Did anyone here do full FFS with either of them? I'm super hesitating between these 2.
Chettawut:
Pros: Quality guaranteed
Visa easier to enter in Thailand for me
Con: 5000€ more expensive overall
Afraid as I heard he tends to make the nose more asian? or is that just a myth?
Cardenas:
Pros: Good price, quality fairly good seeing some girls.
I can also have my hips implants which only him I know who does on this planet.
Cons:
It's very tricky when I hear not full satisfactory stories from other girls as he is afraid to do the Type III or he ruined chins etc...
Visa difficult to get for people of my nationaly. No Mexican embassy/consulate exists in my country and I cannot have it here from Europe cos I'm hovering without papers.
Which do you advise me between the 2, I'm hell confused. I just want to know who of them both can make me more beautiful according to what you know/heard? ???
I am bias, meaning I am one of the Cardenas girls, and honestly don't think there is a better surgeon on the planet. However, you need to be at peace with your decision, and so weigh all the aspects and then do what your heart tell you to do. FFS or rather Cranio-Facial surgery is a big, but not entire effect of feminization. Hormones over long time do the rest as does diet, proper care and any secondary soft tissue aesthetic procedures.
If you like look at this link, it is my page as I am a representative of Cardenas, and see for your self some girls who were blessed with the results, but keep in mind, it is a surgery after all, with hundreds of details and inherent conditions pertaining only to that individual. The outcome is a conglomerate of both, precondition and skill of doctor.
https://sites.google.com/site/innoaesthetica33/girls (https://sites.google.com/site/innoaesthetica33/girls)
Its a no brainer. Email me. :)
I have had photo assessments from both as well as the Facial Team. Cardenas is obviously more conservative in what he recommended. Chettawut recommended everything he offers including Type 3. To make me a young girl, that is probably fair enough but unlikely to be achieved. The Facial team were in the middle but more in line with Cardenas. Price wise, Chet was close to double Cardenas.
This is feminisation surgery only, not construct a different person. I am seeing Mr Carlisle in Melbourne this week to see what a good surgeon recommends in person - laying on of hands so to speak. A lot of what I want are things any competent plastic surgeon is capable of doing - face lift, a bit of filling and so on due to the ravages of time and gravity. I don't have a wide jaw bone or heavy brow bossing. I do have a magnificent hooter though that needs to be fixed.
You need to somehow match up an objective view of what will help you, what the procedures are to achieve the result, and who is best at those things. Not easy, is it?
If I had the money Id go to Facial Team before the ones that you have mentioned, because one does ruin chins [and other stuff], and the other is more expensive if not the same as FT. So you may as well go to the best out there. I have been face to face with both surgeons that you have mentioned, as well as FT on 3 occasions, so my experiences are invaluable. You should Email me.
I'd say go for cardenas. Mainly because he is cheaper, I thought if you pay more you'll get what you want, everything perfect etc. and I regret going to Chettawut. He does an okay job, he will do just enough so he can get away with it. He completely ignored my chin-shape comments, and performed his regular job.
Plus Cardenas offers hip implants!! I was just about to start a new thread to find anyone who's had it done. I just want to see before and after pics. If you choose dr Cardenas, please take before and after pics, they'd mean a lot a lot a lot to me!! <3
Cardenas proved he can do amazing faces, he is devoted to what he is doing, hence invested in a new hospital, and there's an entire team doing everything to make you happy.
I will post one last warning.
Any one vilifying others will be banned from this site.
Any one self promoting their own groups will be banned from this site
I have had enough and I will NOT TOLERATE any more rubbish from such posters.
Thank you for that Cindy.
Evolving Beauty, you've put down your pros and cons for both surgeons.
I am unbiased in the fact that i have not had FFS, but am well versed in the issues.
First piece of advice - this is health care, and ultimately, your health we are talking about. I understand costs are important, it is to everyone, but this should be the last consideration on your list of factors. What would you rather buy? A new, brand name parachute or the second hand one from eBay only used once that has red stains on it. The comparison on price should only be considered as the final factor if all other things are equal.
Second - there is no guarantee on the desired result. Look carefully at the surgery that each surgeon is recommending. Will the proposed procedure address the issue? What are the risks? What will the surgeon do if the result isn't satisfactory? Are the procedures proposed within that surgeons range of skill?
Third - what sort of support will they offer in the immediate recovery period afterwards? The surgery may be successful but if aftercare is poor, then that may adversely affect the result.
Good luck selecting your surgeon, it's not the easiest thing to do. Don't second yourself afterwars either, as you will make your decision based on the best information you had at hand.
Luna
So in other words, do not ask anyone here for how good, bad or otherwise results one had.
Look at the before and after pictures for each surgeon, asses these pictures, if not enough pics are available on the net, ask doctor directly, they will send you a private link to their patients data base (at least those they have a permission to show) and then if you are amazed or simply like the results for what ever the reason, make a decision.
And even though price is of an issue, think about your decision not based on the price but the attention to detail and aesthetic value of post surgery images. You can always take another 6 months to make extra money, but once the surgery is performed you can not undue it.
After all it is your life, a new life!
Quote from: innainka on July 22, 2014, 08:17:48 PM
So in other words, do not ask anyone here for how good, bad or otherwise results one had.
Look at the before and after pictures for each surgeon, asses these pictures, if not enough pics are available on the net, ask doctor directly, they will send you a private link to their patients data base (at least those they have a permission to show) and then if you are amazed or simply like the results for what ever the reason, make a decision.
And even though price is of an issue, think about your decision not based on the price but the attention to detail and aesthetic value of post surgery images. You can always take another 6 months to make extra money, but once the surgery is performed you can not undue it.
After all it is your life, a new life!
This is so concise and nice what you said, thanks.
Quote from: Evolving Beauty on July 18, 2014, 10:15:50 AM
Did anyone here do full FFS with either of them? I'm super hesitating between these 2.
Chettawut:
Pros: Quality guaranteed
Visa easier to enter in Thailand for me
Con: 5000€ more expensive overall
Afraid as I heard he tends to make the nose more asian? or is that just a myth?
Cardenas:
Pros: Good price, quality fairly good seeing some girls.
I can also have my hips implants which only him I know who does on this planet.
Cons:
It's very tricky when I hear not full satisfactory stories from other girls as he is afraid to do the Type III or he ruined chins etc...
Visa difficult to get for people of my nationaly. No Mexican embassy/consulate exists in my country and I cannot have it here from Europe cos I'm hovering without papers.
Which do you advise me between the 2, I'm hell confused. I just want to know who of them both can make me more beautiful according to what you know/heard? ???
Hey Hun! So where is it you are country wise? Are you classed as a displaced person then ? My first thought is you were a refugee but refugee's actually have a status and papers, or are you on leave to remain for Human grounds?
You know what I find funny? That to me the 2 Ffs surgeons you mention couldn't be further from each other, one is among the most expensive the other one is among the more economic, totally opposite sides of the world and everything! It's actually a really interesting dilemma and I don't think anyone else had come up with that one :) I have seen little work of the Thai surgeons and what I did see was OK. Cardenas lots of examples some great some not. U really need to search for that gut feeling after you've done proper research and go for the one u feel is right for you.
Quote from: EmmaD on July 18, 2014, 08:50:29 PM
I am seeing Mr Carlisle in Melbourne this week to see what a good surgeon recommends in person
Hi EmmaD I'd love to know what you thought of Mr Carlisle. Any chance to go see an Aussie instead of travelling far is high on my listof potentials....
That and I'm thinking of reassessing my preference for Chettawut after so many recent poor reviews...
Hi,
I had the same decision and went with a different option: Dr Zukowski out of Chicago. Price was actuallyless than you noted and the quality of work, for someone who needs a lot of work, is excellent. You may check out my before and after pictures here on Susans.
You just have to weigh everything and go.
Good Luck and Hugs!!
Jen
Quote from: JLT1 on July 25, 2014, 08:29:02 AM
You may check out my before and after pictures here on Susans.
Jen
Hi Jen, where on this site can I check your before and after pictures?
thanks
Sheila
Quote from: Laurenza on July 25, 2014, 08:23:32 AM
Hi EmmaD I'd love to know what you thought of Mr Carlisle. Any chance to go see an Aussie instead of travelling far is high on my listof potentials....
That and I'm thinking of reassessing my preference for Chettawut after so many recent poor reviews...
Hi Laurenza,
Sorry for the long reply but this has helped me reflect on the day (it is 4am now and I have been awake for a couple of hours - sadly normal for me these days).
I saw Mr Carlisle yesterday. His approach is minimalist (his description) which isn't always what trans girls are looking for. He actually only wants to do Rhinoplasty and lift my eyebrows. Later he would look at slight face and neck lift. He doesn't like long surgical procedures (over 4 or 5 hours). As part of the rhino, he would touch up the nose to forehead join. The eyebrow lift would include slight upper eyelid work. He recommended a computer imaging person so I can get a better idea of what certain procedures do. He also wanted to get CT scans of my face to check on bones, mainly around my eyes to see if the dip down at the sides is bone related. Oh, the rhino would be open. Got the scans done yesterday too and took them home.
A worthwhile consult but it is priced for Australia! Brow and Rhino comes to $20k plus hospital and anaesthetist. Add in the second round of face and neck lift and I imagine the cost would double. The photo place costs about $500 (Carlisle thought) but it does take a few hours.
The benefit from seeing him is it gave me an expert's opinion and largely confirmed my view of what I need. He commented that patients from the trans community are good to deal with because we are pretty well informed about the options available. BUT he doesn't over-promise and plays down expectations a bit.
In case anyone is wondering, he agreed with me that I don't have much visible brow bossing so that debate isn't a starter!!! Lips, chin, jaw all OK too. He does promote non-surgical treatments and good skin care. He believes a few laser rejuvenation treatments would make a huge difference to my skin quality (which isn't too bad anyway). Will think about that.
Not a cheap day in the end but I am happy with what I learned. Question now is whether I continue with Mr Carlisle (more consultations) or be happy to go with an overseas surgeon but better armed with knowledge of what will give me the outcome I want. A couple of things Cardenas suggested I probably wouldn't bother with but otherwise, the approaches seem similar.
If cost and having multiple procedures weren't issues (I work and can't justify using all my leave on surgeries. Very unfair on my wife in particular), I would probably prefer staying home. I am leaning towards overseas at the moment even with the travel.
Decisions decisions.....
Quote from: shedevilcanada on July 25, 2014, 09:10:24 AM
Hi Jen, where on this site can I check your before and after pictures?
thanks
Sheila
Hi Sheila,
Are you really sure you want to look?? I was not good before surgery.
Male to female transsexual talk (MTF) / Re: The All New 'Before & After Topic (v 3.0)
I think I'm on page 8
Jen
Quote from: JLT1 on July 25, 2014, 02:21:10 PM
Hi Sheila,
Are you really sure you want to look?? I was not good before surgery.
Male to female transsexual talk (MTF) / Re: The All New 'Before & After Topic (v 3.0)
I think I'm on page 8
Jen
Your discomfort with life prior in those photos say a lot Jen.
Quote from: luna nyan on July 25, 2014, 05:42:22 PM
Your discomfort with life prior in those photos say a lot Jen.
Suicide by Häagen Dias
But Dr Z does nice work
Jen
Quote from: JLT1 on July 25, 2014, 08:01:12 PM
Suicide by Häagen Dias
But Dr Z does nice work
Jen
Suicide by Haagen Daas... Mmm... Cookies and cream...
There could be worse... Then again I associate Haagen Daas with onsen...
Edited for speeliing...
you know, i had this dilemma for ages. thinking that more expensive surgeons give you a better result. in the end i found out that its all about your own anatomy to start with ( your face) and the surgeon's mood on the day of your surgery. i researched a lot and then started to research beyond the surgeons that keep on getting mentioned on each and every TS forum and web site. i found a very professional and amazingly nice surgeon Dra. Alicia Sigler in Tijuana. she listens to what you want exactly and gives you what you want ( unless what you want is beyond surgical limits then she will tell you what the limit is and she will achieve it) i had my chin and a lip lift done by her and i couldn't be happier. i paid 3000 USD for both procedures and an overnight stay at the clinic in Tijuana. She checked on me all the time while i was recovering, she would call me at the hotel and she even offered to drive me home to san diego. All the media BS about Tijuana is not true really, ive been across the border three times and each and every time i enjoy it.
my advice is to look out of the box of surgeons that are constantly working with the T community. there are tons of competent surgeons that are willing to work with us and give us exactly what we need and want.