History of Gender Identity and Surgical Alteration of the Genitalia

Abstract

As we continue to refine surgical procedures, medical professionals should not only be familiar with current literature and research but also understand the history of gender-related surgery. Like any historical survey, the history of gender surgery is limited by the documentation of historic examples and practices, the reliability of this documentation, and the ways that current thinking views the past. Nonetheless, the purpose is to present surgical interventions for gender identity as part of a longer continuum. The goal is to allow historical cases to assist today’s practitioners in serving their patients.