Keep us updated on how everything goes!

I am having the worst luck with surgeons.

A friend I've made through the various bottom surgery groups on Facebook had a consultation with the other surgeons at NYU today. Dr. Bluebond-Langner had encouraged him to meet with them because he had some additional health concerns. He got a chance to meet with the scheduler after his consult...and they are already booked out to 2018. Apparently they utilize a robot during the vaginectomy and there are very few of them available at NYU. So if you need a vaginectomy, you're not getting in until Q1 2018 at the earliest. That would be another year's wait for me. Another year in a job I hate just for the sake of having insurance to get this surgery.

He is already one step ahead of me and has sent Dr. BL an email telling her the results of his consult and asking if he could have a vaginectomy done locally in advance to get in earlier for phallo. If he gets the green light for that, I am intending to follow up with her and ask to do the same.

But for some reason I don't feel very confident about it. I've already waited much longer than I initially wanted to for surgery. And while I like her and feel confident that I'd be happy with my results from her, I don't know that it is worth waiting another year without investigating other options. Some things I'm considering:

- Scheduling a consultation with Dr. McGinn for ring meta. She doesn't do a complete vaginectomy, so I would need to ask her at the consult if (a) I could have it done in advance, or (b) I could have someone do it after. I believe she uses vaginal mucosa in her UL so I imagine it would have to be done afterward. The downsides to this would be realizing down the road that I need phallo and having to come up with a way to pay for it, and the fact that I'd have to pay out of pocket up front and be reimbursed by my insurance after the fact.

- Reconsidering pedicled phallo options. Sensation isn't important to me. I could add about 5 more surgeons to my potential list if abdominal or groin phallo were options for me. The downside here is that a lot of surgeons who offer pedicled options don't do UL, so I'd need to find someone to do my UL after the fact if I ended up choosing one of them. It can apparently be done, but that would be another surgery.

I'm going to marinade on all this for the next week or so. I'm hoping my friend gets some good news from Dr. BL and is told he can get a vaginectomy done in advance and still get in before next summer, but I put all my eggs in one basket with Dr. Schechter and that got me into this position so I'm not going to make that mistake again.

What would make you lose sensation, Max?

Quote from: alienbodybuilder on November 30, 2016, 02:45:56 PM
What would make you lose sensation, Max?

With phallo, everyone retains sensation in their buried clitoris. But different choices of donor sites mean different levels of sensation in the attached phallus. The arm and the thigh are highly regarded in terms of their post-operative sensation due to the specific types of nerves that are harvested from those sites and reconnected via microsurgery at the groin.

That isn't possible with all donor sites. With ab or groin flap (pedicled options), those types of nerves are lacking. So the only sensation you would have if you chose those options is in the base of the penis where your clitoris is buried. You'd also have the option of having a nerve harvested from elsewhere to do the microsurgery, but that would require an additional surgery most likely performed by a different surgeon.

So it's not so much that you would lose sensation. Nobody loses sensation. It's that with some phalloplasty options, no new sensation would be gained. I'm 100% fine with that, but the majority of guys that want phallo are not.

Thanks for explaining. I hope you have better luck with getting your surgery. Maybe someone else scheduled to have surgery will chicken out and you'll get in sooner than you think. Even 2018 would be better than never. I wish mine was that soon if I had a way to pay for it.

Thanks. And FWIW, I think despite the political changes we'll continue to see insurances starting to cover these procedures so that more people can access them. So don't think it'll never be an option for you!

I've got all my fingers crossed that this will work out exactly like I was told it would. I'm really hoping that either there was a miscommunication somewhere along the line or that Dr. BL will say to go ahead with the vaginectomy here locally. I just don't want to get stuck again waiting around for another surgeon's office. I've lost a full year already due to my experience with Dr. Schechter.

I think knowing that my first stage with Dr. BL will be a meta has gotten me back to thinking more about that as the better option for what I want. The more I think about the logistics of standing to pee as well - everything I want to do with it doesn't really require length. I don't care about using a urinal. It's mostly for convenience on road trips or while camping. And of course if I were ever hospitalized and they needed to give me a catheter.

I've spent the day thinking about what would need to change in my life for me to want something more sizeable, and being mildly asexual I can't think of anything. When you cut sexual function out of the equation, it really just comes down to the functionality I care about (peeing) and aesthetics. So with that in mind, I've identified 5 different options, some of which I've already started to pursue:

- Dr. McGinn: I sent off her intake forms and a request for a ring meta consultation today. I know she's already booked up through July, but that's still sooner than 2018. The downsides would be that I'd need to get a vaginectomy done elsewhere after the fact, and that I'd have to pay out of pocket and be reimbursed by my insurance.

- Dr. Meltzer: I also sent a request to Meltzer's office for a meta consultation. No idea what his schedule looks like, but it doesn't hurt to ask. He could do everything I want, potentially in a single session but most likely two. I have a cousin out there I could stay with, so even though it'd be outside of my usual willing-to-travel-to radius, it wouldn't necessarily be a more expensive option. He also accepts single case agreements from some insurers, so I may not have to pay out of pocket and be reimbursed.

- Dr. Leis: Leis doesn't do UL with his ab phallos but will do everything else. I could have UL done by another surgeon after the fact. I've heard awful things about his personality, but his work is aesthetically attractive and he schedules people quickly. He would also take a single case agreement from my insurance. I haven't taken any steps to move forward with this idea yet. It is probably my least favorite out of all of the ones listed here just because I'm not a huge fan of the things I've heard about Leis's personality.

- Dr. Berli or Dr. Dugi: They're the new team at OHSU in Portland and could do a meta or ab phallo, both with everything I want. They both trained with surgeons I respect and I've heard great things from folks that have already been to them. I'm sure I could get my insurance to play ball. Downside would be that it's on the exact other side of the country and would likely require 3+ trips back and forth, which is not cheap. Apparently they are willing to do Skype consults though, so depending on the outcome of this situation with Dr. BL, it would be pretty quick to at least set that up.

- Dr. Miro: I initially had planned to go to Dr. Miro before getting insurance. With my out of pocket maximum increasing this year, getting what I want here might be around the same price as getting a meta done in Belgrade. I am planning to send him an email asking about his meta prices currently. His phallo prices were super affordable, so I don't think I'll be in for any sticker shock. I'd just have to do a comparison between what I'd pay here versus what I'd pay there plus flights.

Ultimately, I'm still holding out for good news from Dr. BL's office. My friend got a call from her scheduler asking if she could "put him on the books for January", but didn't specify a year and he hasn't had a chance to call her back yet. I am planning to send her an email if I haven't heard from her by next Friday. I do think I want to have a follow up consult with her at NYU before scheduling just to lock down everything and confirm that I'd be getting exactly what I want. I'm still not feeling great about any of this, but spending the day laying out all my different options has made me feel a bit better.

First off, thanks FTMax for being gracious enough to reply to my endless messages! Does anyone around here who's made contact with Bluebond-Langner's office recall how long it took to receive the email with all of the paperwork for the consultation?

CMD - I think I answered your question in a message but if I didn't, it took me a day or less to get an email with paperwork to fill out from NYU after talking to the scheduler there on the phone.

Now, an update and a question!

After the last update, I did some more digging and looking at time frames and numbers. My out of pocket maximum went up fairly significantly this year (it was $6500 last year, now it is $10k). With Dr. BL being in NYC, and needing to travel to her at least twice, I'd anticipate spending a total of $15k to have surgery here in the US as long as I didn't have to stay longer than planned and had no complications that required me to travel back to her. The worry would be that everything I'd need to get done would stretch out over more than one premium period. Given how much luck I've had with scheduling things so far, it makes me super uneasy. That would be another period that I'd have to pay up to my out of pocket maximum again - raising the price to $25k potentially.

Fortunately I did get in touch with Dr. Miro. His price for meta with everything is $10,000 Euros plus $960 Euros (currently converts to $11600 in USD) for testicular implants. Roundtrip flights are under $1000 with insurance. The apartment Dr. Miro has for patients is around $75/night so planning on 14 days is $1,050. All that brings me to $13,650 - and that's assuming exchange rates don't change and I have to pay the full $1000 for a flight (there are cheaper ones but I don't want to change planes in Istanbul or Moscow).  So even if I have to splurge on something, I still have $1350 available to spend before I'd hit the full amount I'd be spending here.

I've talked to friends and family about it, thought about it, prayed on it, and made my decision: I'm going to Serbia! I have a friend going around the same time, and Dr. Miro said he can get us both done within a few days of each other, if not on the same day. Surgery will be around March 21st. I'm meeting Dr. Miro next Sunday in New York to pick up some DHT and have a quick consult. If anybody has any questions they'd like me to ask him, feel free to post below and I'll be sure to add them to my list.

Now for my question - When I originally put this thread together, I had assumed it would be a few pages of build up, logistics, and then surgery and my post-op experiences. Obviously it didn't quite go that way. Now that I know where I'm going and when, would it be helpful to continue this thread and keep all my info in one place, or start a new one related to my "official" bottom surgery experience and leave this one as is?

Quote from: FTMax on December 10, 2016, 06:10:52 PM
CMD - I think I answered your question in a message but if I didn't, it took me a day or less to get an email with paperwork to fill out from NYU after talking to the scheduler there on the phone.

Now, an update and a question!

After the last update, I did some more digging and looking at time frames and numbers. My out of pocket maximum went up fairly significantly this year (it was $6500 last year, now it is $10k). With Dr. BL being in NYC, and needing to travel to her at least twice, I'd anticipate spending a total of $15k to have surgery here in the US as long as I didn't have to stay longer than planned and had no complications that required me to travel back to her. The worry would be that everything I'd need to get done would stretch out over more than one premium period. Given how much luck I've had with scheduling things so far, it makes me super uneasy. That would be another period that I'd have to pay up to my out of pocket maximum again - raising the price to $25k potentially.

Fortunately I did get in touch with Dr. Miro. His price for meta with everything is $10,000 Euros plus $960 Euros (currently converts to $11600 in USD) for testicular implants. Roundtrip flights are under $1000 with insurance. The apartment Dr. Miro has for patients is around $75/night so planning on 14 days is $1,050. All that brings me to $13,650 - and that's assuming exchange rates don't change and I have to pay the full $1000 for a flight (there are cheaper ones but I don't want to change planes in Istanbul or Moscow).  So even if I have to splurge on something, I still have $1350 available to spend before I'd hit the full amount I'd be spending here.

I've talked to friends and family about it, thought about it, prayed on it, and made my decision: I'm going to Serbia! I have a friend going around the same time, and Dr. Miro said he can get us both done within a few days of each other, if not on the same day. Surgery will be around March 21st. I'm meeting Dr. Miro next Sunday in New York to pick up some DHT and have a quick consult. If anybody has any questions they'd like me to ask him, feel free to post below and I'll be sure to add them to my list.

Now for my question - When I originally put this thread together, I had assumed it would be a few pages of build up, logistics, and then surgery and my post-op experiences. Obviously it didn't quite go that way. Now that I know where I'm going and when, would it be helpful to continue this thread and keep all my info in one place, or start a new one related to my "official" bottom surgery experience and leave this one as is?

A separate thread would be awesome, actually. And yes you answered my question. Thanks. Just wanted to see if any other guys had a different experience because I've yet to receive the email and it's been like 2 weeks. I called again last week and still no email. It's not sitting well with me.

So your insurance plan does not 100% cover surgery? You have to come out of pocket?

Quote from: CMD042414 on December 10, 2016, 08:10:50 PM
A separate thread would be awesome, actually. And yes you answered my question. Thanks. Just wanted to see if any other guys had a different experience because I've yet to receive the email and it's been like 2 weeks. I called again last week and still no email. It's not sitting well with me.

So your insurance plan does not 100% cover surgery? You have to come out of pocket?

Yes, unfortunately. And I'd encourage folks to look into their specific policies as well. One of my friends has had to meet his out of pocket maximum for the last three years (which is what I'm trying to avoid). Some people get away with just their deductible. I know when Schechter ran my insurance and got approval, they wanted my full out of pocket max plus an additional deposit on top of that (that would presumably have been reimbursed).

And then there's travel expenses. I was thinking about it and I just didn't feel comfortable staying with any of my friends for this particular surgery. My insurance apparently only covers travel in very limited circumstances, which this would not be.

As soon as I have a firm surgery date I'll start a new thread and start updating with logistics stuff there

Hi folks,

Now that I have a firm idea of when, where, and with whom my bottom surgery will be I am going to be adding all future updates to a new thread. This thread will continue to exist and I will respond to any feedback/questions on it, but my specific metoidioplasty experience with Dr. Miro will be located here.

I've updated with everything that has occurred thus far. I am meeting up with Dr. Miro in New York this Sunday and I'll be posting another update after that. Thanks for hanging out I appreciate all of the thoughts, feedback, and well wishes that have been given throughout this thread. I hope it has helped you all and maybe inspired some of you to blog about your surgical experiences for all the guys who will come after us.

Wow. This is quite a dramatic turn of events.

You are really doing the rest of us a service by detailing all of your experiences.

I've run into a number of guys, both online and in person (and by secondhand reports), who have had delays and reschedulings. What is it about bottom surgery that seems to cause such problems? Or does it just seem that way?

I have to abide by an academic schedule, so I'm super worried about the possibility that I'll be delayed for years once I'm even ready to do the dirty deed.

I think it's just a lot of moving parts to coordinate to make everything align.

We've got our schedules, which have limitations and considerations. Like you needing to rely on breaks from school, some folks I've heard were trying to have it done and be healed before their partner had a baby, some people like me needed to have it line up properly with an insurance premium period start to minimize the expense.

Then you've got the actual doctors performing the surgery. That's at least 3 people in almost every case. And usually these aren't the only procedures they do, so they've got to find a time when all three of them are available at once for 2-12 hours.

And then you've got the facility's availability. They need to have OR time available, they need to have a room to put you in for 2-7 days, and they need to have full access to the equipment needed to do the surgery. The reason the wait list at NYU is getting so big is because there is apparently only one robot available to do the vaginectomies and it's the same robot that's used for other surgeries.

It's basically the perfect storm of circumstances for things to go wrong and need to be moved around. I was initially planning to have surgery when my dad was available. He's a teacher so similar availability to you. My plan was a winter consult followed by a surgery as early in the summer as possible. Depending on who you can go to, your consult might need to be 1+ year in advance of surgery though.