Community Conversation => Transitioning => Gender Correction Surgery => Topic started by: Steph on January 28, 2007, 06:25:09 PM Return to Full Version
Title: Choosing your surgeon - points to consider
Post by: Steph on January 28, 2007, 06:25:09 PM
Post by: Steph on January 28, 2007, 06:25:09 PM
I plan on making an article for Susan's Wiki from the information that will be posted here in the responses to my post. So please add what you think is important and be a part of creating a new Wiki article:
Most TS will arrive at that point in their transition when the decision must be made on which surgeon to select to perform their SRS. Some would say that this the most critical decision that we will make.
One must realize that not all surgeons use the same procedure. There are two generally accepted methods the single stage and the double stage. Each method involves inverting the penis but that is where the similarities end. It is important to know what procedure(s) the surgeon employs in order that you can ask the appropriate questions. Surgeons use the available skin in different ways and in different places, and use different techniques. Techniques to form the clitoris, shave/scrape the hair follicles in different ways, and graft the penis skin in different ways. Additionally each surgeon may have a different opinions as to what a woman's genitals should actually look like.
Another important point to consider is if you want to lead a sexually active life after SRS, is sensitivity/sensation afterwards important to you. Both Natal females and TS achieve orgasm off the clitoris and some surgeons are more skillful in this area.
Along with sensitivity one must consider depth. Is it an important factor. There are surgeons who will guarantee depth but typically some depth is lost over time after surgery. Hand in hand with depth of the vagina is the issue of scare tissue.
Generally speaking the more scar tissue in the neo vagina the more often and longer dilations will be required. Scar tissue contracts with time and attempts to heal over the vagina. Dilations prevents the scare tissue from healing the wound the body see's your vagina to be.
After care is extremely important and how the surgeon states he/she will be there afterwards to provide post operative care. There are several issues that can arise after surgery such as infections, sutures coming loose, bleeding, urination problems, etc. remember that should there be a problem with the procedure ER's are not in the best position to treat you.
Surgery Check-list
* Get emergency phone numbers and plan in place before surgery.
* Get details of the procedure, how they form the clitoris and deal with nerve endings.
* Ask about internal scar tissue, how much to expect.
* Sort out your priorities - cosmetics verses depth verses feeling verses lubrication etc. Make sure the surgeon understands what is important to you.
* Arrange for a consultation either in person or by telephone.
* Finally be wary of recommendations from other post-op girls. They have an emotional investment in their surgeon and we tend to swear by something we are happy with no matter what, however just because the surgeon was good for one person doesn't mean mean they are good for the next. Remember that there is very little bad press out there on poor/bad experiences/results as the surgeons do not advertise these on their web sites.
Cost for the procedure was not listed as while it is important it should not be used to rule out surgeons rather the selection should be based on the skill, results and post operative care.
Steph
Some general information to consider when the time comes to look for your surgeon.
Most TS will arrive at that point in their transition when the decision must be made on which surgeon to select to perform their SRS. Some would say that this the most critical decision that we will make.
One must realize that not all surgeons use the same procedure. There are two generally accepted methods the single stage and the double stage. Each method involves inverting the penis but that is where the similarities end. It is important to know what procedure(s) the surgeon employs in order that you can ask the appropriate questions. Surgeons use the available skin in different ways and in different places, and use different techniques. Techniques to form the clitoris, shave/scrape the hair follicles in different ways, and graft the penis skin in different ways. Additionally each surgeon may have a different opinions as to what a woman's genitals should actually look like.
Another important point to consider is if you want to lead a sexually active life after SRS, is sensitivity/sensation afterwards important to you. Both Natal females and TS achieve orgasm off the clitoris and some surgeons are more skillful in this area.
Along with sensitivity one must consider depth. Is it an important factor. There are surgeons who will guarantee depth but typically some depth is lost over time after surgery. Hand in hand with depth of the vagina is the issue of scare tissue.
Generally speaking the more scar tissue in the neo vagina the more often and longer dilations will be required. Scar tissue contracts with time and attempts to heal over the vagina. Dilations prevents the scare tissue from healing the wound the body see's your vagina to be.
After care is extremely important and how the surgeon states he/she will be there afterwards to provide post operative care. There are several issues that can arise after surgery such as infections, sutures coming loose, bleeding, urination problems, etc. remember that should there be a problem with the procedure ER's are not in the best position to treat you.
Surgery Check-list
* Get emergency phone numbers and plan in place before surgery.
* Get details of the procedure, how they form the clitoris and deal with nerve endings.
* Ask about internal scar tissue, how much to expect.
* Sort out your priorities - cosmetics verses depth verses feeling verses lubrication etc. Make sure the surgeon understands what is important to you.
* Arrange for a consultation either in person or by telephone.
* Finally be wary of recommendations from other post-op girls. They have an emotional investment in their surgeon and we tend to swear by something we are happy with no matter what, however just because the surgeon was good for one person doesn't mean mean they are good for the next. Remember that there is very little bad press out there on poor/bad experiences/results as the surgeons do not advertise these on their web sites.
Cost for the procedure was not listed as while it is important it should not be used to rule out surgeons rather the selection should be based on the skill, results and post operative care.
Steph
Title: Re: Choosing your surgeon - points to consider
Post by: tinkerbell on January 28, 2007, 07:27:55 PM
Post by: tinkerbell on January 28, 2007, 07:27:55 PM
Great post, Steph! Just my two coppers (as Bob says)
There are some surgeons (especially in Thailand) who prefer to use the rectosigmoid vaginoplasty method instead of the penile inversion technique. The reason for this has to do with vaginal depth and natural lubrication of the neo-vagina. Sometimes, the penis and the tissue around it are not sufficient to create enough vaginal depth (four to five inches), so surgeons are forced to use skin grafts from other parts of your body (mainly the hips). AFAIAC there is not any scientific proof that the neo-vagina produces its own lubrication unless of course the sigmoid colon technique has been used during SRS.
I think that in terms of choosing a SRS surgeon, the patient has to evaluate the qualifications of the different surgeons who peform SRS. Opinions from people who have had SRS are important to help you with your decision. Each state in the US has a Board Plastic Surgery Association where you can obtain references regarding the surgeon in question who "hopefully" is certified under the requirements of this board.
There is also the American Society of Plastic Surgeons which contains information, references, on every plastic surgeon in America, data about their curriculum, studies, residency and practice. Additionally you can always pay a small fee $30 to $50 and obtain relevant information (sometimes not found in their records. >:D) pertaining to a specific plastic surgeon. Just remember that when it comes to SRS, the more research you do, the easier it will become to choose the appropriate doctor.
tinkerbell :icon_chick:
There are some surgeons (especially in Thailand) who prefer to use the rectosigmoid vaginoplasty method instead of the penile inversion technique. The reason for this has to do with vaginal depth and natural lubrication of the neo-vagina. Sometimes, the penis and the tissue around it are not sufficient to create enough vaginal depth (four to five inches), so surgeons are forced to use skin grafts from other parts of your body (mainly the hips). AFAIAC there is not any scientific proof that the neo-vagina produces its own lubrication unless of course the sigmoid colon technique has been used during SRS.
I think that in terms of choosing a SRS surgeon, the patient has to evaluate the qualifications of the different surgeons who peform SRS. Opinions from people who have had SRS are important to help you with your decision. Each state in the US has a Board Plastic Surgery Association where you can obtain references regarding the surgeon in question who "hopefully" is certified under the requirements of this board.
There is also the American Society of Plastic Surgeons which contains information, references, on every plastic surgeon in America, data about their curriculum, studies, residency and practice. Additionally you can always pay a small fee $30 to $50 and obtain relevant information (sometimes not found in their records. >:D) pertaining to a specific plastic surgeon. Just remember that when it comes to SRS, the more research you do, the easier it will become to choose the appropriate doctor.
tinkerbell :icon_chick:
Title: Re: Choosing your surgeon - points to consider
Post by: Steph on January 28, 2007, 07:31:08 PM
Post by: Steph on January 28, 2007, 07:31:08 PM
Great info Tink, thanks a bunch. OK who's next...
Steph
Steph
Title: Re: Choosing your surgeon - points to consider
Post by: Chrissyts41 on February 03, 2007, 04:50:25 PM
Post by: Chrissyts41 on February 03, 2007, 04:50:25 PM
I'm up!
I'm a newbie on this site, but have been in gtherapy for two years and out since last June, living RLT since then, too. Thank you for starting this thread -- being new here, I haven't gotten time to peruse other similar discussions, but I have the go ahead to get my second letter and to arrange for GRS, but I'm only in the very early stages of research.
The biggest 2 things on my mind are the following:
What makes more sense, getting GRS or FFS, first? Since I haven't reached the magical 15 yet, I can't show you any pix, but I tend to pass fairly well now, so I think that arranging GRS would be reasonable, but I know that I could use a few adjustments to my face, and I need a tracheal fer sure, so I think that might make better sense to do first, plus, the public sees my face every day, not my privates, so...
Then, there's the issue of who to allow to knife me, and that's the part that frightens me most b/c once they've done their work, it's not like you can delete, erase, and start over w/ someone else. And while I'd like to just throw caution to the wind and just go to Dr. O b/c of his rep (for FFS), I can't believe there aren't others who are as good or even better (imagine that!)
Beyond all of those concerns, (are you still w/ me?) just finding the info is like being a rat in a maze trying to find the cheese. The only site I've found that I really feel takes a girl by the hand is that of Dr. Bower in Trinidad, what w/ post GRS pix, in depth explanations of everything down to how to wipe your rear end. I like that, but I don't want to pick her just b/c she has a good website...
Sense the frustration/deperation?
God, I wish there was just one site that someone would whip up w/ a list of all the surgeons, what they do, how they do it, at what expense, and w/ what results. I found one that does it and it functions as a link to all of the surgeon's sites, but since those sites are all different, it's like comparing apples and grapes.
:(
Little help?
Chrissy
I'm a newbie on this site, but have been in gtherapy for two years and out since last June, living RLT since then, too. Thank you for starting this thread -- being new here, I haven't gotten time to peruse other similar discussions, but I have the go ahead to get my second letter and to arrange for GRS, but I'm only in the very early stages of research.
The biggest 2 things on my mind are the following:
What makes more sense, getting GRS or FFS, first? Since I haven't reached the magical 15 yet, I can't show you any pix, but I tend to pass fairly well now, so I think that arranging GRS would be reasonable, but I know that I could use a few adjustments to my face, and I need a tracheal fer sure, so I think that might make better sense to do first, plus, the public sees my face every day, not my privates, so...
Then, there's the issue of who to allow to knife me, and that's the part that frightens me most b/c once they've done their work, it's not like you can delete, erase, and start over w/ someone else. And while I'd like to just throw caution to the wind and just go to Dr. O b/c of his rep (for FFS), I can't believe there aren't others who are as good or even better (imagine that!)
Beyond all of those concerns, (are you still w/ me?) just finding the info is like being a rat in a maze trying to find the cheese. The only site I've found that I really feel takes a girl by the hand is that of Dr. Bower in Trinidad, what w/ post GRS pix, in depth explanations of everything down to how to wipe your rear end. I like that, but I don't want to pick her just b/c she has a good website...
Sense the frustration/deperation?
God, I wish there was just one site that someone would whip up w/ a list of all the surgeons, what they do, how they do it, at what expense, and w/ what results. I found one that does it and it functions as a link to all of the surgeon's sites, but since those sites are all different, it's like comparing apples and grapes.
:(
Little help?
Chrissy