So, I'm sitting here, in Norway. Provided I am allowed to transition at all, I will be required to transition "all the way", which is just fine by me but offends me on behalf of those who don't want to. The good part is that all transition-related procedures are practically free, and that includes SRS. But I'm still hesitant - I have no idea how good the Norwegian surgeons are, and no idea where to find that information. If it turns out that they're sub-par, I'm obviously not gonna have my surgery done by them, even if that means I have to pay for it out of my own pocket.

So does anyone here know anything about the Norwegian surgeons? Any Norskie MTF post-ops who can tell me how good their results were when compared to those of more famous foreign surgeons? Or has anyone heard horror stories about their inept procedures? Since the Norwegian health care system is socialized, that means that their services would be unavailable to foreigners, so there's also the remote possibility that we could have the world's single best surgeons working here, and few people would ever know.

Related to this - exactly what separates a good surgeon from a bad surgeon? How do the results vary - only in outward appearance, or in sensitivity and functionality as well? Provided there are no complications, what exactly is the worst that could happen if I end up using a bad surgeon? (Or perhaps I should ask, what exactly is the worst result I can expect from a successful surgery?)

Quote from: E on January 18, 2011, 12:48:57 PM
Related to this - exactly what separates a good surgeon from a bad surgeon?

Practice makes perfect. A study by Anne Lawrence showed that the number of severe complications of the surgery dropped significantly after a Toby Meltzers first 49 surgeries with a new technique. There appeared to be a strong relation between the number of complications and the functional outcome versus the subjective quality of life afterwards!

I am a Dane, but I'am looking into surgery in another country, because only 1.3 women are allowed for surgery here each year and I am not going to play lottery about my health.

QuoteHow do the results vary - only in outward appearance, or in sensitivity and functionality as well?

Yep. The most common problem is inadequate depth.

QuoteProvided there are no complications, what exactly is the worst that could happen if I end up using a bad surgeon?

I suggest that you study this book about MTF surgeries:
http://www.gires.org.uk/assets/Support-Assets/lowersurgery-transwomen.pdf

Good ludk

Tippe

Quote from: Tippe on January 22, 2011, 04:15:18 PM
Practice makes perfect. A study by Anne Lawrence showed that the number of severe complications of the surgery dropped significantly after a Toby Meltzers first 49 surgeries with a new technique. There appeared to be a strong relation between the number of complications and the functional outcome versus the subjective quality of life afterwards!

I am a Dane, but I'am looking into surgery in another country, because only 1.3 women are allowed for surgery here each year and I am not going to play lottery about my health.

Ah - vel, lykke til .

I'm just hoping to find someone capable of doing a decent job. And if I could get it covered by the national health care system, well, so much the better. I have heard literally nothing about the Norwegian surgeons, except there's supposed to be 2 of them.

QuoteI suggest that you study this book about MTF surgeries:
http://www.gires.org.uk/assets/Support-Assets/lowersurgery-transwomen.pdf

Good ludk

Tippe

I've just read that, and none of the methods sound much better or worse than the others, except the colon graft thing is obviously only a last resort. So I guess it really is down to how good the surgeons are. I'm definitely gonna ask them to prioritize sensation, though, 'cause appearance may be important but I'd rather have a less-that-perfect result look-wise with better sensitivity than the other way around. Though, again, even the meat-cleaver method would be preferable to nothing.

Hi E 

Are there any trans support groups in Norway? They would be your best bet for reliable local information. I'm in a similar situation as there are three main surgeons in the U.K who perform SRS surgery in the U.K but there is quite a lot of information on them, I'm trying to decide whether to go with the free National Health Sevice where I will have one of two surgeons as they cover my area they both have decent reputations and are hugely experienced or whether to go abroad where maybe the tecniques are a bit more advanced. I've got a couple of years to mull that one over though as I've not started my RLE as yet and that is a big requirement for treatment on the NHS.

Quote from: MillieB on January 22, 2011, 06:16:44 PM
Hi E 

Are there any trans support groups in Norway? They would be your best bet for reliable local information. I'm in a similar situation as there are three main surgeons in the U.K who perform SRS surgery in the U.K but there is quite a lot of information on them, I'm trying to decide whether to go with the free National Health Sevice where I will have one of two surgeons as they cover my area they both have decent reputations and are hugely experienced or whether to go abroad where maybe the tecniques are a bit more advanced. I've got a couple of years to mull that one over though as I've not started my RLE as yet and that is a big requirement for treatment on the NHS.

Hi,

There are no support groups as such, at least in my area, though there is the National LGBT Association.

As for RLE, whether or not I've done that depends on whether their demands for RLE are reasonable (i.e., "dress and act like a girl") or not ("you have to wear skirts or dresses, and put on makeup"). If all they require is that I live like a girl, I've done that for years - I've done pretty much exactly the things I'd do had I been post-transition. If they require me to try to pass, then that's a problem.

I can only speak about the U.K here but a lot of it is more about changing your name/documentation as well as clothes etc. there are many post op girls who don't pass well here but they do want you to make an effort.

Quote from: MillieB on January 23, 2011, 06:52:49 AM
I can only speak about the U.K here but a lot of it is more about changing your name/documentation as well as clothes etc. there are many post op girls who don't pass well here but they do want you to make an effort.

Well, I don't use my name in public, and my family's already informed me they'll be using male terminology to refer to me until "I'm female" (which I assume means after SRS). So, in essence, there's nothing more to do. When it comes to documentation, well, I'll happily change all that as soon as they'll let me.

And if they don't accept "girl jeans and a t-shirt", then they've got a serious double standard going on. I mean, if they require me to wear a frilly pink dress 24/7, I'll do it, but it'll have no more relevance to my transition than wearing a clown nose would.