PURPOSE: Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) aligns physical appearance with gender identity. While clinical outcomes of GAS are documented, understanding patient experience is crucial using Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). This study uses the validated Vanderbilt Mini Patient Reported Outcome Measures-Gender (VMP-G) to assess PROs at one- and six-months post-GAS. VMP-G assesses quality of life, self-concept, satisfaction, and gender dysphoria.
METHODS: Participants seeking GAS at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from 2022 to 2023 completed the VMP-G preoperatively, and at one- and six-months post-surgery using the Research Electronic Data Capture survey tool (REDCap). VMP-G scores, range from 20 to 100 (higher scores indicating superior PROs). Outcomes were compared using the Wilcoxon-signed rank test for non-parametric data. Regression analysis identified factors associated with higher VMP-G scores.
RESULTS: Among the 92 patients completing preoperative VMP-G (median age: 28; majority identifying as male), 86 responded at one-month post-surgery. Scores related to quality of life, self-concept, satisfaction, and gender dysphoria were significantly higher at one month compared to baseline. The overall one-month VMP-G score increased from 54 to 63 (p<0.001), with younger age associated with higher scores. At six months post-surgery, 49 patients completed VMP-G, showing further improvement in all domains. Overall, the six-months VMP-G score increased from 54 to 64 (p<0.001). Surgery to the chest or the genitals was associated with higher VMP-G scores at six months compared to prior surgery.
CONCLUSION: PROs using the validated VMP-G significantly improved at both one- and six-months post-GAS in all domains, with even more favorable outcomes observed at six months.