Planning for GCS later in 2016

[shoko]

I've been going through a lot of these threads and seeing that there are wait lists I want to start planning now for GCS around autumn or early winter.

For now my best choices are: Dr. Brassard, Dr. Chettawut (long dilation schedule!), PAI (are there several surgeons there?) and maybe Dr. Sinclair (he requires hair removal first)

For some reason I want to believe the penile inversion technique is better, but I guess it comes down to who throws away less tissue and makes the cleanest, most sensitive and aesthetic result.

I'm pretty small and circumcised to begin with

[AnonyMs]

I'd think suporn would be a good choice for small.

[shoko]

I'd think suporn would be a good choice for small.

I'm just not interested in the long wait list though

[Lagertha]

In anyway you need to have at least 1 year of real-life-experience (living full-time) and at least 1 year of hormone replacement therapy to qualify for SRS with any reputable surgeon. (you havent even started HRT right?)

I waited like a month, maybe two, before I got a surgery date with Suporn 2 months away. So it was like 3-4 month "waiting list" for me.

Penile inversion (all variations) is not appropriate for someone with smaller than average penis, IF depth is important. If depth isn't important it's perfectly fine.

[shoko]

In anyway you need to have at least 1 year of real-life-experience (living full-time) and at least 1 year of hormone replacement therapy to qualify for SRS with any reputable surgeon. (you havent even started HRT right?)

I waited like a month, maybe two, before I got a surgery date with Suporn 2 months away. So it was like 3-4 month "waiting list" for me.

Penile inversion (all variations) is not appropriate for someone with smaller than average penis, IF depth is important. If depth isn't important it's perfectly fine.

I guess I would need to go to Thailand then, for any kind of useable depth.  But I'm sure there are ways to get around the 1 year HRT requirement (in Thailand you just get letters on the spot)?  I want to be done at 9 months, kind of like being reborn.  I don't think there is any real physiological reason 3 more months would make a difference!

[Lagertha]

Transition is a long process.. it's not about when you can afford surgery, but when you are emotionally and psychologically ready for all steps and all changes. We all would want it to be done in one day, like with a help of magic wand or something like that... but in reality it's a long process, which can take anywhere from 3 to 5 years or much longer.

Surgeons don't care that much if you have been 1 year on hormones or not if you have a good excuse of why not. They do care if you have lived sucessfully in your desired gender full-time for more than a year, and you were able to work and live fully functionally and overcome all stress and everything else than comes along with it. You might be able to find a surgeon who doesn't give a <Not Permitted> on whether you are making the right decision or you are ruining your life, and even help you to arrange "meeting" with psychiatrist or two to write you required "recommendation" letters (Chettawut does that...). You judge for yourself if rushing surgery FFS and genital reconstruction and transition is a good idea. I don't pass judgements, we all make choices for ourselves    

Mod Edit: Language

[shoko]

Transition is a long process.. it's not about when you can afford surgery, but when you are emotionally and psychologically ready for all steps and all changes. We all would want it to be done in one day, like with a help of magic wand or something like that... but in reality it's a long process, which can take anywhere from 3 to 5 years or much longer.

Surgeons don't care that much if you have been 1 year on hormones or not if you have a good excuse of why not. They do care if you have lived sucessfully in your desired gender full-time for more than a year, and you were able to work and live fully functionally and overcome all stress and everything else than comes along with it. You might be able to find a surgeon who doesn't give a <Not Permitted> on whether you are making the right decision or you are ruining your life, and even help you to arrange "meeting" with psychiatrist or two to write you required "recommendation" letters (Chettawut does that...). You judge for yourself if rushing surgery FFS and genital reconstruction and transition is a good idea. I don't pass judgements, we all make choices for ourselves    

Mod Edit: Language

I know, I totally understand.  I had my whole life to think this through, and the only reason I didn't consider it till now is because I wanted either everything or nothing.  So if I couldn't become pregnant, what was the point?  But now I'm at that age where cis women don't even want to have kids anymore, and I really have nothing to lose.  I've been out since 2013 and I want to be done before I hit 40.  It was never about society or other people's opinions, it's about me.  Anyhow, another lady here got hers done here in LA in 10 months.

It's weird how Brassard can do it in less than 2 hours and recovery is much quicker it seems, but if I'm 4 inches and depth is limited to that it won't work (what is a good depth anyway??). Chettawut seems to have good reviews but the recovery and dilation seems so relatively tedious.  If I wanted Sinclair I would have to do electrolysis one year before, whereas others I wouldn't have to worry about that (more convenient).  I read the article PAI posts about their methods, but Suporn who was trained by Preecha seems to not use that anymore and there are some not so good reviews out there.  I would love to have a tidy vagina, not one with a long slit or huge lips.  The samples out there are varied though by the same surgeon, because everyone is different.  I hope that because I'm small, it will come out clean and small as well (at least the opening)

[Jenna Marie]

I went to Brassard and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have, but I'm very satisfied with my results. He does it in two hours because he partners with another surgeon (and less time under anesthesia is always better/safer). For your purposes, every woman I was there with got 5.5" of depth or more except for the woman who was less than 1" erect - and she actually got that depth too, she just had to have a small skin graft. 4" is perfectly sufficient for his purposes. He generally likes to stop around 5.5"-6" so he's not the best choice for someone who wants *maximum* depth, but he's capable of producing at least adequate depth for almost anyone. Brassard also produces a typically "tidy" look with small labia and tucked inner labia, which it sounds like you  might like?

(Short review : I was orgasmic in my sleep 3 weeks post-op, up and around and basically back to normal except for dilation by about a month, and the aesthetics are good enough that a gynecologist mistook me for cis.)

[Lagertha]

...but if I'm 4 inches and depth is limited to that it won't work (what is a good depth anyway??).

Only a surgeon could really tell what is possible to achieve (with their technique), after they examine you and see what they are working with. Even then its usually estimation. How much depth is enough (or not enough) for you is very individual.. And same is with appearance...

[shoko]

Thanks.  I wonder if you can show them photos of vaginas and they can make it like that.. I did just email several surgeons so I hope to hear back soon to schedule consultations.

Jenna Marie, I do remember you posting about that sleep orgasm!  Brassard is still near top of my list, followed by Chettawut.. I do want someone who takes time to listen and go into detail.

[Mariah]

If your planning on GRS late next year take into account how far booked out someone is too. Most of the major ones who except insurance are booked out a long ways now in some cases a good couple of years. Hugs
Mariah

[Lagertha]

I wonder if you can show them photos of vaginas and they can make it like that..

Generally no. How the result will look mostly depends on technique they use and what they have to work with (your tissue). You are usually able to choose whether you want smaller or bigger clitoris glans, this means whether you prefer looks or sensation.

[Dena]

Reviewing a few of your posts, I think you might have missed something. You mentioned using insurance to cover your treatment and to do so, you need to meet their standards of coverage. This may require a documented year of cross living and letters after the fact before they will agree to cover the surgical cost. I know there are surgeons who will provide surgery without any cross living period but I wouldn't expect insurance to cover treatment if you take that route.

There is much to learn in the cross living time period and mine was over 2 years. My outcome in life was far better with 2 years than it would have been if I had surgery at the end of the first year. It's your decision to make but there are reasons for at least a year in the new role before surgery.

[shoko]

Generally no. How the result will look mostly depends on technique they use and what they have to work with (your tissue). You are usually able to choose whether you want smaller or bigger clitoris glans, this means whether you prefer looks or sensation.

That's good to know.  Definitely, sensation

If a doc is booked out a couple of years, I'll be doing it someplace else then.  Seeing that my top choices are overseas, it means I'm not going the insurance route anymore.  I'm not going to let the bureaucracy keep me down, it's not worth it I think.  Dena I think maybe it was probably harder back then being transgender so it took more time perhaps?  I often think rules are way out of date and behind the times.  Thank you for the concern

[SorchaC]

If you're planning to go to Thailand for surgery then you will have to meet the requirements of the surgeons, Most will want letters from psyches; Although you can get them once you get to Bangkok you may want think about getting one from home as it's a long way to go and then get refused surgery because you couldn't get a referal letter.

Most of the Thai surgeons will do a skin graft which means getting depth is not so much dependent on your length; If I can help you at all please message me and I'll do my best 

Hugs

Sorcha 

[Serenation]

if you are a bit small anyone who can do a scrotal graft should be fine

[shoko]

Are all skin grafts taken from the scrotum?

Anyway, I got a long reply from Dr. Chettawut's office.  It sounds good, I just wonder whether non PI technique wastes material or not and whether discarding all erectile tissue is a good thing.  I mean don't cis girls have some clitoral erectile tissue?  This is a big difference with Suporn, right?  I wish Dr. Brassard' office would send a reply soon

[Lagertha]

In case of non-penile inversion whole neovaginal canal is made from skrotal skin graft... when there isnt enough material from skrotal skin alone, additional graft is taken usually from groin area, sometimes abdominal.

All surgeons today keep penis glans (which is also erectile tissue) to form neoclitoris. Most surgeons (including most surgeons who perform penile inversion variations) remove complete corpora cavernosa, as much as they can. Suporn for example keeps all tissue and incorporates erectile tissue as it is present in biological females (clitoris glans, crus of clitoris, corpus cavernosus, bulb of vestibule)



Post-operatively retained erectile tissue doesn't create nearly as drastic enlargement as it did pre-operatively.

[Jenna Marie]

I think getting a reply directly from the surgeon is a good thing, but as a Brassard patient I can say definitively that I do have some remaining erectile tissue and it seems to be appropriately distributed.  My actual clit is very small - only about 10% of the glans was preserved, but with as close to 100% of the  nerves concentrated into it as possible - and the surrounding area has erectile tissue. The result is indeed quite subtle compared to before, and I appreciate the similarity to cis women's clitoral structure. I can't tell without dissection *precisely* where it all went, mind you, but the result is pretty similar to my wife's anatomy.

Brassard also uses the leftover urethra to create mucosal tissue in the clitoral hood and inner side of the labia minora, and on me the result has been quite nice and a light pink. I've seen photos where it stays bright red, though, and that's less appealing/normal-looking...

[shoko]

In case of non-penile inversion whole neovaginal canal is made from skrotal skin graft... when there isnt enough material from skrotal skin alone, additional graft is taken usually from groin area, sometimes abdominal.

All surgeons today keep penis glans (which is also erectile tissue) to form neoclitoris. Most surgeons (including most surgeons who perform penile inversion variations) remove complete corpora cavernosa, as much as they can. Suporn for example keeps all tissue and incorporates erectile tissue as it is present in biological females (clitoris glans, crus of clitoris, corpus cavernosus, bulb of vestibule)



Post-operatively retained erectile tissue doesn't create nearly as drastic enlargement as it did pre-operatively.

Do you know if Brassard keeps everything also, or is Suporn the only one?

I'm really leaning towards Chettawut right now, they gave me a Sept date if I want..