I can't make up my mind about where I want surgery: in VUmc in Amsterdam in the Netherlands or with Suporn. Depth is important to me and I think that Suporn would give me more depth than VUmc would. Thailand is pretty far away though and I'm a bit worried that if there are complications after I returned home that I would need to go back to Thailand again. I'm not sure why but I do seem to have more faith in Suporn than in VUmc. The thought of having surgery at VUmc scares me for some reason. Is anyone else trying to decide between VUmc and Suporn or did you already make your choice? I would love to hear why you choose/chose one or the other.

If I have my surgery in the Netherlands then I need to start laser of the genital area soon. I read that if you have srs with Suporn that laser of the genital area is not necessary. If I would start laser of the genital area now, would that be a problem if later on I decide to have my srs at Suporn?

Quotewould that be a problem if later on I decide to have my srs at Suporn?

Yes. The skin becomes less elastic.

Good to know. Thanks!

How much depth do you really think you'll need? Then again, most of us don't have a great deal of space inside of us, and regardless of the amount of donor material, there's a limit to how much depth can be attained, regardless of surgeon.

Quote from: atheris on March 15, 2011, 01:54:52 PM
How much depth do you really think you'll need?

Enough to have intercourse with a well-endowed man..

Quote from: atheris on March 15, 2011, 01:54:52 PM
regardless of the amount of donor material, there's a limit to how much depth can be attained, regardless of surgeon.

In my case that shouldn't be a problem

Hi Vivienne

Maybe this can help you.
I know it's hard to make a decision, after all you have to do with the results the rest of your life.
The VU medical center does this kind of surgery from what I thought early seventies, so there is enough expirience.

I had my srs there almost 30 years ago.
For what I can say, depth was never any problem, and believe me, when I had my vagina, I was using it.
Off course, there is a healing time, but after that.....well, let me say, I missed a lot not being born as a girl and I wanted it all back.

It's not all about dept, but how flexible the tissue is and how you handle it after surgery by dilatation.
Or do you really think cisgirls has a lot of depth, no, the tissue is very flexible, depth only won't help by giving birth.
Remember, how good the surgeons are, there is always a chance with complications, by every surgeon.
I tought it was Vexin who wrote on this forum that she preferred rather the second of third best surgeon with a good day than the best one with a bad day, and i think she was right about that.

So, in my case there was at least a 30 years garantee and I think you can read Dutch( is nu een oude doos maar werkt prima)

I wish you a lot of wisdom by making a choice

hugs
annette

Hello Vivienne,

Until recently I had a lot of doubts about where I wanted to go for SRS, so I was in the same boat. For some reason I have never considered the VU for surgery, probably because I didn't follow their treatment course but found my own gender therapist (Tanja v Hengel) instead. Thus in my case the choice was not really between the VU and Suporn, but I hope my rambling is helpful to you anyway.

Even had I followed the VU treatment it is very likely that I would not have surgery in the Netherlands. I believe that the VU SRS techniques cannot be modified as much because the surgery methods have to comply with lots of bureaucracy and protocols (in Dutch: denk aan CVZ, DBC codes, etc...) . Whilst elsewhere in the world new techniques are pioneered it would take several years for the new techniques to be integrated in the Dutch system, if at all. However I've heard that Dr. Monstrey (associated with the Belgium genderteam) is very eager to understand the Suporn technique.

I can very much understand how hard it is to make the final decision. The benefits of going to Amsterdam is the aftercare being close to home and you won't need to travel. After lots of research and consideration I narrowed my choice down to Brassard and Suporn and finally decided on Suporn (currently I have even seen a result first-hand and I was like 'wow!'). Personally, at first I was a bit frightened as well about the thought of having SRS abroad but nowadays for some reason I start to like the thought of it... probably because I really enjoy travelling and sightseeing and meeting different cultures. I've heard the Suporn Clinic arranges trips every week for their patients to Pattaya and other places. The experience of SRS combined with travel will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nevertheless choosing a surgeon is a highly personal decision, what may work for one individual may not work for the other.

I'm not really worried about not being able to 'physically' receive after returning home, I have enough confidence in dr. Suporn that I will leave Thailand fit and well. That's why they want you to stay for at least 24 days after the SRS to ensure any complications are dealt with before flying back home.

As for your questions about lasering the genital area, as far as I'm aware dr. Suporn advises against hair removal prior to SRS.

I wish you the best of luck in trying to decide which surgeon to go too! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions

Hugs,
Sweetie