Betsy
06-10-03, 12:52 PM
This news article illustrates so well (even though that wasn't the goal of the writer) what is wrong with early genital mutilation. Note the paragraph where the doctor from Toronto says "they---meaning the doctors--decided..." That is antithetical to everything we are trying to accomplish. These doctors have no business deciding what is "best" for a child that cannot speak for themselves. Even worse, the surgery is being done in a surgical theater and being broadcast for everyone to see, a gross violation of that innocent child's privacy.
Gender fixed for intersex child
Abu Dhabi | By Barbara Bibbo' | 10/06/2003
source: http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/print.asp?ArticleID=89836
Dr Thoury performs surgery on the one-year-old child born with genital deformity. ©Gulf News
A UAE national child born with male and female genitals has undergone a unique gender reassignment surgery in Abu Dhabi. A panel of doctors decided the child should live as a girl for medical reasons.
After the assessment of the child's condition and an accurate diagnosis, the one-year-old baby was converted into a female during a four-hour operation conducted at Al Mafraq Hospital last Saturday.
The surgery, the first of its kind in the UAE, was performed by a team of paediatric surgeons headed by Dr Tony Thoury, Professor of Paediatric Surgery and Paediatric Urology at the Toronto University, Canada.
Dr Amin Al Gohary, Head of Paediatric Surgery Department at Al Mafraq Hospital, said: "The child was clinically diagnosed by a team of specialists at Al Mafraq as possessing a rare, complex, congenital condition known as true hermaphroditism.
"We decided that a gender reassignment surgery was needed and after an accurate evaluation of her condition, we decided that the child will have a better chance to live as a female."
The child at the time of birth had ambiguously formed genitalia, with both ovarian and testicular tissues. Therefore her biological sex was not readily apparent. According to medical sources this kind of deformity, known also as intersex, is found in approximately one in 25,000 births.
Asserting that the operation has been a success, Dr Al Gohary said the child is now well and will recover perfectly. The operation was the first of its kind performed at the hospital.
"The child is fine now and will have a fast recovery. She will lead a normal life," the doctor said.
Doctor Thoury is in the UAE at the invitation of the Ministry of Health to perform surgeries on complicated cases in which children have abnormal genitalia and urinary systems. He has conducted 21 complicated surgeries to date on children aged between one and 12 years.
"His surgeries are very important to us, since they'll give us an update on new procedures implemented internationally in the field of paediatric surgeries."
He said many complicated surgeries were conducted in the past few days. One of the most difficult surgeries was carried out on a child born with a bladder deformity.
The surgeons made an artificial bladder using part of his intestine. In another surgery a child born with a urinary system's deformity had an artificial tube, acting as a urethra, attached to his penis.
"We have seen very complicated cases. Most of the surgeries were not threatening children's life but were rather delicate. To perform such surgeries special skills and procedures were needed," added Dr Al Gohary appreciating the competence of the Canadian doctor.
This is part of a regional workshop on paediatric urology, which is currently under way at the hospital. All surgeries performed in the operation theatre are screened in a conference room for the benefit of the participants of the workshop.
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© Al Nisr Publishing LLC - Gulf News Online
Gender fixed for intersex child
Abu Dhabi | By Barbara Bibbo' | 10/06/2003
source: http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/print.asp?ArticleID=89836
Dr Thoury performs surgery on the one-year-old child born with genital deformity. ©Gulf News
A UAE national child born with male and female genitals has undergone a unique gender reassignment surgery in Abu Dhabi. A panel of doctors decided the child should live as a girl for medical reasons.
After the assessment of the child's condition and an accurate diagnosis, the one-year-old baby was converted into a female during a four-hour operation conducted at Al Mafraq Hospital last Saturday.
The surgery, the first of its kind in the UAE, was performed by a team of paediatric surgeons headed by Dr Tony Thoury, Professor of Paediatric Surgery and Paediatric Urology at the Toronto University, Canada.
Dr Amin Al Gohary, Head of Paediatric Surgery Department at Al Mafraq Hospital, said: "The child was clinically diagnosed by a team of specialists at Al Mafraq as possessing a rare, complex, congenital condition known as true hermaphroditism.
"We decided that a gender reassignment surgery was needed and after an accurate evaluation of her condition, we decided that the child will have a better chance to live as a female."
The child at the time of birth had ambiguously formed genitalia, with both ovarian and testicular tissues. Therefore her biological sex was not readily apparent. According to medical sources this kind of deformity, known also as intersex, is found in approximately one in 25,000 births.
Asserting that the operation has been a success, Dr Al Gohary said the child is now well and will recover perfectly. The operation was the first of its kind performed at the hospital.
"The child is fine now and will have a fast recovery. She will lead a normal life," the doctor said.
Doctor Thoury is in the UAE at the invitation of the Ministry of Health to perform surgeries on complicated cases in which children have abnormal genitalia and urinary systems. He has conducted 21 complicated surgeries to date on children aged between one and 12 years.
"His surgeries are very important to us, since they'll give us an update on new procedures implemented internationally in the field of paediatric surgeries."
He said many complicated surgeries were conducted in the past few days. One of the most difficult surgeries was carried out on a child born with a bladder deformity.
The surgeons made an artificial bladder using part of his intestine. In another surgery a child born with a urinary system's deformity had an artificial tube, acting as a urethra, attached to his penis.
"We have seen very complicated cases. Most of the surgeries were not threatening children's life but were rather delicate. To perform such surgeries special skills and procedures were needed," added Dr Al Gohary appreciating the competence of the Canadian doctor.
This is part of a regional workshop on paediatric urology, which is currently under way at the hospital. All surgeries performed in the operation theatre are screened in a conference room for the benefit of the participants of the workshop.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© Al Nisr Publishing LLC - Gulf News Online