Medically reviewed by Jennifer Richman on February 16, 2024.
On some occasions, patients who have undergone a phalloplasty or metoidioplasty with the GCC or another surgical practice are not satisfied with the results of their initial bottom surgery procedure(s). Complications can occur with any surgery, and some patients may want or need additional surgeries to resolve them. This article describes the revisions surgeries we can offer to patients who have undergone a phalloplasty, metoidioplasty or related procedure. Please make sure to tell your surgeon if you are experiencing any issues during or after your initial healing.
Some patients may experience issues with urination after surgery, which can include inability to urinate, urine spraying, frequent urination, urinary retention, etc. Cystoscopy may be performed using a narrow tube with a lens to look inside the urethra to identify the cause of these issues. This may be performed under local anesthesia or under general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. We encourage you to share any concerns that arise around irregular urination–such as the presence of blood, increased straining, urinary retention, frequent urination or a urinary tract infection––with your surgical team and local provider(s).
A stricture is a narrowing of the urethra caused by a buildup of scar tissue. If a stricture negatively affects urination, it can be revised by cutting out the scar tissue buildup and replacing it with a graft from the inside of the cheek, also called a buccal mucosa graft. The inside of the cheek, from where the graft is taken, is stitched together and heals without affecting the appearance of the face.
A fistula is a small leak in the new urethra that is usually discovered within the first two weeks after surgery. Fistulas can occur along the penile shaft and on or underneath the scrotum. They are usually discovered within the first 8 weeks after surgery will close with at-home care. On the rare occasion that they do not, a revision surgery might be necessary to close the fistula.
Please note that while fistulas (urinary leaks) are not considered medical emergencies, urinary strictures (when the urinary tract is backed up and patients cannot urinate) require that patients go to their closest emergency room or urgent care service.
After phalloplasty, some patients may have a penis that has too much length or girth for their liking. In this case, some of the tissue and fat from the penis can be removed in a revision surgery to reduce the length and/or girth of the penis.
All virtual and in-person consultations with our board-certified surgeons are free. Once you fill out this form, our patient care team will reach out and guide you through every step to get to surgery.