Feminization Cranioplasty

Abstract

Introduction:

Feminization cranioplasty is a key procedure in gender-affirming surgery, commonly pursued by patients seeking facial feminization. The upper third of the face and interplay of the glabellar prominence of the forehead have been shown to have a strong association between femininity and attractiveness, highlighting the importance of this procedure.

Materials and Methods:

Here, we describe the surgical technique routinely used for the feminization cranioplasty by the senior authors. The surgical goals of feminization cranioplasty include reversing the convexity at the superomedial orbit, opening the orbital aperture, reducing lateral orbital hooding and temporal line prominence, opening the nasofacial angle and reducing radix height, reducing anterior projection of the frontal bar and glabella, and creating a smooth, rounded contour from nasion to trichion.

Results:

The video demonstrates the feminization cranioplasty approach routinely used by the senior authors, showcasing positive aesthetic outcomes. While not part of the cranioplasty itself, additional goals are achieved by soft tissue work/browlift performed in conjunction with cranioplasty.

Conclusions:

To our knowledge, this is the first video documentation of feminization cranioplasty. This approach is safe, reproducible, and effective in achieving desired facial feminization outcomes.

IRB/Ethics Approval:

This work does not meet criteria for human subject research and is therefore exempt from IRB approval. All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from this patient for inclusion in educational material, such as this.

Author Disclosure Statement:

No competing financial interests exist.

Source of work:

Virginia Mason Medical Center, University of Washington Department of Otolaryngology, Seattle, WA. There are no conflicts of interest or obligations related to the source of work.

Runtime of video: 6 mins 48 secs.