My review and experience of Gender Reassignment Surgery, and care under Mr. Philip J. Thomas at The Nuffield Hospital, Brighton.
My name is Pippa Jones, and I was born on 29th June 1946 at Royal Victoria Hospital, Boscombe, Bournemouth. Last year 2017, I was given my referral by Dr. Laura Mitchel of The Laurels, Exeter, and Dr. Dan Hodgson of the Greenway Centre, Bristol, for my Gender Reassignment Surgery to Mr Thomas at the Nuffield in Brighton.
Mr Thomas is one of our top Gender Reassignment surgeons here in UK. (all UK Royal College of Surgeons are addressed as Mr, Mrs etc.)
I was thrilled to receive an appointment to meet with Mr. Thomas on the 31st January 2018 at Brighton. The meeting went well and Mr. Thomas and his staff were so easy to get along with and explained the highs and lows of the surgery so well, inspiring confidence in me.
Early in May I received a call from his office with a definite date for my Labiaplasty, and Vaginoplasty surgery, that being the 4th July 2018. I also received a fully detailed timeline of what to expect on each day of my stay in hospital, composed by senior surgical nurse Liz Hills and Mr Thomas himself.
I traveled to Brighton on 3rd July and stayed in overnight accommodation provided by Mr. Thomas. Close to the hospital.
Operation Day: Wednesday 4th July. At 06:15, I reported to the hospital, and made my way to the ward. I had a warm welcome and was shown my way to room 18 which was to be home for the next week. It was so easy to settle in with my mind in a wonderful state feeling clear and positive about my operation that lay ahead and the Nuffield staff made things so easy.
I gave myself a good shower, before having a douche and enema fitted with special stockings and made ready for surgery.
At 10:15 I was taken down to Dr Simon Thorpe my anesthetist prior to being handed over to Mr Philip Thomas my surgeon for the 1-hour operation.
My next recollections were to be back in my room, on the ward, after an operation that had gone very well. I have been told that despite my pre-op circumcision, Mr Thomas has achieved a five-inch virginal depth for me, which I certainly feel is wonderful. I do recall feeling very sleepy, but very comfortable and so happy. I felt that the surgery under Mr Thomas had been just one wonderful experience. Later, I was given a liquid lunch and evening meal.
During the next days ahead spent at the Nuffield in Brighton, I was to find out that all the staff from housekeeping to surgeons were to be so easy going and friendly.
Day One: Thursday, was to be spent all day on my back I bed, after a bed bath, the only discomfort being from having been on my back all night and day. I had slept well. Liquid food only and loads of water to drink to keep my catheter nice and clear. My own television and a wonderful view of the sea and downs being a valuable asset.
Day two: Friday being much the same as day one. I was allowed some toast for evening meal
Day Three: Saturday began with a bed bath, I was allowed to sit up a bit more in bed and started on a low residue diet with a wonderful chicken sandwich with apple juice before watching England playing Sweden world cup match on television. Evening meal was mashed potato, a beautiful piece of chicken and carrots, after which I could sit out for half an hour in a chair, which proved hard on my bottom due to my packing still being in place.
Day Four: Sunday, which started with an assisted wash, then a sit out in my chair again, which I choose to kneel in the chair which was so much more comfortable. I got into some stuff on my laptop and watched the British Gran Prix from Silverstone, until my very special visitor arrived. Diet today was back to a normal one, and everything feels marvellous. Tomorrow is the big day, when dressings and packing come off and I shall see my new vulva for the first time.
Day Five: Monday after a normal diet breakfast and a wash, knelt on my chair by the window and watched the Kestrels in their nesting box on the other wing of the hospital while I eagerly awaited one of the surgical nurses, who soon arrived. The removal of my vaginal pack was to my surprise painless and quick. Now with all my dressings gone, I was able to view the wonderful work that had been done on me to construct my new vulva. I had been worried about just what the cosmetic outcome would be like, so was inspired with confidence to see it already looked exactly what I had imagined, sutures were running along what would be a natural crease in my labia majora, sutures that I feel sure will disappear completely with time. After having everything explained, I was taught how to dilate, we manged to get the number one dilator in, but not the number two. Unfortunately, when I tried to dilate myself later I did get thing wrong and caused a nasty bleed, after which even the surgical nurse was unable to inset a number one dilator. Later in the evening the nurse removed my catheter.
Day Six: Had an early morning visit from Mr Thomas, who had found me a smaller dilator, after he left I got on with my dilation, using just the P2 Soul Source dilator, then normal breakfast, followed by a shower. Spent time mobilizing in between nurse checks by visiting another patient who was a few days behind me, also went down into the garden and sat for a while a couple of times. Dilated after lunch and again in the evening, found douching more comfortable in my shower room as a bit messy on the bed.
Day Seven: woke up and dilated, had a full cooked breakfast, and after some final checks made myself ready for my trip home.
Post Discharge: Weather was very good, so was able to spend time recovering in the sun, soon managed to get dilating under control with phone support from surgical nurse specialist Liz Hills. I was sore but was surprised by just how fast the whole vulva area healed, and just how wonderful it looks.
I am now ten weeks post-op, and I am feeling 90% back to normal. My vulva has healed up so very well, dilation has been good so I have managed to maintain my virginal depth, sensitivity seems much better than what it was before, and I feel so good and pleased with it in all ways. It is going to be very functional and defiantly aesthetically pleasing in every way. I feel now, like a complete woman.
I went back to Brighton yesterday Tuesday 11th September for my post-op check which went very well.
I have posted some of my surgery results in pictures on RealSelf,
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Philippa (Pippa) Jones
