Dr. Alexander Sinclair's work with the gender-variant community traces back to the 1970s, when he acted at LaMama Theatre alongside performers from Club 82, and to 1979, when he completed a plastic surgery rotation at the Stanford University Transgender Clinic. As academic programs at Stanford and Hopkins were phased out, he was among the few surgeons in the country who continued in this specialty. Today, he performs sigmoid colon vaginoplasty in Beverly Hills for patients who need an alternative to penile inversion or who require revision after a primary procedure.
Colonic vaginoplasty, also called sigmoid colon vaginoplasty or colovaginoplasty, is a gender-affirming surgery that creates a neovaginal canal using a pedicled segment of the sigmoid colon. The procedure preserves the colon's native blood supply, mucosal lining, and capacity for natural lubrication.
A surgical team mobilizes a portion of the sigmoid colon and rotates it into the pelvis through a perineal opening between the urethra and rectum. The remaining colon is reconnected, and the harvested segment is sutured into place to form the new vaginal canal. External structures, including the labia, clitoris, and urethral opening, are constructed from penile and scrotal tissue, similar to traditional penile inversion vaginoplasty.
For patients with limited genital tissue or those seeking greater depth, the sigmoid approach offers advantages that skin-lined techniques cannot match. The resulting canal can reach lengths beyond those typically achieved by penile inversion, with mucosa that produces its own lubrication.
Key benefits often include:
The sigmoid technique is generally considered for individuals who meet specific medical and personal criteria. Strong candidates often:
Dr. Sinclair is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and brings academic credentials from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he earned a Master of Science at the Institute of Human Nutrition, and from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, where he completed his medical degree and surgical training.
He is a member of both the American Society of Plastic Surgery and the Los Angeles Society of Plastic Surgery, and he has served as a consultant for the State of California Athletic Commission and Orange County Custodial Medical Services.
Surgical procedures take place at the Charleyville Surgery Center, a Quad A–accredited Class C facility that meets the highest outpatient surgical standards. His Beverly Hills practice partners with organizations including PFLAG, FTM Alliance, Gender Wellness, Trans Lounge, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and his concierge approach welcomes patients traveling to Los Angeles for gender-affirming care.
Several technical approaches exist within the sigmoid family. Open sigmoid vaginoplasty uses a traditional abdominal incision to harvest and rotate the colon segment. Laparoscopic and robot-assisted techniques use small incisions and minimally invasive instruments, sometimes including the da Vinci platform, to perform the same dissection with less abdominal trauma. The right approach depends on patient anatomy, prior surgical history, and surgeon's expertise. Sigmoid procedures may be performed as a primary surgery or as a revision after another technique.
Patients exploring gender-affirming genital surgery have several options beyond the sigmoid approach. Penile inversion vaginoplasty remains the most common technique and uses inverted penile and scrotal skin to line the neovaginal canal. Peritoneal flap vaginoplasty draws tissue from the abdominal lining and is increasingly performed robotically. Vulvoplasty, sometimes called zero-depth or shallow-depth vaginoplasty, creates external feminine genitalia without a full neovaginal canal, an option for patients who do not plan vaginal penetration.
Dr. Alexander Sinclair has dedicated his career to caring for the transgender community, and his Beverly Hills practice welcomes patients from across Los Angeles and beyond. To learn whether colonic vaginoplasty fits your gender-affirming goals, call (310) 274-4103 or contact the office to schedule a consultation. Your transition deserves a surgeon who treats it as the privilege it is.
We invite you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sinclair to discuss how he can assist you with your transition. Consultations for elective cosmetic procedures are complimentary.
Contact UsBeverly Hills Transgender Surgery. All Rights Reserved.
Get Started Send Us A Message