Facial feminization surgery

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Facial feminization surgery (FFS) refers to surgical procedures that alter the human face to increase its femininity. FFS includes various bony and soft tissue craniofacial and trachea surgeries. However, FFS is generally not regarded to include facial hair removal or hair transplants, although a case could be made for their inclusion.

FFS surgical techniques are derived from maxillofacial surgery, reconstructive facial surgery and generalized soft tissue plastic surgery. Ousterhout pioneered what is now called FFS During the 1980s and 1990s,in U.S.A.

Though the skills required to perform these craniofacial surgeries are as esoteric as the skills required to perform sex reassignment surgery (SRS), there seem surprisingly fewer highly experienced and skilled surgeons than surgeons practicing SRS. FFS has become an increasingly sought field of expertise by women with gender dysphoria who seek medical intervention. There are also FFS support groups worldwide.

1 Surgical procedures
2 See also
3 Discussion groups
4 External links

[edit] Surgical procedures

Here is a list of the surgical procedures most frequently performed during FFS. It is by no means a comprehensive list.

Frontal bone (glabella) bossing reduction osteotomy
Cranioplasty (removal, reshaping, and replacement of glabella - bone between eyebrows)
Reduction osteotomy of the supra-orbital rims
Rhinoplasty
Nasal tip and nasal alar refinement
Nasal Dorsum reduction
Osteotomy of the bony pyramid of the nose
Zygoma augmentation
Submalar augmentation
Sliding genioplasty (chin height reduction osteotomy)
Lateral lower mandibular shave
Mandibular angle shave and curvature osteotomy
Submandibular liposuction
Scalp advancement
Brow lift
Temporal lift
Neck lift
Face lift (often SMAS but sometimes MACS)
Platysma banding elimination
Thyroid chondroplasty (see trachea shave)
Otoplasty

Many, if not nearly all, of these procedures are also sometimes carried out individually as part of more routine facial plastic surgery (face lift, neck lift, etc) while some of them are more specific to feminization (mandibular angle osteotomy and shaving, brow bossing reduction). The combination of genioplasty (chin), mandibular angle osteotomy (rear jaw), glabella reduction (forehead between eyebrows), orbital rim reduction burr (outside/lateral eye orbit bones), together produce the often amazing results that give this set of surgeries its highly regarded reputation. These bony craniofacial surgeries require extensive expertise, skill, and experience. This combination of surgeries is also somewhat expensive, together costing $20,000.00 to $40,000.00 (U.S.) as of 2006. Although many patients spend little time hospitalized, specialized expertise by the surgeons' support staffs may be required during the immediate post-operative period.