Quote
Well what trans women wouldn't want a fully functional female reproductive system?

*Facepalm*

A non-op transsexual.

Can we not make broad statements that erase other people's identities and desires?

I also happen be non-op because I have no problem having a penis, not just because of the usual reasons that people are non-op. I would just prefer to be able to have a form of surgery that does not have a questionable success/quality rate for the mass amount of money it costs.

[Start Rant]
I would rather have a functional sensate penis, than a (possibly) mutilated high maintenance vagina, which may or may not have partial or full sensation, and may possible become infected, or close up if I can't keep a dilation a schedule. [Rant end]

No, I don't have extremely high expectations for the "magical vagina". For ME it is a complete waste of money for an irreversible surgery that may or may not turn out well. Not to mention the pain involved in the post op care.

Just not worth it for ME.

This is MY viewpoint, I do not expect your judgements to be the same as mine. I like my penis, you hate yours. Our situations are different.

All is good. I have no quarrel with thee.

-Skye

Quote from: Skye-Blue on May 31, 2013, 11:12:26 PM
*Facepalm*

A non-op transsexual.

Can we not make broad statements that erase other people's identities and desires?

Well sorry for not knowing your entire history. I went off the statement you made that you would consider having surgery if it was better. I'm not erasing your identity. It wasn't a generalization; I went off what you said. And I was speaking to everyone, not just you, as people bring up having a fully functional reproductive system often.

Quote from: Skye-Blue on May 31, 2013, 11:12:26 PM
I would rather have a functional sensate penis, than a (possibly) mutilated high maintenance vagina, which may or may not have partial or full sensation, and may possible become infected, or close up if I can't keep a dilation a schedule. [Rant end]

No, I don't have extremely high expectations for the "magical vagina". For ME it is a complete waste of money for an irreversible surgery that may or may not turn out well. Not to mention the pain involved in the post op care.

Mutilated? Really??

And yes if someone does not care enough to find two times a day to dilate for a year then they should not get surgery. I understand it's hard but if you really want it you will make it work. Obviously, this does not apply to you. In the future, I will remember you are non-op.

I'm kind of on the fence about wanting SRS sure it would be nice and before HRT I thought it necessary. But once I got on hormones my penis really doesn't bother me that much anymore most days I just tuck and forget its even there. But do I want it gone lord yes but would I go 25,000 in debt for it no. For me to spend 25 grand on a vagina that can't give me kids would I have to admit bring me much regret. I know unless I do something in life that brings me great wealth I'm not willing to take the financial risk for my future to get basically another hole in my body. Unless they bring down the price of these ops I'm out I love financial safety too much to jeopardize it! 

In five years I am pretty sure SRS will be covered by a lot more insurers. A lot of corporations and colleges are leading the charge so cost won't be as big an issue in a short while, if the tide keeps turning the way it is. Plus if you make $40K a year: $10K for rent, $10K for expenses, $10K saved. Two years: SRS. It's four years if you make $20K. It's all about prioritizing. But I fully understand not everyone wants it and that is completely valid. For me, I'll never be GG. But I will get as close as I can get. It's the only thing I have ever wanted so it's a pretty big deal for someone like me.

Quote from: Joanna Dark on June 01, 2013, 12:37:11 AM
I'll never be GG. But I will get as close as I can get. It's the only thing I have ever wanted so it's a pretty big deal for someone like me.

Joanna I completely understand how you feel and up until recently it was a pretty big deal me too!

Quote from: Skye-Blue on May 31, 2013, 11:12:26 PM



[Start Rant]
than a (possibly) mutilated high maintenance vagina,

Aren't all vagina's high maintenance just look at all the things gg go through! Sorry just thought I would point that out.

fairly speaking srs is a largely invasive and major surgery. sure techniques have been refined over the years and nowadays there is a very good chance of getting an asthetically and functionally acceptable vag with an experienced surgeon. however, there is also a very good chance of developing complications postop, probably not fatal if you have access to developed healthcare, but most likely to be very painful and the possibility of going back for revisions. oh yeah and the dilation pain...so expect acute and chronic pain for at least around a year.
then there is the couple of mths downtime after surgery...and pain and stress when you do get back to work...all in all srs is not for the fainthearted and definitely not a stroll in the park.
with all that, ask yourself if it is really worthy going through the torturous exercise. and be realistic! a vag really only serve for the purpose of getting pounded, and any other aspect of life you are not happy about will probably not improve just because what's between your legs has changed. in fact, things may get worse because of your downtime and financial burdens.
just my 2cents from experience.

 :)Thank you so much for the honesty here.  We are all different and want different things.  However, if someone has gone through the "trouble" of having surgery, I feel they deserve the recognition for doing so.  I am legally female and that's important to me.  Sure, I have experienced the discrimination that comes with "not being physically defined" but many years ago...Of course I know it still happens today!  I've probably spent close to $100,000 to improve myself, over the years.  HRT is a wonderful non surgical tool, but not everyone can take this.  If I didn't have the money I couldn't have spent it, but I would still have had my surgery (because the government of my country paid for it)

There have been a few posts that are getting close to one of the critical ToS #10.

Let us all be a little careful and have a think of what our sisters (and brothers) may feel. This thread is about woman who have or  not have regrets post SRS. A sensible and important thread for many of us.

The site owner, Admins and all Global Mods are very strict on ToS#10 in particularly we will not tolerate: Suggesting or claiming that one segment or sub-segment of our community is more legitimate, deserving, or more real than any other.

Lets just think before we post

Thank you

Cindy

I do want to say that I respect everyone here.  Everyone! Regardless of where they are in their journey, or if they never even got there...We are all special and valuable irrespective of our situations.  We are, a family

Quote from: Skye-Blue on May 31, 2013, 05:18:37 PM
As far as I know from researching the website, it's not used for transsexual women...only women with shortened or nearly closed vaginas. So I'm doubtful the procedure would work the same for a transsexual woman.

If it did work for trans women...I would be tempted to take that route, assuming that they can also construct a vulva. Which still requires scrotal grafts...making electrolysis necessary...

Long painful sessions of self inflicted torture on the scrotum...yeah, still not worth it for me.

Overall...it's better...but it's questionable as to the results. Yes, I could get "retrofitted" but that also requires more money as well as regular SRS, which is too painful, too costly, and too risky for my comfort.

From what I gather, these days most surgeons do not need / do not want you to get electrolysis down there. They can clear the material directly during the operation, and prior electro makes it more difficult for them. My choice of surgeon may end up being significantly influenced by that... 

The procedure does look interesting though, and apart from needing the additional "build the outside"-component, it should be feasible for trans women too. I get the feeling that doctors usually do not go down that route though as:
a.) they already have some material to work with, might as well use it
b.) the depth.
9-11cm is what they give as the standard depth on the site. Thinking about how proud the various surgeons are to reach "amazing" depths ("17cm", "20cm", "with optimal conditions we have reached 23cm"), I wonder whether there might not be some strange remnant of penis envy involved, where depth of the vagina suddenly becomes this huge thing, with people aiming for unnecessary achievements...? 

I had SRS in 1974 at the age of 24, almost 40 years ago.

From earliest childhood I had "severe body disphoria". I naturally and inherently identified as a girl long before I understood gender and was in constant danger of self-mutilation after the age of 8 when I understood the physical differences. Through my teens I lived a double life - pseudo-boy when I had to and girl the rest of the time - and luckily some hormonal abnormalities helped me stay quite androgynous . I was about 10 when I heard about Christine Jorgensen and wanted for all the world to follow in her footsteps. I was 15 before I ever heard the term transsexual and spent the next 9 years of my life chasing treatment. I started HRT at 17 but in 1966 there was nowhere to go with it. The only surgery was in Europe and was horribly expensive, WAY beyond my means. By my late teens I was highly suicidal because life was passing me by! I just wanted a normal (female) life in every way possible. (In those days there was NO legal recognition or tolerance before surgery.)

When SRS became a possibility at age 24 (1974) I jumped at the chance! It was my ONLY chance to survive.

SRS cost me every cent I had, got me disowned and banished from my home town but having nothing and being a girl was still WAY better than being dead forever! I never knew what freedom was until I walked out of the hospital as ME. (Yes, in those days you had to be young and passable to get surgery - my pre-surgical meeting with the doctor was more like an audition LOL!)

Life was not always a bed of roses, being alone in the world, no support network, starting over from nothing, but I was able to face all the hard times and the crisis that came along because I was ME, unfettered and uninhibited. I became the kind of woman I had always admired - outgoing, social, funny, vivacious, energetic, and sharp. I had not even suspected my potential prior to SRS.

Surgery was pretty primitive (by today's standards) but acceptable, good enough to rarely be questioned by intimate partners, which was far ahead of where I would have ended up with self-mutilation!

In over 39 years I have regretted many things but NEVER, not for a single moment, regretted SRS. I wish it had not cost me everything, both money and family, but still no regrets.

Everyone seems to be right. It is expensive,even if you go to Thailand it's like 6500-9k plus air fair and stuff. And it is a huge commitment the first year. Also the recovery the first 2-6 weeks can really test you mentally. But if you want it and are able to come up with the money I feel getting it is worth it. Any post op regret (even when you have minor complications ) go away soon. The pain in the butt of dilating so much the first year does suck but hey it comes with the territory. But having your new vagina is fun and comes with many benefits for all you wonderful ladies

For what ever is worth....

QuoteJ Sex Med. 2009 Oct;6(10):2736-45. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01379.x. Epub 2009 Jul 10.

A report from a single institute's 14-year experience in treatment of male-to-female transsexuals.

Imbimbo C, Verze P, Palmieri A, Longo N, Fusco F, Arcaniolo D, Mirone V.


Source

University Federico II, Department of Urology, Naples, Italy.


Abstract


INTRODUCTION:

Gender identity disorder or transsexualism is a complex clinical condition, and prevailing social context strongly impacts the form of its manifestations. Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) is the crucial step of a long and complex therapeutic process starting with preliminary psychiatric evaluation and culminating in definitive gender identity conversion.

AIM:

The aim of our study is to arrive at a clinical and psychosocial profile of male-to-female transsexuals in Italy through analysis of their personal and clinical experience and evaluation of their postsurgical satisfaction levels SRS.

METHODS:

From January 1992 to September 2006, 163 male patients who had undergone gender-transforming surgery at our institution were requested to complete a patient satisfaction questionnaire.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

The questionnaire consisted of 38 questions covering nine main topics: general data, employment status, family status, personal relationships, social and cultural aspects, presurgical preparation, surgical procedure, and postsurgical sex life and overall satisfaction.

RESULTS:

Average age was 31 years old. Seventy-two percent had a high educational level, and 63% were steadily employed. Half of the patients had contemplated suicide at some time in their lives before surgery and 4% had actually attempted suicide. Family and colleague emotional support levels were satisfactory. All patients had been adequately informed of surgical procedure beforehand. Eighty-nine percent engaged in postsurgical sexual activities. Seventy-five percent had a more satisfactory sex life after SRS, with main complications being pain during intercourse and lack of lubrication. Seventy-eight percent were satisfied with their neovagina's esthetic appearance, whereas only 56% were satisfied with depth. Almost all of the patients were satisfied with their new sexual status and expressed no regrets.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our patients' high level of satisfaction was due to a combination of a well-conducted preoperative preparation program, competent surgical skills, and consistent postoperative follow-up.

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001 Apr;40(4):472-81.

Adolescents with gender identity disorder who were accepted or rejected for sex reassignment surgery: a prospective follow-up study.

Smith YL, van Goozen SH, Cohen-Kettenis PT.


Source

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, and Rudolph Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands.


Abstract


OBJECTIVE:

To conduct a prospective follow-up study with 20 treated adolescent transsexuals to evaluate early sex reassignment, and with 21 nontreated and 6 delayed-treatment adolescents to evaluate the decisions not to allow them to start sex reassignment at all or at an early age.

METHOD:

Subjects were tested on their psychological, social, and sexual functioning. Follow-up interviews were conducted from March 1995 until July 1999. Treated patients had undergone surgery 1 to 4 years before follow-up; nontreated patients were tested 1 to 7 years after application. Within the treated and the nontreated group, pre- and posttreatment data were compared. Results between the groups were also compared.

RESULTS:

Postoperatively the treated group was no longer gender-dysphoric and was psychologically and socially functioning quite well. Nobody expressed regrets concerning the decision to undergo sex reassignment. Without sex reassignment, the nontreated group showed some improvement, but they also showed a more dysfunctional psychological profile.

CONCLUSIONS:

Careful diagnosis and strict criteria are necessary and sufficient to justify hormone treatment in adolescent transsexuals. Even though some of the nontreated patients may actually have gender identity disorder, the high levels of psychopathology found in this group justify the decision to not start hormone treatment too soon or too easily.

I could had had SRS in my late 20's but I put it off in the name of having kids...this is a decision I do not regret at all!

Having said that ^^^ let me tell you that there is not a single day that goes by without me wishing my new "puss" was down there already...

Dying without my puss would be a big let down...

Give me a Puss or give me Death"

Quote
However, if someone has gone through the "trouble" of having surgery, I feel they deserve the recognition for doing so.

Wow...just wow...

Post op people don't need any "recognition", they chose to go through with it and spent the money...and they got a vagina out of it. It was their CHOICE to have SRS, it doesn't make them any better than non op or pre op transsexuals.

I reserve my right not to get SRS and not be shamed for it, and I allow pre op people their right to get SRS and not be shamed for it. We are equal, we just want different things....

Quote from: peky on June 01, 2013, 10:37:47 AM
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001 Apr;40(4):472-81.

Adolescents with gender identity disorder who were accepted or rejected for sex reassignment surgery: a prospective follow-up study.

Smith YL, van Goozen SH, Cohen-Kettenis PT.


Source

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, and Rudolph Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands.


Abstract


OBJECTIVE:

To conduct a prospective follow-up study with 20 treated adolescent transsexuals to evaluate early sex reassignment, and with 21 nontreated and 6 delayed-treatment adolescents to evaluate the decisions not to allow them to start sex reassignment at all or at an early age.

METHOD:

Subjects were tested on their psychological, social, and sexual functioning. Follow-up interviews were conducted from March 1995 until July 1999. Treated patients had undergone surgery 1 to 4 years before follow-up; nontreated patients were tested 1 to 7 years after application. Within the treated and the nontreated group, pre- and posttreatment data were compared. Results between the groups were also compared.

RESULTS:

Postoperatively the treated group was no longer gender-dysphoric and was psychologically and socially functioning quite well. Nobody expressed regrets concerning the decision to undergo sex reassignment. Without sex reassignment, the nontreated group showed some improvement, but they also showed a more dysfunctional psychological profile.

CONCLUSIONS:

Careful diagnosis and strict criteria are necessary and sufficient to justify hormone treatment in adolescent transsexuals. Even though some of the nontreated patients may actually have gender identity disorder, the high levels of psychopathology found in this group justify the decision to not start hormone treatment too soon or too easily.

Although the study does come from a cisgender persons perspective...so they think that other cis people might get "confused" and transition. Hence the old strict protocols that they enforce. Plus they aren't taking into account non-binary people. The study is interesting, but it's all from a binary perspective.

I think the regrets may be mostly due to overly high expectations. Plus, some transsexual people are in the middle like me.

Would I like to have a vagina? Yes. Would I miss my penis? Maybe. Would I be happy with the results for the cost/pain? Probably not.

So, if I got SRS, I know that the current surgeries would not be worth it to me. Logically you would have to be determined enough to save $25,000+, which would imply that you do in fact want SRS. So the amount of people with SRS regrets would be limited to wealthy people and people with free/nearly free SRS due to insurance. And the determined people that got the $25000+, some may not like what they got out of it because they didn't know the risks and limitations.

Quote from: Tristan on June 01, 2013, 08:13:49 AM
Everyone seems to be right. It is expensive,even if you go to Thailand it's like 6500-9k plus air fair and stuff. And it is a huge commitment the first year. Also the recovery the first 2-6 weeks can really test you mentally. But if you want it and are able to come up with the money I feel getting it is worth it. Any post op regret (even when you have minor complications ) go away soon. The pain in the butt of dilating so much the first year does suck but hey it comes with the territory. But having your new vagina is fun and comes with many benefits for all you wonderful ladies

Now that is a more reasonable price 25k no way 10k I could manage. If the quality of the surgery is on par with the states I'll probably go that route.

Quote from: Heather on June 01, 2013, 12:23:13 PM
Now that is a more reasonable price 25k no way 10k I could manage. If the quality of the surgery is on par with the states I'll probably go that route.

Yeah Heather. I think most srs don't cost $25,000. I didn't pay even close to that last year and I'm very happy with the result. I actually regret not doing it sooner. I remember 10-12 years ago I did some research, Dr. Preecha (who is kinda pioneer srs surgeon, most thai drs learn from him) only charged $4-5,000 for a complete package of BA, SRS & tracheal shave!! My friend had Suporn long before he had reputation and she paid less than $3,000. Of course, now that both are world famous, the cost is through the roof.

Quote from: mintra on June 01, 2013, 12:35:44 PM
Yeah Heather. I think most srs don't cost $25,000. I didn't pay even close to that last year and I'm very happy with the result. I actually regret not doing it sooner. I remember 10-12 years ago I did some research, Dr. Preecha (who is kinda pioneer srs surgeon, most thai drs learn from him) only charged $4-5,000 for a complete package of BA, SRS & tracheal shave!! My friend had Suporn long before he had reputation and she paid less than $3,000. Of course, now that both are world famous, the cost is through the roof.

Yeah I about had a stroke with the 25k thing!  It may cost more now but it does sound way more reasonable than 25k.  Your friend got lucky only 3k wow!   Once I'm ready and have the money I'll more than likely go this route.