Hi everyone,
I'm on the road to SRS, and I'm trying to get a really good understanding of what life is going to be like for me after surgery. Since I started experiencing erections as a teenager, I have been extremely uncomfortable with them. They're a major source of dysphoria, humiliation, and awkwardness for me. I've been told before that trans women still experience the sensation of getting erections after surgery, but that it's not visible externally anymore. I was also reading this comic (http://cdn.pinknews.co.uk/images/2015/11/cartoon.jpg) recently, which describes how some cisgender women can experience erections. It would be my preference to just not even experience that sensation at all after surgery, but I'm especially concerned if there's any way that it would continue to make me feel dysphoria after surgery.
Do post-op trans women experience erections? If so, does it feel like it did before surgery, or is it different? Is there any chance that it would still be visible externally, even to a very minor degree? If so, would it be different from the way it would look on a cisgender woman? Full disclosure: I have no experience with how cisgender lady parts work. I'm basically learning everything from scratch right now so that I can make choices about surgery, so I apologize if I come off as ignorant.
Most of SRS techniques used today tend to include removal of erectile tissue, most as they are able to remove, ideally all... Sometimes there can be smaller bits left here and there.
But truth is women also have erectile tissue, and its important part of sexual sensation. Dr. Suporn doesnt remove any erectile tissue, but instead incorporates it as it is in biological females. Im still pre-op and therefore I cant speak from my experience, but others hopefully can.
By the words I have read and heard from other Suporn patients, the feeling isnt anywhere near similar to what it was before, and almost always they describe it exactly the same as cis females describe their happening when arroused.
The clitoris is composed of erectile tissue and swells during stimulation and would be the erection being referred to. Depending on the size of the woman's clitoris and the amount of swelling it would vary in visibility from barely to very obvious. I expect that GRS would place most of us at the "barely" end of the spectrum. A clitoris is a natural part of a woman's sexuality and I think you'd find the arousal experience significantly different from penile erection and nothing to be ashamed of.
There are times I can feel aroused. The feeling is similar and I say similar as it's not exactly the same as having a visible penis but there is no visible sign on me that I can detect, just a feeling. With that said, I'd rather feel that way than look like I did before surgery. Besides, to achieve an orgasm I think one has to be physically aroused no matter if one is male or female.
Love,
Clare
Yes.
For me it is rather subtle. Not hard like before. Does that make sense? It also doesn't happen like 12 times an hour. Once in a while, only a few times a month. Cool and relaxed. Nice.
Cindi
I get erections when I'm aroused, just like before. Most of the corpora cavernosa tissue has been removed, so nothing actually gets enlarged and the tissue affected is all internal, but the feeling is definitely there.
Personally I'd try not to worry about it as its rare, but the post here is a case of a real problem with erectile tissue. I find it quite disturbing, so you might not want to read it.
Suporn's FailureS ..... Who else?
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=98958.0
I've also heard of it from other surgeons, including Marci Bowers. If you worry about all the things that might possibly happen you'll never get out of bed in the morning, and that's probably dangerous as well.
I know Suporn has done revisions for this, just not in this case. I'm not sure, but I think he keeps more tissue than other surgeons, so you might want to rule him out.
Quote from: AnonyMs on December 19, 2015, 10:34:03 PM
I'm not sure, but I think he keeps more tissue than other surgeons, so you might want to rule him out.
He keeps all tissue apart from testicles. Thats one of the reasons why Im going to him.
This is a reason to understand the surgery you will receive because there are differences. My surgery is very old and was done a bit differently that the surgeries are done today. All of the skin from my penis was used to make a vagina thus I have a cervix and the sexual sensitivity at the end of my vagina. While the erectile tissue was removed, the glans and the connecting tissue was retained and placed where the clitoris would be. The urethra was was shortened and properly placed. As the result, I can still feel the glans swelling but it doesn't noticeably make a difference. If the surgery entirely removes the penis, I would think the swelling and some of the sexual sensitivity would be missing.
I guess the big question is, does it still feel like an erection? Does it feel similar to a penile erection or is it more of a completely different sensation that feels like it's coming from a different place and therefore doesn't trigger those bad memories of having previously had penile erections which felt horrifically dysphoric and self-hatred inducing?
I'd VERY much like to know this as well, because erections were always such a huge source of dysphoria for me that I'm actually choosing surgeons partially based on which one removes more erectile tissue while not sacrificing sensation.
Quote from: Lagertha on December 20, 2015, 05:23:22 AM
He keeps all tissue apart from testicles. Thats one of the reasons why Im going to him.
I'm planning on Suporn too, but I'm not especially concerned about it. ShadowCharms seems to be.
For me its more like one among the many risks, and not a particularly high one at that.
When I feel what you call an 'erection', it is my female anatomy that responds to my state of arousal. The feeling is completely 'inside'. You can not see the 'erection' from outside at all. It does not hurt. It feels good.
I am a woman, my body is that of a woman, and I want it to be like that in every respect as far as I can achieve it in this life.
Women have erectile tissue in their genitalia, and so do I, thanks to the skill, courage and dedication of my surgeon.
The thought of this useful tissue having been discarded and thus wasted would make me feel maimed and mutilated.
This is just my personal experience, meant to help those who are trying to reach their own decision.
I feel a little bit of the "tightening," tension, and warm feeling that I did before, but it's definitely coming from a different location and it doesn't come with all the feedback of having the whole length of the penis filling up and stretching against my clothes and whatnot (ugh). It sort of feels more like that initial "just starting to get erect" sensation than a real erection. And it's only barely visible; my clit gets a little bigger and more flushed, or so my wife says, but it's no more obvious than it is on her. We both also have a little bit of erectile tissue under the skin around and above the clit, which it is possible to find by touch but not see. Since cis women do have erectile tissue and do experience clitoral erections at arousal, my personal reaction was that I'd be MORE dysphoric if my genitals didn't behave "normally."
Hello everyone, glad to see a post on the subject. As we know the owners manual has much to be desired.
Definitely lacks actual RLE.
So, well, mmm, I do feel something like an erection and is often coupled with a little bit of swelling of the clitoral area. Mainly a direct result of arousal such as anticipation of sexual activity. Becomes very uncomfortable unless something is done. Makes for a difficult first date at times since the sensation can last several hours. Had a date yesterday night and still feeling it today, even as I draft this reply. :-\
At other times I do get a bit of blood rush to the area and that feels erection like, again clitoral area. Pretty sure its because I am still healing. does not appear to cause visible swelling. Thankfully it's becoming more infrequent.
Had no idea post-op transsexual 'clitoral erection' was even an option but appears to be so. No growing just swelling and most definitely part of my sexual arousal potential.
Thank you,
Anne
Yes there's some sort of swelling of the clit when turned on....that's what I feel. It probably depends on where the surgeon put erectile tissue etc
In short, Yes.
I'm a bit puzzled about this erectile tissue. After being on HRT for a while its like its not there. I mean I know its always there, but without T it didn't do anything. How does it come back after SRS?
I'm also curious if you can feel with with your fingers? Is it any different to cis-female?
AnonyMs : Well, I had the ability to get an erection (when I wanted to, which I didn't) right up to GRS, so I can't speak to that part; maybe it's because I had very low T beforehand and still functioned normally, but my sex drive and functioning was less demanding but still normal pre-op.
I can feel it, as I think I mentioned, but it doesn't feel much different from my wife's. (It's a little differently positioned, doesn't stretch as far from the clitoral glans or as deep into the vestibule as hers, but that's about it.)
Quote from: AnonyMs on December 31, 2015, 12:06:04 AM
I'm a bit puzzled about this erectile tissue. After being on HRT for a while its like its not there. I mean I know its always there, but without T it didn't do anything. How does it come back after SRS?
I would suspect that's psychological. If you basically didn't like your pre-op thing, and love your post-op thing, easier to get aroused.
Quote from: AnonyMs on December 31, 2015, 12:06:04 AMI'm also curious if you can feel with with your fingers? Is it any different to cis-female?
Well the whole clitoral assembly is shaped differently. In a cis woman the clitoris is shaped exactly right to fit anterior to the opening and to make the opening easier to access when it is erect and tightly closed when it is not. We don't have any similar mechanism.
There's a sensation of tightness around my clitoris and it seems to protrude more out of my labia when I'm aroused.
Thing is though YMMV. Some surgeons leave additional erectile tissue within the labia while others don't. Furthermore almost everyone ends up with labia that look different. End of the day your own internal sensation is a personal thing--YMMV.
I saw the movie Carol yesterday. During the sex scene I was aroused, but there was nothing visible and it went away quickly. I certainly would not call it an erection and it didn't feel like one.