Intersex surgery is one of several terms referring to surgery performed to correct birth defects or early injuries of the genitalia, primarily for the purposes of making the appearance more normal and to reduce the likelihood of future problems. The recent history of intersex surgery has been characterized by controversy after publicized reports that surgery failed to achieve the desired outcomes in many cases. Timing of surgery (infancy, adolescence or adult age) has also been controversial. Intersex surgery is a form of genital reconstructive surgery, which also includes surgery performed for the purpose of transforming normal adult genitalia of one sex to that of the other (discussed elsewhere as sex reassignment surgery).