OGH doctors perform gender-affirming procedure

Hyderabad: Surgeons at the Osmania Hospital successfully conducted a laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy, a gender-affirming procedure, for a 23-year-old trans male for permanent male transformation.

Under the Transgender persons' Healthcare services, the trans-male, SompellySoni (Yashwanth Kumar), underwent surgery as a first stage procedure at OGH. The person was put on hormone replacement therapy by the endocrinology team after confirmation of diagnosis as assigned female at birth with gender dysphoria. The surgery was conducted in a collaborative effort from the surgeons of OGH and Petlaburj Maternity Hospital. The team of doctors includes obstetrics and gynecology team headed by Dr Malathi, professor and superintendent of Mahatma Gandhi Maternity Hospital, Petlaburj, the general surgery team headed by Dr Mallikarjun, the anesthesia team with Dr Pandunaik, Dr Pavani, Dr Madhavi and Dr Balaji, along with the nursing and support staff teams successfully performed the surgery.

The removal of uterus (vaginal hysterectomy) for the trans-male, a person who has been registered as a female at birth but identifies as a male. The transgender has also been put on hormone replacement therapy by the endocrinology team after the confirmation of diagnosis as assigned female at birth with gender dysphoria, a medical condition wherein there is a mismatch between biological sex and gender identity.

Dr G Nagender, the OGH superintendent, said “such medical services are not available even in private healthcare facilities in Hyderabad; patients need to travel to Mumbai to avail such procedures. Recently, we launched transgender clinic at OGH; such services are vital for the community.”

He said “the individual is recovering normally after the surgery. The trans-male will be provided treatment and other services in different stages of his gender transformation process which will include involvement of different specialty and super specialty teams,” he added.