Conservative approach to facial upper third feminisation: a retrospective study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction and postoperative quality of life following the combined procedure of frontal eminence milling and hairline advancement in the upper third feminisation. This study is based on the assessment of satisfaction data of Transgender adult patients. Postoperative patient quality of life was assessed by the Facial feminisation surgery outcomes evaluation and patient satisfaction was assessed by the Face-Q™. Forty eight patients were included. The age of the patients ranged from 20 to 63 years. According to the Facial feminisation surgery outcomes evaluation, 67.2% of patients were satisfied with the outcomes. 56.3% of the patients found the appearance of their faces "very much" and "completely" feminine. According to the Face-Q™, 79% of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the position of their eyebrows post-operatively. 83.4% found their foreheads natural, 81.3% found their foreheads younger and 77.1% were satisfied or very satisfied with the smoothness of their forehead. Within the limitations of the study it seems that a combined procedure of frontal eminence milling and hairline advancement is an adequate treatment option forpatients with typically masculine features of the forehead and moderate to slight frontal eminences.

Keywords: Facial feminisation surgery; Forehead reduction; Patient satisfaction; Quality of life; Scalp advancement; Transgender surgery.