I will be having surgery in November with Dr. Brassard, and I'm incredibly scared. My biggest concern is that of developing a fistula or an infection (Im having a BA done as well simultaneously).
While I know the odds of such things are low, Im incredibly paranoid because I have already experienced a major complication with surgery - a risk that at the time was told to me to be 1 in 1000. I had FFS done with Ousterhout in 2010 and developed an infection that spread deep into my jaw bone - it was so bad that I had to have emergency surgery to remove a tiny part of my jaw to ensure it wouldn't spread further. If it wasn't caught as early as it was, it would have spread further and I would have my my entire jaw removed. It was the scariest period of my life.
I just want to hear about experiences with Brassard, mainly regarding complications from surgery. I strongly believe he is the best SRS surgeon out there, but I've heard he's gotten so popular that he's performing multiple surgeries a day and it's almost like you are just a number on the operating table.
I am a Montreal girl. For me personaly i had so far a great healing process. He and the staff there are wonderful and if you have a good roommate you will truly enjoy the residence. Just a fyi they do 2 surgeries a day being they take 2 1/2 hrs approx. He only does 4 girls a week max and reason he is doing so many is he well sought offter. For me i never got to the point i worried about the surgery. I more was what to come after and how thing will go with dilations etc.
Everyone is there own. Pain for me was not close to what i was thinking would be, but at the same moment there was 1 girl there who just could not handle the pain at all and was taking pain meds all the time. Just relax and enjoy the time you will have at the hospital and residence till the day you get the stent removed. After then your time will be filled up with hard plastic and lube....
Izzy
Im trying my best to rationalize and tell myself I am 27, my body is strong, it should be able to undergo this and come out ok in the end. If my prior experience hadn't happened, I am sure I wouldn't be this scared.
Did you have any issues with granulation?
Congratulations on having a date, I've read a lot of great things about Brassard and the "experience" especially compared to others - hopefully your's will go as well as those have.
Any medical procedure runs a risk; but there's a risk getting out of bed in the morning. When/if I get to that point I'm sure I'll worry too, but I would think I would try and focus more on the positives that will come from the surgery and try to minimize the focus on the tiny odds of something bad happening.
I went with Brassard last summer. He did do five surgeries that day and 9 that week (I think it was because they were about to go on vacation later that month), but he still managed to visit each of us individually as needed plus a final checkup when we went home. I actually thought it was pretty cool that my surgery took less than 2 hours, because the less time spent under anesthesia, the better. Also, Dr. Belanger assisted by doing the less intricate parts of the surgeries, apparently, so that's how he managed 5 in a day.
The residence aftercare is FANTASTIC. Professional, expert nurses on duty 24/7. If you do have a complication - and you obviously know it's rare - they'll be absolutely on top of it, and the hospital is literally next door.
He says he's only ever had one fistula in his entire career, and it was someone who knew she was high risk (limited space to work with inside) and wanted to take the chance anyway.
Personally, I don't care how many operations he does as long as he's producing good results, and mine are excellent. :) Good depth, I was fully sensate when I woke up, orgasmic within the month, and at the one-year mark it'd be hard to tell apart from a cis vulva and vagina. I had a minor complication, bladder spasms from the catheter, and they were great with checking in and painkillers. (I also called the nurse in a panic at about 2 am b/c I thought I had an infection... turned out to be normal healing fibrin, but she said that's what they're there for and call anytime for peace of mind.) No granulation tissue. I was up and around within 18 hours, and the worst complication in the entire residence group was another girl who needed the catheter put back in for an extra day or two due to swelling.
Good luck!!! If you need to, tell them you would like some anti-anxiety drugs; they can probably fix you up. But it'll be fine. Let us know how it went, in November?
Quote from: cassie09 on July 29, 2013, 04:39:50 PM
Im trying my best to rationalize and tell myself I am 27, my body is strong, it should be able to undergo this and come out ok in the end. If my prior experience hadn't happened, I am sure I wouldn't be this scared.
Did you have any issues with granulation?
Not as of yet any granulation. I have one spot just at the entrance that is very slow to heal and no one at the moment are worried. Are you coming to Montreal with anyone?
For me i looked at all the risks and said if anything happens it happens knowing what the risk is not having it done.
I meant to add, I was also there with two elderly women and one who had serious medical issues unrelated to GRS, and all three were absolutely, perfectly fine. Blissfully happy, in fact. At 27 and in good shape - well, major surgery will probably kick your butt, it does for everyone, but you should come through it wonderfully.
Hi sweetie,
If you read my posts prior to my SRS I was also afraid of developing fistula. It is a super rare complication and even if it happens it can be fixed during the initial surgery. Only inexperienced doctor will take to the road of colostomy and all that mess. Infections are super rare and are usually due to bad hygiene after the surgery. Make sure you follow the doctor's instructions and you will be fine.
I wish you a successful surgery.
PS your doctor choice is superb. You are in good hands!
From a high risk patient's point of view, mine, your chances of a serious problem are very low.
I had diabetes, high blood pressure, a hereditary blood anomaly, was overweight, and was over 65 (by 8 days) when I had my surgery from one of your doctors peers of equal experience and skill. The first few days were a nightmare of pain that was well managed by the support staff again on par with the one you will have, but I healed as expected and pain decreased at a constant level hour by hour. The worst problem, and this I find out is the most common, was a yeast infection similar to one that GG's get all the time, and was treated very well with an OTC drugstore brand fungicide cream. Otherwise nothing extrordinary at all. Well one other nuisancey thing was that I had had to shave the pubic hair before surgery, and as it grew back in was worse than beard stubble.
I have two acquaintances who had miserable times with several things going wrong, but their bad stuff boiled down to the fact they were not following their doctors instructions for post op care. Some of the stuff they did in the weeks just after surgery were unbelievable. Follow you post surgery instructions, and have a gynecologist lined up to help you with post op care after you get home.