and minimal virilization. Results were good in 5alpha-reductase deficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of intersex surgery have clearly improved with time, and apart from a patient with 5alpha-reductase deficiency who underwent a successful sex change, no patient expressed dissatisfaction with sex of rearing. However, in the absence of an in-depth psychological survey, these optimistic conclusions are valid only in the settings of our study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hôpital des Enfants-Malades, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nihoul-Fékété
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thibaud
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lortat-Jacob
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Josso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050090:Ovotesticular Disorders of Sex Development / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D013519:Urogenital Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods