Hi everyone. I'm looking at getting a vaginoplasty done in the near future. If I were to give you a time frame it would probably be either sometime next year or toward the end of this year at the soonest.

Basically I am going right to the Papillon Center in New Hope next month. I should be able to get all my questions answered. It's clear to me that Dr. McGinn wanted to do that with me beforehand.

I'm just curious if maybe there's anything you wish you knew about this operation in terms of recovery or some other aspect?

I'm just trying to get all the knowledge I can before taking this big step in my journey.

As with everything else, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). Some people are walking around a day or two after surgery, while others may require more time to heal. I had a breast augmentation performed at the same time as my bottom surgery. The BA was initially the more uncomfortable of the two procedures, and it had my full attention for the first week or so.

I'm not sure that there is any way to prepare for the abrupt visual change in your anatomy. There can also be a lot of bruising. After surgery, the first few times you dilate can be uncomfortable and disconcerting. It takes time for the swelling to subside, and it may be a few months before you become completely comfortable with your new designer amusement park.

Based on the research I did before my surgery, Dr. McGinn is one of the best. She is also featured in a film called 'Trans', which has some good information.

If you have any personal questions, send me a PM.

Love always -- Jessica Rose

While the surgeries we MTFs get are often considered "cosmetic", don't let that fool you into thinking that it is minor surgery.  Even vulvoplasty (a.k.a. "zero-depth" vaginoplasty) is major surgery, and of course full-depth is more major.  Some folks are lucky and recover quickly; others take longer.

I had quite a lot of pain for a couple of years afterwards, probably due to scar tissue.  My surgeon was Dr. Brassard in Montreal, so the competence of the surgeon was not in question.  It is just that different bodies heal at different rates.

I'm not saying that your experience will be the same.  YMMV.  Most people heal quicker than I did.  I just want to point out that it is a possibility.