Status of Sex Reassignment Surgery for Gender Identity Disorder in Japan

The 2012 document reviewed the status of sex reassignment surgery (SRS) for gender identity disorder (GID) in Japan, detailing the challenges, surgical techniques, and the need for better medical infrastructure and education. It reported a prevalence of GID in Hokkaido, Japan, as 1:25,000 for male-to-female (MtF) and 1:12,000 for female-to-male (FtM). The review described the diagnostic process, which requires confirmation by two psychiatrists and detailed examinations, and the division of treatment into psychiatric and physical methods, including hormone therapy and surgeries. It detailed the SRS procedures for 12 MtF patients, with an average age of 38.1 years and 20 FtM patients, with an average age of 32.2 years, noting operative times, blood loss, and complications such as infections, muscular and nerve injuries, urethral strictures, and fistulae. The document emphasized the need for more comprehensive treatment centers, better information on SRS, and education for medical professionals on GID, while also highlighting the risks of self-administered cross-sex steroids and surgeries performed abroad.