What is Gender Diverse Surgery?
Gender diverse surgery, also known as nullification surgery, nullectomy or nullo, is a procedure to remove all sexual organs and genitalia (genital nullification), either male or female, resulting in a smooth area from the abdomen to the groin with a small opening to accommodate the urethra. Nullo surgery is an option for asexual, gender diverse and non-conforming individuals who don’t identify as either male or female and wish to remove gender-defining sexual characteristics.
Gender Diverse Procedures
Nullo surgery includes a number of procedures to remove the genitalia. Some procedures can be done at the same time and your surgeon will go over the various options with you during your consultation.
For patients born with a uterus, a hysterectomy is required prior to obtaining a vaginectomy. Nullo patients will start with a surgery to remove the uterus and optionally the ovaries (oophorectomy) followed by additional operations to remove the vagina, vulva (vulvectomy) and clitoris (clitorectomy). The length of the urethra may also need to be adjusted and the location of the urethral opening may need to be moved.
For patients born with a penis, a surgical procedure is performed to remove the penis (penectomy) and scrotum (orchiectomy). Patients will also need to undergo urethral shortening and repositioning. Once surgery and healing is complete, patients will have a smooth transition from the abdomen to the perineum, with only a small opening remaining for the urethra.
Patients may also select to have breast tissue and nipples removed requiring further operations. Nipple excision surgery by itself is a fairly straightforward operation requiring little time for recovery. For complete breast removal, a mastectomy is performed to remove all breast tissue as well as the nipples, areola and any excess skin.
Learn More About Gender Diverse Surgery (Nullification/Nullo)
Every case is unique and your options for nullo procedures will depend on a number of factors including your age and health status. The surgeons at the Crane Center are experts in nullo and non-binary procedures and will consult with you to determine the right plan to achieve your desired results. Contact us to schedule an appointment.