Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I see on the grsmontreal site that it is listed, and the tssurgeryguide lists it as one of the available surgeries, but I have not heard it talked about anywhere else.  Does Dr. Brassard perform VFS of any type?  Info, please! :)

Quote from: ainsley on March 05, 2015, 09:18:39 AM
I see on the grsmontreal site that it is listed, and the tssurgeryguide lists it as one of the available surgeries, but I have not heard it talked about anywhere else.  Does Dr. Brassard perform VFS of any type?  Info, please! :)

Yep, he does.
$6,460 C$

Interesting.  Is that cost reduced if you have it in conjunction with SRS?  And do you have any info on the effectiveness of his technique?  I would ask Suzanne, but her brevity leaves a lot to be desired. :)

Quote from: ainsley on March 05, 2015, 09:24:39 AM
Interesting.  Is that cost reduced if you have it in conjunction with SRS?  And do you have any info on the effectiveness of his technique?  I would ask Suzanne, but her brevity leaves a lot to be desired. :)

Yeah, Suzanne hasn't been the most approachable person.
The quote I got was from Josee, and is the stand alone price. No doubt it is reduced if paired with SRS.
I don't know about the technique, it's success or anyone who's had it.
Maybe Google can turn up someone who's had it done.

I do know last I checked was you need professional voice training to have it done.

Let's say Suzanne has her hands full.  They also are a leading plastic surgeon so it's not just trans* community that she deals with.

Phone calls are always the best.

Luck on finding the info.

I am in luck, then, because I am in voice training with a professional.
I emailed Suzanne to find out about availability and discounted cost with GRS.  I will update this thread with any info I get.
I searched google for info on brassard vfs, to no avail.

I talked to Dr Manard about it yearssss ago. 

Not sure how they work it now.

Then it was pulling the voice box to tighten the cords.

Thanks, mrs. izzy.  That is what the website says, too.  However, I am not sure often that is updated.  So, I went straight to the source: Suzanne. :)
I don't mean to be disparaging about her, btw.  I understand her work there is very busy, to be sure.  However, she has ALWAYS responded to me in time, and provided any information I needed.

Quote from: ainsley on March 05, 2015, 10:57:03 AM
Thanks, mrs. izzy.  That is what the website says, too.  However, I am not sure often that is updated.  So, I went straight to the source: Suzanne. :)
I don't mean to be disparaging about her, btw.  I understand her work there is very busy, to be sure.  However, she has ALWAYS responded to me in time, and provided any information I needed.

Terrific, thank you.
Im sorta terrible when it comes to comparing the many different surgeons and techniques. As I went through a government funded agency, and also since he is only 1-2 hour drive from my house, I naturally went wih Brassard. Surgeries, like GRS, VFS are so hard to compare because of price, reputation, results, travel time, VISAs, language barriers etc. I suppose I took the easy route and just went with whoever was closest.
Having said that, I've never considered vocal chord surgery.
If combined with voice training, which I gave up 4 years ago, would the results be similar in the long run as say, travelling to the U.S., Mexico or Korea?
Surprised I cannot find any testimonials regarding vocal chord surgery with Brassard, so I'm assuming it's a small part of his overall practice.

Quote from: mrs izzy on March 05, 2015, 10:19:04 AM
I do know last I checked was you need professional voice training to have it done.

To be fair, I believe all voice surgeons at least recommend training. I know Dr Kim and Dr Haben do.

Quote from: Muffinheart on March 05, 2015, 09:21:00 AM
Yep, he does.
$6,460 C$

Yep, that is what the info Suzanne sent me says.  If you do it with GRS it is $5,020 CAD.
It is the Cricothyroid Approximation (CA) method.  So, tightening of the vocal cords to increase pitch.

Quote from: ainsley on March 05, 2015, 02:28:07 PM
Yep, that is what the info Suzanne sent me says.  If you do it with GRS it is $5,020 CAD.
It is the Cricothyroid Approximation (CA) method.  So, tightening of the vocal cords to increase pitch.

So, if you're a U.S. citizen, it would be about $24,000 C$ for GRS and VFS...or in US$, about $19,000 - not including airfare. Is that comparable to other surgeons that do both surgeries? I can't recall the names of the surgeons in the US, if they do both surgeries as well.

Quote from: Muffinheart on March 05, 2015, 02:38:54 PM
So, if you're a U.S. citizen, it would be about $24,000 C$ for GRS and VFS...or in US$, about $19,000 - not including airfare. Is that comparable to other surgeons that do both surgeries? I can't recall the names of the surgeons in the US, if they do both surgeries as well.

Not from my investigations.  I contacted two leading SRS surgeons in the US and they were 20k USD and 24k USD for GRS alone.  SO, IMHO, Brassard is a bargain at ~16.5K USD for GRS and 20.6K USD for GRS and VFS combined (at today's USD to CAD exchange rate of 1.2482).  Travel costs for me are required for all, so I do not take that into account.

I figure at $1.24 USD/CAD its closer to $15K USD than $16.5K for SRS but Im no math wiz and I could be wrong ;) :D Yes either way still a much better deal and a shorter waiting list than US docs with better aftercare included :)

Im in the process of setting a date with Dr Brassard and Im interested in having a CTA/trachea shave to go with my web glottoplasty I already have so Im very interested in this and Im gonna find out for sure what they do and maybe even do it ;)

I think its just CTA with a trachea shave thrown in... Im not aware of any US surgeons that just do CTA... But at least one, Dr Haben in NY will do a web glottoplasty and CTA/trachea shave for $7300.00 USD Dr Speigel who does FFS told me he could do both the web and the CTA and claims to have done both but I never got a price for it....

I think I read Dr Meltzer in AZ can do a CTA and he does SRS obviously... Im not sure Id want to possibly have trouble talking at the same time Im recovering for SRS though!!!

It's about 19k using the XE app

Quote from: ImagineKate on March 05, 2015, 06:26:50 PM
It's about 19k using the XE app

Brassard wants $20K CAD for SRS... I figure just subtract 24% and thats the conversion less any fees to do the currency exchange right??? I get $15.2K USD...

Quote from: Eva on March 05, 2015, 06:15:38 PM
I figure at $1.24 USD/CAD its closer to $15K USD than $16.5K for SRS but Im no math wiz and I could be wrong ;) :D Yes either way still a much better deal and a shorter waiting list than US docs with better aftercare included :)

Im in the process of setting a date with Dr Brassard and Im interested in having a CTA/trachea shave to go with my web glottoplasty I already have so Im very interested in this and Im gonna find out for sure what they do and maybe even do it ;)

I think its just CTA with a trachea shave thrown in... Im not aware of any US surgeons that just do CTA... But at least one, Dr Haben in NY will do a web glottoplasty and CTA/trachea shave for $7300.00 USD Dr Speigel who does FFS told me he could do both the web and the CTA and claims to have done both but I never got a price for it....

I think I read Dr Meltzer in AZ can do a CTA and he does SRS obviously... Im not sure Id want to possibly have trouble talking at the same time Im recovering for SRS though!!!

Lol?..I couldnt imagine having had SRS + discomfort of another surgery. I had my tracheal shave done in 2009 with Brassard, zero discomfort, no pain whatsoever. In fact, my SRS was relatively pain free....more discomfort than pain.
if you do end up going with him, I know you'll walk away from the facility saying how great the people and aftercare is.

Quote from: Eva on March 05, 2015, 07:01:40 PM
Brassard wants $20K CAD for SRS... I figure just subtract 24% and thats the conversion less any fees to do the currency exchange right??? I get $15.2K USD...

Either:
$20,000 Cdn / $1.24 = $16,100

Or

$20,000 CDn x $0.80US = $16,000

Hey like I said Im no math wiz!!!  ;) Still a better deal than the US docs if your from the US in my eyes ;)

Quote from: Eva on March 05, 2015, 07:41:28 PM
Hey like I said Im no math wiz!!!  ;) Still a better deal than the US docs if your from the US in my eyes ;)

Yep, I'd hate to promote solely based on $$$$, but with the C$ tanking, it certainly is worth it to consider Brassard.
Think about this: my surgery was Sept 10 last year. I was back home in my own bed 8 days later.

There is a 4% hit for the cash rate.  So, according to the bank of canada exchange rate converter,:
Summary:
On 5 March 2015, 16,200.00 U.S. dollar(s) = 19,412.01 Canadian Dollar(s), at an exchange rate of 1.2482 (using cash rate of 4%).
I got priced for my surgery last year, so i have been using that amount for grs with Brassard.  My bank also charges me $50 usd for each wire transfer.  I have done 3 so far and will pay my balance for my grs later this month, so another fifty for a total of two hundred usd aded to the 16200 for an approximate 16.5k usd total.  That is where i got my figures.

Well, it figures...
My Voice Therapist, when I emailed and asked her opinion of cricothyroid approximation (CTA), says:

"Hi Ainsley,  Don't do it!!   Call if you'd like to discuss."

So, now I am curious about those that had VFS with Haben, etc., if their Voice Therapists felt the same way.  A CTA is one part of the Haben "Triple Package".
I put a call into my voice therapist to hear her out.  Will update when I can.

Also, Suzanne informed me the price for CTA WITH GRS is now $5875 CAD (the 2015 price).

Update:
My Voice Therapist simply does not understand (and OBVIOUSLY did not read my original email explaining the CTA procedure) and expressed concerns about the vocal folds and how "many, many people have lost their voice due to problems with this surgery".  She then went on to say that the surgery is not legitimate if I would need voice therapy before and after.  "That makes no sense" she said.  So, no help from her, since she won't even read my email where I clearly said: "All that I had read indicate that voice therapy is needed before and after to train the resulting falsetto to a female pitch with the proper resonance, prosody and intonation".

Pretty disconcerting about her, esp. since she is the only voice feminization therapist that I can find in my entire state.  I will see her in two weeks, and plan to explain the procedure and flesh out the misunderstanding.  I just hope that she will still be inclined to provide therapy if I still get the surgery (which I likely will. :) )

Also, Suzanne scheduled a call with Dr. Brassard for me, since he feels it important to explain the expectations from the CTA alone.  Will update that after I talk with him.

Quote from: ainsley on March 10, 2015, 08:36:32 AM
Update:
My Voice Therapist simply does not understand (and OBVIOUSLY did not read my original email explaining the CTA procedure) and expressed concerns about the vocal folds and how "many, many people have lost their voice due to problems with this surgery".  She then went on to say that the surgery is not legitimate if I would need voice therapy before and after.  "That makes no sense" she said.  So, no help from her, since she won't even read my email where I clearly said: "All that I had read indicate that voice therapy is needed before and after to train the resulting falsetto to a female pitch with the proper resonance, prosody and intonation".

Pretty disconcerting about her, esp. since she is the only voice feminization therapist that I can find in my entire state.  I will see her in two weeks, and plan to explain the procedure and flesh out the misunderstanding.  I just hope that she will still be inclined to provide therapy if I still get the surgery (which I likely will. :) )

Also, Suzanne scheduled a call with Dr. Brassard for me, since he feels it important to explain the expectations from the CTA alone.  Will update that after I talk with him.

Fantastic!
Ty

I spoke with Dr. Brassard about this on the phone this week and he all but encouraged me to go see another specialist.  He did say that 80% of the patients have successful results from his CTA.  I asked what qualified as a successful result?  Increased pitch?  He said yes.  So, I do not know if they felt that just the pitch was raised, or they were successful attaining a feminine sound from the surgery with continued speech therapy.  At any rate, he encouraged me to continue with speech therapy and seek out a more specialized procedure.  He gave me the name of a Dr. he recommended.  PM me if you are interested in whom it was. 

I am going to forego his CTA with my GRS and have already been in contact with Dr. Haben (which was not Dr. Brassard's recommendation, funnily enough) about his technique.  Dr. Haben did say he would prefer that I not get a CTA alone from someone else if I were intending on coming to him for his Glottoplasty.  He said he may have to undo what was done and redo it if it was not done in a specific way.