FFS Recovery Time / Voice Surgery

[sophie1904]

Hi All,

I'm trying to put together a plan for the order of my transition surgeries and I'm planning for facial feminisation in November 2018. I plan to do the facial feminisation surgery, return to the UK, wait for the swelling to reduce then travel to Seoul for VFS with Yeson.

I don't believe I will need a trachea shave however my questions are:

1. How long does it take for FFS swelling to reduce enough to take a new passport photo? I will be travelling initially on my male passport.
2. How soon after surgery (that doesn't involve a trachea shave) can I visit Yeson and if I do have the trachea shave, does this change the time?
3. How long after VFS until I'm able to hold conversations and return to work?

I'm aiming to be off work from around November 2018 - March 2019 (my work has generous sick leave policies coupled with a sabbatical).

Does this seem feasible?


Sophie

[sophie1904]

I found this advice from Facial Team:
http://facialteam.eu/blog/ffs-surgery/adams-apple-reduction-voice-feminization-surgery/

Suggesting post trachea shave it's a minimum of 3 months which could fit depending on how soon after voice surgery I could return to work - I have a role where speaking is important but I could probably limit it for the first few weeks.

[Sophia Sage]

I think 3 to 4 months is reasonable for all the swelling to go down, and your face to start feeling normal again.

[Dena]

I seem to remember Yeson having some issues with people having trachea shaves. It was something about he was unhappy with them. Done incorrectly, a trachea shave can result in a permanent lowering of the voice which Yeson would be unable to correct. If the shave is done correctly, there shouldn't be any issues. The rule on a trachea shave is don't force your surgeon to be aggressive. Better a little bump than a messed up voice.

Yeson doesn't want you to talk for a month after surgery. After that, it will depend on how fast you recover. At a month, I was able to speak but my voice was weak and sounded really bad because of the swelling that I still had. At 7 months, the strength in my voice started to return and it was near a year before I considered my voice near normal. Judging from other results, my recovery was on the slow side and some sound great after 6 weeks.

[sophie1904]

Thanks Dena, that's really useful - apparently Facial Team work with Yeson so hopefully they're somewhat aligned on each other - I don't have an enormous bump so it may not even be necessary but like to consider options.

7 months off would be impractical but 6 weeks post voice surgery off followed by 2-3 weeks of limited talking would probably be ok.

[anjaq]

Yes, Facialteam will do things in a way that is in line with Yeson. However Dr Kim still dislikes trach shaves if they ar enot really needed I would avoid them.

I think Yeson says 3 months distance to any other surgery. After VFS, you will not be allowed to speak 4 weeks and then another 4 weeks it is only allowed to speak in a soft voice, not loud, not too many words, after that total 8 weeks you can talk normally, but the voice may still get tired soon and its not yet good to have presentations. I am working a job that requires me to do lectures and I could do the first one after 4 months, in a room of 40 people, after 8 months it was ok to do one for 150 people in a big room.