Monthly Topic

Presented by Papillon Center

Dr. McGinn on Sirius XM

by Sirius XM on 11/20/2009 Dr. Christine McGinn is scheduled for a phone interview with Derek and Romaine of Sirius XM Satellite Radio on Friday, November 20th at 8:05 pm ET. The interview will last about 15 minutes, and will broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio channel OutQ, Sirius 109 and XM 98. Listeners and fans are welcome to participate by calling 866-305-6887. For those who don't subscribe to Sirius, a free online trial is available at www.Sirius.com. Read the Full Entry

Second Chance | Sex Change

by NYTimes.com on 6/16/2009 Terry Cummings, who lives in Montclair, N.J., is a lawyer with a firm in New York City. After a heart problem in 2006, she decided to face her lifelong gender dysphoria, a psychological discomfort with her sex, and make the change from male to female.

She said that she considers the sex-reassignment surgery essentially a rite of passage, but she said it would not change her life. It will, however, have a great impact on her feeling of wholeness and her mental well-being. Read the Full Entry

IN THE LIFE | Dr. Christine McGinn

by In The Life on 4/20/2009 As part of this month's feature story Looking Back, Pushing Forward, we interviewed Dr. Christine McGinn, founder of the Papillon Gender Wellness Center in Pennsylvania. In this expansion of our interview with Dr. McGinn, she describes her experience dealing with transgender issues while serving in the U.S. Navy, and her work and mission in treating transgender patients at the Papillon Center today.

More information available at inthelifetv.org. Read the Full Entry

One Stage or Two...

by Dr. McGinn on 1/14/2009 Very often during consultation, patients ask if I perform a "one" or  "two"  stage vaginoplasty.  This question is more complex than it sounds, yet the basic answer is quite simple... I perform whatever the situation calls for.  This decision should not be made until after the initial surgery, regardless of which surgeon performed the original vaginoplasty.

First, a history lesson:  Before 2000, some surgeons strongly recommended having an initial vaginoplasty followed by a labiaplasty a few months later.  Often times, patients would save money for both vaginoplasty and labiaplasty right from the start. The purpose of labiaplasty is to further define the clitoral hood as well as the labia minora. These flap adjustments were planned for a later date because a period of healing was necessary following the vaginoplasty in order to safely perform the delicate flap surgery.  Staged surgery is a tool often employed by those trained in plastic surgery.  When the popularity of the internet increased, the "recommended" labiaplasty was misinterpreted as "mandatory" by chat room discussions. Read the Full Entry