Masculinizing surgeries are gender-affirming surgical procedures that create physical characteristics reflective of one’s gender identity or gender expression.
After you have decided to proceed with surgery, work with your primary care provider to understand the types of surgery and the benefits, complications and risks associated with each. Make sure you take time to understand which surgery is right for you.
The following surgeries (and any surgical revisions required) are funded by BC Medical Services Plan (MSP):
- Chest construction is a gender-affirming, masculinizing upper body surgery that removes unwanted breast tissue and sculpts the remaining tissue into a flatter shape.
- Clitoral release is a gender-affirming, masculinizing, lower body surgery that creates a penis by cutting ligaments around the clitoris (which has been enlarged by testosterone) to release it from the pubis and give the shaft more length (4 to 6 cm). A scrotum can be created from the labia. Testicular implants can be inserted in the scrotum in a separate surgery, months later.
- Hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy are two gender-affirming, masculinizing lower body surgeries. Hysterectomy removes all or part of the uterus and sometimes the reproductive organs (ovaries or fallopian tubes). Oophorectomy removes one or both of the ovaries.
- Metoidioplasty is a gender-affirming, masculinizing, lower body surgery that creates a penis by cutting ligaments around the erectile tissue (clitoris) to release it from the pubis and give the shaft more length (4 to 6 cm).
- Phalloplasty is a gender-affirming, masculinizing, lower body surgery that creates a penis and scrotal sac (phase 1), then testicular implants in the scrotum and implants for erection (phases 2 and 3).
You may want to consider other masculinizing surgeries; however, at this time, these are not currently funded by BC MSP. These surgeries include:
- Liposuction or lipofilling
- Pectoral implants
- Voice surgery
