FFS with Dr. Rossi, June 2015 + Revisions/New Procedures, August 2016

[Paula1]

Hi Jenna,

Thanks so much for making the recording just now.

You are a late bird like me ... 

Your voice really is excellent and it's interesting when you say it's false and hurts to drop your voice to a lower level whereas I have the opposite problem when I go higher and that hurts and sounds wrong.

I always had a wide vocal range but just can't hit the higher notes which I would like to in due course.

I can still sing down very low with a chest voice instead of a head voice.

Same with talking it can change from a chest voice low down and when I go higher it automatically changes to a head voice.

I can understand why Yeson want you to stay in Korea for 2 weeks. I feel that I would rather stay for a month to recover from this critical surgery. How long did you stay there and what was it like trying to communicate?

My Korean is rather limited ....

Ta

Paula

Hey Paula

I am now three months post op. The first month I could speak, which was a month after my silence, I did sound a bit lower. Then...I suddenly realised I could elevate my voice, just as I had used to when I was pre-op.

My speech therapist was trying to get me to speak in a higher tone, and I think, since I felt used to hearing myself as I was pre-op, I continued to speak like that, which was using the lower end of my vocal range. I can now speak slightly higher and with little effort it's becoming second nature to me now. So here's the recording I made was me elevating my voice slightly, Here http://vocaroo.com/i/s0Eh7stHnI3e

[RubyAliza]

Hey All,

   I thought I'd post a video after hearing Jenna's awesome voice sample. Your voice is wonderful My voice starts off ok but then gets pretty terrible haha slowly it goes back to my normal talking. Honestly, I'm pretty shy so making a video is definitely out of the ordinary for me. First video ever posted on the interwebs It's a short video review of my full ffs with Dr. Rossi (and hair transplants with Dr. Bruno Szyferman).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m45qX4tglWo&feature=youtu.be

   Oh and I hope to see you, Jenna, in Buenos Aires in June no matter which doctor you choose!

- Ruby

[kittenpower]

You look really good in the video, and I think your voice is really good also!

[RubyAliza]

Thanks Kittenpower you've always been really sweet and encouraging.

[Paula1]

Totally agree with you Kittenpower.

Ruby looks and sounds great ... 

Can't wait to get my voice done now but firstly Facial Team in Spain this April and then Korea next year.

You look really good in the video, and I think your voice is really good also!

[kitten_lover]

Hey All,

   I thought I'd post a video after hearing Jenna's awesome voice sample. Your voice is wonderful My voice starts off ok but then gets pretty terrible haha slowly it goes back to my normal talking. Honestly, I'm pretty shy so making a video is definitely out of the ordinary for me. First video ever posted on the interwebs It's a short video review of my full ffs with Dr. Rossi (and hair transplants with Dr. Bruno Szyferman).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m45qX4tglWo&feature=youtu.be

   Oh and I hope to see you, Jenna, in Buenos Aires in June no matter which doctor you choose!

- Ruby

Hi Ruby,

Just watched your video. First of all, your voice sounds higher than mine, and you haven't had surgery yet! You mentioned it hurts when you speak like that. It's probably putting a bit of strain on your voice if so. What I can tell you surgery at yeson will do if it goes successfully, is take that away. At min, I would expect your comfortable pitch to be at the level it is now and your overall pitch will most likely increase slightly.

Thanks for the update on your face. Looking great! I can obviously see there's a big difference

Just out of curiosity - why didn't you just fill the corners of your hairline, what was the reason you also had the transplants implanted to shorten the height of your forehead? By the looks of it, your natural hairline was already good.


Jenna XoX

[RubyAliza]

Hi Jenna,

   Thanks again for helping me with the voice recommendations. As for the hairline question, that's a good one! Amanda said my hairline was good enough without lowering it, even Dr. Syzferman said it was good enough, but I was stubborn and insisted anyways because I wanted a slightly lower hairline. The main reason was that I wanted to reduce the height of my face, or at least how much of my faceyou can see. And it worked. The problem was I didn't know much about female/male hairlines. I was thinking under the older principle that a lower hairline is more feminine. Turns out, Dr. Ousterhout might have been wrong on that one. Had I read Alexandra's thesis (virtual ffs) I probably wouldn't have done this. I would have taken the higher, rounder hairline.

  The behind the hairline brow lift revision is going to change the side hairlines and make it look less round, so I was going to need more transplants anyways. I've already scheduled another round of transplants for June 24th. This time, I'm going to make sure it looks rounder and more natural - not lower from the center anymore.  This time I've been careful enough to use photoshop to "test" the new hairline lol to make sure it looks good before I go through with the surgery. Lesson learned.

    That being said, the shape of the hairline is so important because it frames your new forehead and eyes. So I encourage anyone to do it. Too bad it's so damn expensive in everywhere in the States.

- Ruby

[Paula1]

After my FFS in 2004 by Dr Z, I had three hairgrafting sessions with the brilliant Paul Cotterill in Toronto, Canada.

http://www.drcotterill.com/

I was recommended to him by the dermatologist who I was seeing at London's St Thomas's Hospital for hairloss as being one of the best hairgrafting surgeons in the world.

I paid £3000 a session which was well worth it - Total £9000.00

Because my scalp had severe hairloss, typical 'M' patten, Dr Z removed a lot of non hair bearing tissue during the scalp advance because if he hadn't then I would not have had enough donor hair to fill in the baldy bits.

Also I had hairloss in the crown.

Dr Z and Dr Cotterill worked in concert together on this one and it's been an awesome success.

In fact this part of my whole transition process has been the most successful .

It also achieved like your hairline Ruby a lower hairline which I love. I don't like over high hairlines on any woman. In fact when I am out shopping, I often think to myself, that woman needs her hairline lowering by hair grafting or she needs a nose job or both !!!  ..     Mind you we girls are perfectionists and what we put ourselves thru any genetic woman would shudder at ..

Another result of Dr Z removing a lot of this non hair bearing tissue, is that I still have enough donor hair for another session which is remarkable if you were to see my scalp and hairloss before my transition started.

The only slight negative of my scalp advance with Dr Z is the height of my eyebrows but it had to be a compromise with the hairloss that I had. When the inappropriate PEEK implants were inserted in my forehead in 2014 at London's Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, this raised the eyebrows a bit more but hopefully when they are removed by Facial Team in April, the eyebrows will drop down a bit.

I used to have to wear a hairpiece/wig for years but over the last 11 years I have been able to swim and play sports once again.

I will be getting another hairgrafting session done when all my forehead reconstruction is finished this April because there is some slight hairloss along the incision line since my 2014 forehead revision and there might be more after the next coronal incision with Facial Team this April.

[deeiche]

Hi Jenna,
SNIP
  The behind the hairline brow lift revision is going to change the side hairlines and make it look less round, so I was going to need more transplants anyways.
SNIP
- Ruby

I was wondering how the brow lift revision was going to be done.  It sounds like there will be new incision(s) behind your hair line.  Will it be one incision, or two?

take care and may your Buenos Aires visit go well.

[RubyAliza]

Hi Deeiche,

    Hey whatsup? Hope all is well with you My trip has been delayed to early August so the ffs revision/breast aug won't be happening too soon (got my SRS date bumped up and I'm doing that first). Dr. Rossi isn't sure yet how the brow lift will be done. He needs to see what went wrong.  I have a large area of undergrown hair behind the hair implants on the side my left eyebrow is, which is the eyebrow that fell very far. Bruno couldn't put transplants because it's a bunch of vellus hairs. My guess is that it will work out so that Dr. Rossi will do a temporal brow lift in that area, giving it a lift while removing that skin on that sparse spot. He probably do a behind the hairline temporal brow lift on the other side as well.

- Ruby

[deeiche]

Hi Deeiche,

    Hey whatsup? Hope all is well with you My trip has been delayed to early August so the ffs revision/breast aug won't be happening too soon (got my SRS date bumped up and I'm doing that first).

Good to hear your date got moved up for SRS.  Is it with Dr Bowers?

Dr. Rossi isn't sure yet how the brow lift will be done. He needs to see what went wrong.  I have a large area of undergrown hair behind the hair implants on the side my left eyebrow is, which is the eyebrow that fell very far. Bruno couldn't put transplants because it's a bunch of vellus hairs.

You know, I'd noticed there was a thinner area behind my hair transplants.  I'm sure Dr Syzferman concentrates on providing a new hairline, based upon the number of FU available.  Isn't it cool though that you can have a hair style where the hairline shows?

My guess is that it will work out so that Dr. Rossi will do a temporal brow lift in that area, giving it a lift while removing that skin on that sparse spot. He probably do a behind the hairline temporal brow lift on the other side as well.

It is my left side too which the brow is not quite as high, and where the hair is less dense behind the hair transplants.

- Ruby

Plastic surgery procedures are so complex, especially when a lot of procedures are done at the same time.  I'm really amazed at the surgeon's skill.

[RubyAliza]

Hi again Deeiche,

    Sounds like we had a similar experience then. Yes, it looks like we're both happy but also aware that these procedures are very complex. Your fat transfers, did they still make a difference? I'm wondering because I'm getting the same thing done. Should I tell Dr. Rossi to be more aggressive on that? And how much has your left brow fallen? Just curious. Interesting how it happened to both of us.

    Oh and my GRS is being done by Dr. Satterwhite, who is actually quite good. The overall wait time for Dr. Bowers is close to 4 years. No way I'm waiting that long! I'm starting a thread in the GRS forums to show my experience with tis doctor. His results look very good

- Ruby

[deeiche]

Hi again Deeiche,

    Sounds like we had a similar experience then. Yes, it looks like we're both happy but also aware that these procedures are very complex. Your fat transfers, did they still make a difference? I'm wondering because I'm getting the same thing done. Should I tell Dr. Rossi to be more aggressive on that? And how much has your left brow fallen? Just curious. Interesting how it happened to both of us.

Fat transfers are interesting, you really don't know how much of the fat will remain.  I'd read it can take several fat transfers to get the desired effect.  I knew about the uncertainty regarding fat transfers, but I still think it was worth it.  My cheeks are definitely fuller than they were before.  The only reason I'm considering further fat transfer is to do it when I get any additional surgery.  I would not consider them as a standalone procedure.

I can't really quantify how much my left brow has fallen, I just know it is a little saggy on the outer side.  Amanda was very clear to me, best results would be achieved by separating bone work from soft tissue work.  I fully understood this when I chose the list of procedures to have.  I would have to do as much as I could in one trip.

Having said all that I am very happy with the results.  FWIW, when I visited my parents a couple weeks ago my mother even told me "I looked attractive".  In 30 something years post transition my mother has never commented on my appearance.

    Oh and my GRS is being done by Dr. Satterwhite, who is actually quite good. The overall wait time for Dr. Bowers is close to 4 years. No way I'm waiting that long! I'm starting a thread in the GRS forums to show my experience with tis doctor. His results look very good

- Ruby

Then your SRS surgeon is close by, both in time and distance.  I wish you the best.

[Paula1]

Hi Ruby,

4 years .. That's crazy .... she must be only doing a relatively small amount of ops each year, unless many hundreds of girls are going thru SRS now.... 

Hugs

Paula

The overall wait time for Dr. Bowers is close to 4 years. No way I'm waiting that long!


- Ruby

[RubyAliza]

Fat transfers are interesting, you really don't know how much of the fat will remain.  I'd read it can take several fat transfers to get the desired effect.  I knew about the uncertainty regarding fat transfers, but I still think it was worth it.  My cheeks are definitely fuller than they were before.

     I'm glad he did a good job. In your opinion, did the fat transfer to the cheeks help with feminization?

I can't really quantify how much my left brow has fallen, I just know it is a little saggy on the outer side.  Amanda was very clear to me, best results would be achieved by separating bone work from soft tissue work.  I fully understood this when I chose the list of procedures to have.  I would have to do as much as I could in one trip.

   Yeah, but it was probably nice to get it all done and over at the same time. Amanda is pretty honest about outcomes. And she's nice for agreeing to fix my eyebrows. Generally, Dr. Rossi's patients don't have a problem with this procedure but I guess I got unlucky.

Having said all that I am very happy with the results.  FWIW, when I visited my parents a couple weeks ago my mother even told me "I looked attractive".  In 30 something years post transition my mother has never commented on my appearance.Then your SRS surgeon is close by, both in time and distance.  I wish you the best.

   So awesome to have your mom tell you that you look attractive. FFS can be a huge confidence booster.

4 years .. That's crazy .... she must be only doing a relatively small amount of ops each year, unless many hundreds of girls are going thru SRS now.... 

    Hi Paula, actually she does SRS every day - there's a crazy demand in the bay area. Dr. Bowers has reached celebrity status practically. Personally, even though I'm sure she's amazing, most other surgeons are catching up with her in terms of skill. I don't think it's worth the wait. That's why I chose Dr. Satterwhite. Super excited

- Ruby

[deeiche]

     I'm glad he did a good job. In your opinion, did the fat transfer to the cheeks help with feminization?

Hmmm, that one is a hard question for me to answer.  As you know I transitioned >30 years ago, my forehead was my major concern.  However I decided to get additional age related procedures to deal with the fact I am an older woman, 56 @ surgery.  Diminished facial fat is one attribute of aging, it happens to cis women too.  So I can say that all the procedures I had done helped with feminization and aging. 

   Yeah, but it was probably nice to get it all done and over at the same time. Amanda is pretty honest about outcomes. And she's nice for agreeing to fix my eyebrows. Generally, Dr. Rossi's patients don't have a problem with this procedure but I guess I got unlucky.

I haven't talked to Amanda since shortly after my return.  She was concerned about the infection that occurred after surgery, I told her I recovered fine.  I may be returning to BA to replace my >30 year old breast implants, it depends on whether I can get insurance to pay for that procedure.

   So awesome to have your mom tell you that you look attractive. FFS can be a huge confidence booster.

To bad FFS was not available in me mid-80's.  I know at that time there were rumors about forehead reduction in the trans community newsletter I subscribed to.  I asked the plastic surgeon who did my nose, breast and tracheal shave procedures about forehead reduction and he said it could not be done.

    Hi Paula, actually she does SRS every day - there's a crazy demand in the bay area. Dr. Bowers has reached celebrity status practically. Personally, even though I'm sure she's amazing, most other surgeons are catching up with her in terms of skill. I don't think it's worth the wait. That's why I chose Dr. Satterwhite. Super excited

- Ruby

[Paula1]

Hi Ruby,

Wow that's a lot of surgery she does.

I  have met her a couple of times at Be-Alls in Chicago in the past and she is lovely.

Good luck with Dr. Satterwhite

Hugs

Paula

    Hi Paula, actually she does SRS every day - there's a crazy demand in the bay area. Dr. Bowers has reached celebrity status practically. Personally, even though I'm sure she's amazing, most other surgeons are catching up with her in terms of skill. I don't think it's worth the wait. That's why I chose Dr. Satterwhite. Super excited

- Ruby

[RubyAliza]

Hey Everyone,

I liked the T-Change facebook page and this popped up in my feed. It's a picture of Sil, a beautiful girl I met in Argentina. https://www.facebook.com/FacialFeminizationSurgeryArgentina/?fref=nf I remember seeing her and thinking how amazing she looks after her surgery with Dr. Rossi. This is a really good example for those thinking of going to Dr. Rossi

- Ruby

[RebeccaM]

Hi all, I'm booked to have FFS (forehead Type-III, rhinoplasty, revision upper lip lift) with Dr. Rossi next month (April 20)! I'm grateful everyone sharing their experiences and have just joined this site to share mine. I'm happy to answer questions before/after and delve into my decision-making process (it wasn't too overly systematic as I find decisions like these can be overwrought IMHO). :-)

I started a new thread but perhaps the moderators should move it here for organization? I'm fine either way!

Cheers!
Rebecca
Toronto, ON
35 years old
Transitioned socially 1997
Hormones since 2002
GAS (vaginoplasty) Montreal (Brassard) 2008
FFS (forehead/nose) Buenos Aires (Rossi) April 2016

[RebeccaM]

Hi Greta,

   Different strokes for different folks, as they say. I got a great vibe from Dr. Rossi when I met him. Amanda, who knows him well, told me that he's worked with many trauma patients before and I got the sense that he is a very compassionate person. I'm sure Dimaggio is nice too, but I got an email back from someone who works for him in broken English that may or may not have been unintentionally rude. I was told that my face would be "a challenge" lol like thanks! I know I am ugly haha! Also, I really didn't like how he wanted me to get temporary lip fillers - I don't have the time or money to go back every few years to get my lips redone. The last thing is that I really didn't want to pay the extra $7000 he was asking for. Dimaggio costs a lot more, more than 60% more. Yes, he is more experienced (although Dr. Rossi has been doing maxillofacial surgeries for a very long time) but the difference in price is too much, especially considering Dr. Rossi did such a great job. I met another awesome girl here on the forums (Charlotte) who had surgery with Dimaggio at the same time as me and we came out the same. I don't know what to say, I think Dr. Rossi has become really good at FFS quickly and he's not exactly new at this either. And day by day, he's getting better with more experience.

  You're welcome with all the info I like to make sure people have as much knowledge about the different options as possible, especially for the girls here like me who work hard to pay for this important surgery out of pocket. Like seriously, Dr. Rossi was a godsend! Honestly, insurance should pay for this kind of surgery considering how much pain and dysphoria it causes. If that were the case, I would have gone to Dr. Deschamps-Braly (who took over for Dr. Ousterhout here in San Francisco where I live). As for my GRS, not sure exactly when that is happening because Dr. Bowers has a very long waitlist! Luckily my insurance will pay for the whole thing Not bad for one of the best surgeons in the world, up there with Suporn and Brassard. Can't wait for that. Also can't wait for my body contouring with Dr. Rossi next year using the money I saved by getting my FFS with him.

- Ruby

Hi Ruby,

I really appreciate your posts about your surgery. As I've iterated in a thread that I started for my surgery, I'm seeing Dr. Rossi in 3 weeks time (April 20, flying from Toronto to Buenos Aires on the 16th) and am pretty excited!

I also considered Dr. DiMaggio. I know that he is going to be performing and mentoring some surgeons in NYC at Mt. Sinai later this year with respect to FFS and has a good reputation and great results. The cost difference was significant between the two but the main reason why I chose Rossi, as you have also iterated, was that his results were also good but there was a vast difference in the whole experience, starting with Amanda. Though I pass as a cis woman 99.9% of the time, I was told that I had a "very masculine" face and that Dr. DiMaggio was the "only surgeon in the world" who could help me. As a nurse myself, red alarm bells go off when a practitioner has a lack of reflexivity around his or her practice and thinks, truly believes, that they are the best (or only) person in the world who can "help" someone. Anyhow, ultimately like anything it will be what it will be but it's nice to read the experiences of someone else who has gone through this.

Many thanks,

Rebecca

Rebecca
Toronto, ON
35 years old
Transitioned socially 1997
Hormones since 2002
GAS (vaginoplasty) Montreal (Brassard) 2008
FFS (forehead/nose) Buenos Aires (Rossi) April 2016