Is this fact or fiction?

[AlexWest]

Hello! I am new here and I hope I'm going about this the right way. Someone sent me a link to an article and I've been searching everywhere online, trying to figure out if this is real science or just another internet hoax. The article in question talks about an alleged Chinese doctor who supposedly "successfully operated simultaneously on a male-to-female transsexual and a female-to-male transsexual with mutual exchange and transplantation of ovaries and testicles." I have searched everywhere I could online and searched several medical journal databases and have not found another single source that verifies the claims made from this one website below.

Article reads:

"7. Gender Conflicted Persons

Recognition of transsexualism in human society is a relatively recent phenomenon, especially in the closed society of mainland China. In January 1983, with the author's assistance, the first male-to-female transsexual surgery was performed in the Plastic Surgery Department of the Third Hospital of Beijing Medical University.

The greatest difficulty facing transsexuals in China is that of gaining the acceptance of their families and society. It is nearly impossible to obtain permission to perform transsexual surgery. A psychiatrist told the author that he had seen two transsexual patients who, after being repeatedly denied transsexual surgery, used knives to remove the penis by themselves. The problem is not a lack of appropriate surgical techniques and facilities. In fact, both general plastic surgery and such precise surgical techniques as reimplantation of severed fingers are very advanced in China. Dr. Xia, in the Plastic Surgery Department of the Third Hospital of Beijing Medical University, has successfully operated simultaneously on a male-to-female transsexual and a female-to-male transsexual with mutual exchange and transplantation of ovaries and testicles; this surgery took nineteen hours. If permission were given, transsexual surgery could be performed with little difficulty in most large hospitals. The problem is really perceptual and ideological. The absence of scientific research on the subject means that there is nothing to counteract the statements of the popular press, which describes transsexualism as not merely outlandish, but as evidence of the inroads of "decadent Western culture." This ideological tone effectively inhibits surgeons' willingness to perform transsexual surgery."

Source: http://www.sexarchive.info/GESUND/ARCHIV/IES/CHINA.HTM#7.%20GENDER%20CONFLICTED%20PERSONS

[Dena]

Welcome to Susan's Place. We have a news item on the site where a woman received a like transplant but has rejected it. The problem with any transplant is the anti rejection drugs. The are hard on the body and leave it open to infection. The are best used only when the life of the patient is dependent on the transplant and better off not used when you can survive without the transplant.

My surgery was in 1982 and believe me, there is a massive amount of research available on the internet and on this site if somebody takes the time to look. Before we are born, we develop our gender identity and it's set by the time of birth. Children as young as 3 years old know when something is wrong and they haven't had much time to soak up the "decadent Western culture". Failure to treat us results with 2 out of 5 of us attempting suicide. Others have attempted self surgery and I have in the last years encountered a person who attempted it.

Most it boils down to China being a very closed society. Their internet is restricted so access to much of the internet is limited to a few in government and the military. The people only see what the government allows them to see.

In short, if the surgery was preformed, I suspect it would have failed and possibly the FTM may not have been fully functional. I have not seen anything about the story but maybe somebody else has.

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[Ms Grace]

The article in question talks about an alleged Chinese doctor who supposedly "successfully operated simultaneously on a male-to-female transsexual and a female-to-male transsexual with mutual exchange and transplantation of ovaries and testicles."

I'd think it a hoax, if not it is mad science quackery of the highest order.

[Cindy]

It is BS.

Oh and China, at least in the big cities have good transgender medical resources/ Particularly in Shanghai where they have an excellent unit. There are cultural issues however as in the main females are not even as particularly desirable children, but this is changing now the one child policy has been lifted.

I suspect the 'successful' trans people are in the wealthy elite.

I was involved in kidney transplant units for many years and the problems concerning organ matching make the story utterly unbelievable.

The uterine transplants have all been live related donors, usually a mother donating her uterus to her daughter. There will be at least a 50% HLA match and they may be (will be) picking higher matches.

Another issue that in some organs the mismatch between a XX and XY may be an issue. It is overcome in bone marrow transplants by reconstituting the entire immune system. In liver, heart and kidney it does not seem to be significant compared to the HLA mismatch. But in sex organ transplants it may be an issue.

It could be overcome by using humanised pig organs but that opens other issues.

[AlexWest]

Thank you, ladies, for all of the feedback. I too have come to the conclusion that it is a hoax. As well, the author is no stranger to controversy as I am now discovering. I will pass along this info, to the friend who had asked me about this.