Care of the Patient Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS)

As part of the Trans Care Project, a joint initiative of the Transgender Health Program and Transcend Transgender Support & Education Society (with funding by the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition), local and international experts in transgender care worked with local members of the transgender community to create 7 sets of guidelines for health and social service providers in BC, and 17 health information booklets for transgender people and loved ones.

This document is intended to help primary care providers who are already familiar with routine transgender care to understand the specialized processes involved in SRS. Topics include guidelines for the recommendation of SRS, feminizing and masculinizing surgical procedures, suggested timelines for various interventions, expected course and recovery, risks and complications, and revisional surgery that may be required. These guidelines are not intended to cover the details of operative techniques, nor can they cover every risk, sequella, or complication that might arise. Rather, this document is intended to provide a general orientation for the family physician or nurse whose patient is undergoing SRS.