A few questions about dilation

[Ms Grace]

So I gather that dilation is a daily ritual if one doesn't want to end up with a pencil thin aperture or worse, none at all. Can I ask what is the average time required to dilate every day and does that time required reduce over time?

Also I'm curious what causes the neo-vagina to seal up when not dilated. I presume it must be like a pierced ear or something, even though the skin has healed on the inside of the hole, removing the stud means it will seal. So is that the case with the neo vagina? What is it about the inside wall of a neo vagina that makes it unlike the inside wall of a cis vagina and prone to seal up?

[Flan]

As far as I know it's the nature of partial thickness grafts (is penile/scrotal skin inversion). It's much worse in phallo using partial thickness as the skin contracts at different rates (and dilation is to prevent that contracture).

In general yes time spent "sitting on plastic" goes down after 6 months to a year when less dilation "stages" are required (ie only say, #2 and #3 or #3 and #4). I spend about 25 min on the deed counting prep and cleanup. Number of times a day and eventually number of days per week (go down) every couple months.

[calicarly]

As far as I know it's the nature of partial thickness grafts (is penile/scrotal skin inversion). It's much worse in phallo using partial thickness as the skin contracts at different rates (and dilation is to prevent that contracture).

In general yes time spent "sitting on plastic" goes down after 6 months to a year when less dilation "stages" are required (ie only say, #2 and #3 or #3 and #4). I spend about 25 min on the deed counting prep and cleanup. Number of times a day and eventually number of days per week (go down) every couple months.

Interesting, so what would the target of dilations be once everything has settled? Like a few years down the line, given that all has gone well and the person has kept up the dilations as needed ? Is it still every day? Every other day?

[Ms Grace]

As far as I know it's the nature of partial thickness grafts (is penile/scrotal skin inversion). It's much worse in phallo using partial thickness as the skin contracts at different rates (and dilation is to prevent that contracture).

OK, I think I understand this. I thought it was like an earring piercing where the hole simply closes up and the skin/flesh fuses back together. But if I understand what you're saying here it's because the skin being used, especially the skin of the phallus which is very stretchy and can increase in length considerably when aroused, is more interested in being in it's contracted non stretched state so dilation encourages it over time not to do that. Would that be accurate? Is that also in relation to width as much as depth or is dilation not for depth?

[suzifrommd]

My surgeon is Dr. Kathy Rumer who uses a standard inversion technique.

Initial dilation is 4x/day, with each of two dilators in for 10 minutes apiece. When I factor in washing the dilators, getting everything ready, insertion, removal, clean-up etc., each dilation seems to take about 40 minutes of wall clock time.

After 4 weeks of dilation (5 weeks post-op), that drops to 3x/day and and 2 months later that drops to 2x/day. 3 months later it drops to 1x/day.

[Jenna Marie]

It depends on the doctor, but it's not daily forever. Brassard's routine is 4X daily for 20 minutes per session for the first month; 3X daily for 30 minutes for 2 months; twice a day for 30 minutes for three months; once a day for 20 minutes for six months. At the end of the first year, gradually taper down to once a week, 15-minute session, forever.  (There's some stuff about which dilators to use and how often, too, but that's the basics. The lifetime maintenance dilation will be with the largest dilator only.)  I may be fortunate, but for me prep time and clean-up adds only about 5 minutes and it takes me zero time/effort to get to full depth, so for all intents and purposes that's the real time I spend dilating.

Dilation maintains depth; it's usually possible to gain width at any time (at least up to the limits of the pelvic aperture) by gradually, gently increasing size.

I also hear from some lucky women that once they're many years post-op it's possible to drop to once a month or less, and one or two even quit altogether. For that matter, I know people whose pierced ears don't close up either! So I guess some bodies are more cooperative than others.

I'm currently just barely to the once a week phase, but I have to say, 15 minutes a week is no big deal. I spend more time doing the dishes every single night.

[GendrKweer]

2 years post-op, I do it roughly once every two or three weeks, or anytime I need a little time to myself lol

[LizMarie]

While I have not yet had the good fortune to have SRS, I have been told by some that there is also the matter of extensive retraining of the pubococcygeus muscles to work properly with a vagina instead of what was formerly a closed region of muscle and flesh.

[Allyda]

Interesting thread. Thanks Ms. Grace for posting. As my SRS is coming up this fall I need all the information I can get.

Allie

[Vicky]

A muscle in the area of the neo-vagina has been cut down the middle lengthwise and split in two halves, with the neo vaginal grafts shoved on through the hole there and into body cavity space previously the home of some other organs, and they want the extra room back for themselves.  The other elements of the surgery about partial thickness grafts take over as the other organs try to push them out of the way and get their easy chair back!!  Maybe that is not medical lingo, but it describes what I learned in terms I can think about.  The dilator just antagonizes the other space holders in there and over time they will get the message that it is going to stay and stay where they have now been relocated.

My instructions for dilation has been 3 x 20 minutes per day until 90 days, then 2 x 20 for 90 more days, and then 1 x 10 -15 minutes FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!!   At 6 weeks I could have used one session of PV sex to equal 1 dilation per day.  While they say a hard man is good to find, the only ones for me so far have been my plastic boyfriends.   

[Ms Grace]

Thanks for the info everyone!

[Julieb1]

I have 6 sizes of dilaters instructions were work through the sizes 1 to 6 leaving no 6 in for 15 mins for 6mths 3x a day my intial dilation I done were 10 mins for the first 5 sizes then no 6 15 mins 3x a day I reachex the point were I could ease off as they basically done nothing at 2.5mths im now 4mths post and use no 5/6 15 mins each 2x a day and mow 2nd dilation of the day is no6 30 mins.

I know its not excatly following the info I was told which was very vague but I seem to be nice and loose in there after insertion depth is good 5 1/4 inches. One thing I will say is I spent some of the intial 3 mths doing 3/4hrs dilation a day i monitor myself if its tight I do longer etc however thats normally because I havnt relaxed enough.


xx

[Serena]

I dilate once a day for 20 minutes and I am about six months post op.