(Warning: Genital surgery is a subject that squicks many, and this entry gets a bit graphic. Some readers may wish to skip it.)
"The wound healed and I was left / With a one inch mound of flesh
Where my penis used to be / Where my vagina never was
It was a one inch mound of flesh / With a scar running down it like a sideways grimace on an eyeless face
It was just a little bulge / It was an angry inch" - Hedwig and the Angry Inch, "Angry Inch"
Heh. With that choice quote out of the way, let's talk about surgery!
I haven't personally had any transition-related MtF surgery beyond a short period of facial electrolysis yet. So my ability to write about it is limited compared to some. But I do have a basic understanding, have read a lot about it, and have talked one-on-one to people who have had it.
First, let's quell the infamous myth straight off. Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS) does not mean removal of the penis or what have you. In fact, to my knowledge, the only things removed are the testes and the erectile tissue. The testes are sometimes removed in a separate operation called an orchiectomy.
Rather than being removed, the penis and scrotum are restructured and retrofitted to (re)construct the vagina. Depending on the surgeon, a sensate, orgasmic clitoris can be formed. In another operation called Penile Inversion, it's basically turned inside out. This mode of SRS is becoming deprecated. Often, even a general practitioner cannot distinguish between a "natal vagina" and a neo-vagina via cursory inspection, particularly with the newer techniques.
Once the vagina is constructed, it must be dilated to the desired width and maximum depth. This is done by inserting dildo-like surgical stents of increasing size and applying pressure. In the weeks following surgery, the vagina must be dilated about five times a day for a half hour at a time, which will decrease to once a week over about half a year. At this point, dilation continues indefinitely with current techniques. If dilation isn't done often or long enough, the vagina will become very shallow and probably even heal shut.
According to one web source, average cost for MtF SRS was a little over $10k in 2001. This likely covered only the surgery itself. Figures I've heard in group therapy run more like $15k unless you get Facial Feminization Surgery. Lots of that can run it up close to $50k. We'll cover FFS in Part II.
The description of the process doesn't sound nearly as bad as one might imagine it. I'm glad the results can be that pleasing, aesthetically and sense-wise! What is the recovery time for this kind of surgery (aside from the dilation)?
I've only seen documentation of the reverse (FtM) and that looked far more complicated.
Congrats on the About.com link--I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought you could do a lot of good by sharing!
Usually it takes a few days to leave the hospital and 1-2 months to start getting around without assistance. Walking on your own can be hard during that period, obviously!
I've not looked into FtM SRS much. All I know is, it costs twice as much. As an SRS surgeon once said, "It's easier to dig a ditch than build a pole." Which, while cute, is really unfortunate.
I just looked over the post surgical detail on Suporn's site and noticed that socializing was part of the recovery (even a bit of touristy stuff as soon as one felt able). That's so humane and utterly decent of them.
The FtM SRS I saw documented involved the use of skin from the forearm to form the penis shaft. This person had a tribal tattoo on his arm, making for a very distinctive final product.
I got really good vibes from the site and the stories of a couple friends, but not having read about the post-op stuff, I had no idea that that was part of the prescribed treatment. Wow.
A Real Cut-Up, Part I - 06/19/06 04:59 AM
(Warning: Genital surgery is a subject that squicks many, and this entry gets a bit graphic. Some readers may wish to skip it.)
Heh. With that choice quote out of the way, let's talk about surgery!
I haven't personally had any transition-related MtF surgery beyond a short period of facial electrolysis yet. So my ability to write about it is limited compared to some. But I do have a basic understanding, have read a lot about it, and have talked one-on-one to people who have had it.
First, let's quell the infamous myth straight off. Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS) does not mean removal of the penis or what have you. In fact, to my knowledge, the only things removed are the testes and the erectile tissue. The testes are sometimes removed in a separate operation called an orchiectomy.
Rather than being removed, the penis and scrotum are restructured and retrofitted to (re)construct the vagina. Depending on the surgeon, a sensate, orgasmic clitoris can be formed. In another operation called Penile Inversion, it's basically turned inside out. This mode of SRS is becoming deprecated. Often, even a general practitioner cannot distinguish between a "natal vagina" and a neo-vagina via cursory inspection, particularly with the newer techniques.
Once the vagina is constructed, it must be dilated to the desired width and maximum depth. This is done by inserting dildo-like surgical stents of increasing size and applying pressure. In the weeks following surgery, the vagina must be dilated about five times a day for a half hour at a time, which will decrease to once a week over about half a year. At this point, dilation continues indefinitely with current techniques. If dilation isn't done often or long enough, the vagina will become very shallow and probably even heal shut.
According to one web source, average cost for MtF SRS was a little over $10k in 2001. This likely covered only the surgery itself. Figures I've heard in group therapy run more like $15k unless you get Facial Feminization Surgery. Lots of that can run it up close to $50k. We'll cover FFS in Part II.
Posted in surgery by Milla | Comments (4)
The description of the process doesn't sound nearly as bad as one might imagine it. I'm glad the results can be that pleasing, aesthetically and sense-wise! What is the recovery time for this kind of surgery (aside from the dilation)?
I've only seen documentation of the reverse (FtM) and that looked far more complicated.
Congrats on the About.com link--I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought you could do a lot of good by sharing!
Posted by patita at June 22, 2006 12:35 PM
Usually it takes a few days to leave the hospital and 1-2 months to start getting around without assistance. Walking on your own can be hard during that period, obviously!
I've not looked into FtM SRS much. All I know is, it costs twice as much. As an SRS surgeon once said, "It's easier to dig a ditch than build a pole." Which, while cute, is really unfortunate.
Posted by Milla at June 22, 2006 02:11 PM
I just looked over the post surgical detail on Suporn's site and noticed that socializing was part of the recovery (even a bit of touristy stuff as soon as one felt able). That's so humane and utterly decent of them.
The FtM SRS I saw documented involved the use of skin from the forearm to form the penis shaft. This person had a tribal tattoo on his arm, making for a very distinctive final product.
Posted by patita at June 26, 2006 11:50 AM
I got really good vibes from the site and the stories of a couple friends, but not having read about the post-op stuff, I had no idea that that was part of the prescribed treatment. Wow.
Posted by Milla at June 26, 2006 12:45 PM