Hi Samantha,
I think you hit the wrong forum with this question. I don't mean to imply that Susans is a bad place to ask such questions, but you might want to look up the forum on t-nederland. There are Dutch people who go abroad, like me (Chettawut, October 2017). However, you seldom hear international people coming to the Netherlands for their SRS. I think the reasons are rather simple and primarily driven by financial considerations. Most doctors in European countries practice the penile-inversion method, including the VUmc. This surgery is covered by insurance, which as far as I know at least applies to the Netherlands, France, the UK and Spain. Going abroad for surgery is therefore usually considered to be a luxury. Also, you might need to pay for (part of) the surgery yourself. I managed to get full compensation from my Dutch insurer, but I can assure you that it was not easy. Some of my friends still struggle with their insurers to get full compensation. Travel and living expenses are not reimbursed by the way, never. Keep this in mind when deciding to either go for the VUmc or to go abroad.
As for quality, that is a pretty subjective topic. I can assure you that I am very pleased with my results and would not think a second to got to the VUmc for this surgery. If you're interested, I wrote a rather detailed blog on t-nederland. I use the name TessB there as well, so its pretty easy to find. My main reasons to choose Chettawut were:
- the results he is able to achieve with his non-penile inversion technique (I saw the results of some friends);
- the quality of the aftercare (check-ups each day during your stay, instead of the five days in the hospital at the VUmc);
- the possibility to schedule the surgery when I wanted (instead of when the VUmc is able to);
- bad previous experiences with the VUmc (unreliable people...);
- bad reputation of the VUmc when it comes to dealing with complications (many patients need additional surgery to correct the aesthetic result);
- I simply like Asia.
You should decide for yourself whether its worth the effort for you to go abroad and whether you have the means to do it (especially as you have to pay the costs in advance before being reimbursed - think of approximately 11.000-16.000 EUR depending on your choice of surgeon). I admit I am a rather biased person, which is OK, but you should try to talk to some people who went to the VUmc as well and make an informed and reasoned decision. You go abroad because you want it yourself, not because of someone like me tells you that you should. Again, t-nederland might be a better place to ask such questions (and read my blog with more details on what to expect from Chettawut).
Good luck on making your decision!
