I had SRS with Dr Suporn in December, 2010. I was required to bring a letter and also
have a very brief mental health evaluation the day before surgery. Here is some info I pulled
from his website in the summer of 2010.
Minimum Psychosocial requirements for Patients Scheduling SRS:
It is not Dr. Suporn's policy to deny SRS surgery to any patient he believes to be medically and psychologically fit to undergo it. As far as is considered reasonable, The Suporn Clinic follows the guidelines of the Harry Benjamin Gender Identity Disorder Standards of Care (HBGIDSOC). Additionally, we always comply with the Medical standards of Thailand. We require patients to provide written evidence that they meet the following criteria:
SRS Patients
ALL patients undergoing SRS MUST provide an original, signed document from a qualified psychiatrist or psychosexual specialist, confirming as a minimum that:
1. They have been diagnosed with Gender Identity Dysphoria.
2. SRS is indicated in their case, and is the recommended treatment.
Ideally, the referral should also confirm that:
3. They have been living full time as a woman for at least 12 months prior to surgery or - if not - gives an explanation as to why that has not been possible in your case. It is accepted that in some countries the "Real Life Test" (RLT) is not a practical possibility.
4. They have been undertaking a course of female hormone replacement therapy (HRT) unless there are medical reasons (to be indicated) that such a course is not advised in your case.
The letter must show the name, address and telephone number of the signee, for possible verification.
In order to ensure that there are no difficulties with the documentation that you have, please make sure that you scan the letter and send it to me as an email attachment for review, to make sure it meets the necessary requirements. It is essential that you bring the original with you when you come for surgery (or that the original is sent to us direct). It will not be possible to go ahead with the SRS operation without such a suitable letter.
There are no exceptions to this requirement. Any patient who arrives without this evidence will not be permitted to undergo surgery. If you have difficulty with providing such evidence, please contact The Suporn Clinic by email, so we can discuss possible ways of meeting this requirement.
Additionally, if the referral letter from the psychosexual specialist does not specify as in items (3) and (4) above, we require you separately to provide evidence that you:
· Have had treatment with feminizing hormones (HRT) and/or anti-androgens for a period of 12 months prior to surgery, unless there is a medical reason why to do so would not be advised in your case.
· Have lived full time in your acquired gender for a period of at least 12 months prior to surgery, evidenced by at least 2 original documents ( ** ), unless there are clearly given and acceptable reasons why this is not possible or practical in your case, or why a lesser period has been spent prior to surgery.
( ** ) Documentary evidence needs only to be sufficient to show the patient's acquired (female) name, and bear a date at least 12 months prior to surgery. Suitable examples would be - but are not restricted to - passport, driver's license, official ID card, household utility bill, bank statement...etc.
