A Novel Application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Surgical Planning of Penile Inversion Vaginoplasty

Abstract

Transfeminine patients undergoing vaginoplasty frequently require reoperation due to dissatisfaction with insufficient vaginal dimensions. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of preoperative imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in establishing appropriate patient expectations and surgical planning for vaginoplasty procedures. In this retrospective review, we identified all patients that received MRI before undergoing penile inversion vaginoplasty by a single surgeon from 2019 to 2020. Our findings suggest that MRI can provide valuable information that can be used to set realistic expectations with patients as well as for operative planning for vaginoplasty procedures. Unlike traditional planning, MRI eliminates subjectivity in its estimate of vaginal depth. Future studies should incorporate a larger patient population and objectively analyze the impact of preoperative imaging on patient satisfaction and other measures of operative outcomes.