My friend had her surgery three weeks ago - in super expensive clinic with good reputation - but she is really upset to find that surgeon seems to have removed all the small scrotum and penis - she had macro set - rather than using the scrotum skin to make inner lips.
Then he took a section of colon to make the lining but she says it looks as though the colon comes right to front of opening and is a red mess.
I say give it time to settle and perhaps shrink and maybe the end result will be a lot better.
The cut colon didn't seal properly and leaked into abdomen and gave her infection.
Then outer edge stitches came out.
So now she is depressed.
Just shows how things can go wrong and how it is essential to keep plenty of scrotum and penis skin.
Ouch. That seems like a nasty surprise. Did she go through all the details with surgeon before the operation?
But you're right, three weeks is hardly time for it to settle down. Your friend needs to give it a few months at a bare minimum.
That sounds really traumatic. I'm not familiar with the M to F surgeries, but the tissues you are mentioning are all sensitive, swell easily and can take a while to heal. Any patient should be able to ask their surgeon if the results they observe after surgery are within normal limits.
Much as we would like to think that surgeons always get it right, there will always be situations that are beyond their control. Sutures breaking down before they are supposed to, infections and some other problems are always a possibility no matter how careful the surgeon.
I imagine your friend is not only upset but frightened as well. Since we are all individuals, not everyone will have the same results. She can probably really use your support and willingness to listen to her fears. I hope things turn out ok for her.
sam1234
I'm not that familiar with that technique, having had penile inversion from Dr. Brassard. I can say that it takes a long while to heal from GRS, period. Hopefully everything will be ok when she heals, but it may be weeks or months more before she looks anything like she will at 1 year +>
Three weeks out, I looked like someone took a dull hatchet and had a go at my crotch. 3 weeks is 10 times worse then a week after surgery, thats the time frame when skin is deep black and purple, cuts are swollen and red, and that surface layer of skin starts to die and 'sloth' off in chunks.
i really think the new girls need to see a timeline of photos. a week apart. out to say 6 months. perhaps if someone knows of one online, a link in here or in resources would be a good idea.
it might set some minds at ease if they could see the amazing ability of our body to heal, in a time line of images.
to the infection and such. not accusing, BUT, i know of no surgery, that upon being released, the person is not sent home with massive antibiotic treatments, especialy in such a germ prone area where both urine and feces are present within a inch or two. again, this lends to choosing a surgon that is accessable, both via phone and internet, and in a reasonable travel distance. Issues do happen, and having the ability to return to the surgon that did the work seems a critical aspect in these regards.
note, that Dr E. Schrang was a 14 hour drive from Va. my home area. I went on one occasion to the local hospital, with concerns, in my case, at that point my results looked nothing like what i had expected. { refer to my 3 week explanation.} a phone call to E. Schrang, while in the examination room, , and i was assured it would improve.
E. Schrang was not known for bedside manner. his words were streight and to the point.
'Get the hell out of that hospital and get home. Dont let them touch you. do what i say, nothing more. relax and give it time."
time passed, results became impressive, 6 months i returned for step 2, ....
lilredneckgirl : I agree about the healing timeline photos (I wish I'd taken some!); that would have been tremendously reassuring for me.
But by 3 weeks out everything was largely healed for me... the swelling took literally years to go away, but all the stitches and bruising were gone and I only had one small raw/chafed patch that wasn't quite healed up. I never had the skin sloughing off, either, except for some tiny little bits inside (like chapped lips flaking, not "chunks"). By about 2 months I could definitely see what it would all look like once it was settled, though I was impressed by how the fine details appeared as swelling went down. Brassard warns not to expect an idea of the final results until 4 months, so I was jumping the gun. ;) On the other hand, he also says it'll be at its final state and looks at the one-year mark - and for me it took probably 2-2.5 years.
As for the OP, I'd be shocked and *furious* if I woke up to find I'd had colon surgery without knowing or giving permission first!!
Friend is in deep trouble.
Op surgery made a fistula so excreta came out of vagina - but I did tell her not to eat for several days after surgery so as not to need to empty bowel.- then the bowel stapling has leaked so she is also draining into her abdomen.
So had another op this Saturday and now has a colostomy bag or one from small intestine same thing.
Has to have it for seeral weeks to give colon chnace to heal and clean and then another op to reconnect small to large intestine.
Good job her Health Service is picking up the mega bill.
What a shame. May she heal swiftly and completely.
I'm 5 months post op now and my vaginas swelling we t down extremely. It does not take a month or 3 for it to look tight and in place but I see mine is slowly falling into place so maybe around the 9th month or 7th month, it'll look tighter outside.
My Dr was Chettawut in thailand. He did a wonderful job and after all the healing I still have 6 inches of depth (used to be 7). Hope your friend will be ok and hope the Dr will fix the terror he's caused.
Oh that hurts to hear as I unfortunately know how it is to have a fistula, colostomy and all that comes with it...
All the strength to her - and it will be better, it will heal and it is not the end!
With me, took 6 months to see the final results.
My surgeon did very little stitching. He used some kind of glue for most incisions. He didn't need to remove stitches, and the scars are essentially glued together leaving very little visible, only a white line. The only thing that needed stitches were clitoris and the lining of the canal. I didn't see any stitches, only two small clear wires around the clitoris.
Maybe every surgeon has different technique. I don't know.