SRS---when things go wrong

[mustlovedogs]

Amy Hunter's personal account:

http://www.bilerico.com/2010/06/sex_reassignment_surgery_when_things_go_wrong.php? utm_source=tbpfront&utm_medium=bestof&utm_campaign=best_of_box

[Cindi Johnson]

Surgery has very real risks. I've had several, some due to being TG, some due simply due to being human. I, too, chose to ignore the fine print, the risks, when I signed the necessary paperwork. Why? Because in my mind I had already weighed, in a general way, risk versus reward. Luckily, all of my ten times under the knife were successful.

But what if? It's a valid question, a serious question. But so is the same question stated differently: what if I chose not to have the surgeries? That too, would have had consequences, and in most of the surgeries, very serious consequences.

So, sorry, no easy answers from this so-called girl. Life is like that, it seems; easy answers are for simplistic people, and we TG's tend not to be simplistic.

I do want to express my 100% admiration for the surgeon addressed in the article. I had a trachael shave a few years back. This surgeon did a great job. She is a true professional, and her staff is also great. If I should ever have SRS, I'll choose her.

Cindi

[Felicity71]

Its a sobering point, Shes written it well. The Colostomy bag is horrible. My brother had one as he was dying from bowel cancer. I couldnt stand the smell, I feel bad now, but it was very hard to visit him.

I do hope she eventually has successful surgery to fix the fistula.

[dilane]

The same thing happened to an acquaintance of mine, by a different surgeon, from a different cause.

It took many surgeries and many months to repair, and the final results were less than good.

There are really so many things that can go wrong, although I have several friends who are satisfied, some are not.

-- Diane

[Jorja]

When considering surgery no matter how minor, one should ask the surgeon performing the surgery about risks. You should also research your surgery so that you know all the possible things that could go wrong. Balance the risks against the rewards and if you feel certain that the risk is less than the reward then you are probably safe to proceed with it. An informed patient is a smart patient.

[Zenith]

I asked my surgeon (the same one mentioned) on the day before surgery how many patients with recto-vaginal fistulas she had. She told me two, and then she put her head down and said..."...one was my fault...". I can respect that. No surgeon is 100% perfect. The problem is to find specialists/procedures to fix. I also have a friend who was the victim of a back alley surgery and mutilated. She is on her 8th revision and there wasn't even enough sigmoid colon to use, they used part of the ascending colon. This is serious stuff...

[noeleena]

Hi,

The fact of the matter is no matter what sugerys we have there is all ways risks & thats that, iv had 7 surgerys for different details & all have been good & i heal very well as well , & being Psychologically & Mentalally prepeared is a major thing as well.

One trans i know had her S R S done & ......IT WAS a BOTCH up . from woo to go.

The surgion had only done 70 ops & in this case could not repare the damage he had done So i told her to go to Phuket , Thailand & have Dr Sanguan redo the botch up redone i know what it was like as id seen her.

Dr Sanguan repared & complety re did the whole & was done in such a way its looks like it should have have been done in the first place, like any other womans , vaginer

The Dr concerned would not even after a good number of times of making it worse would not do it right,

now if this had been some thing with in my friends body reacting to this i could understand in this csae it was not so yet was repared by another highly experinsed Dr whos done well over 1500 more like 2000 surgerys plus other surgerys , says some thing for this Dr.

So just remember things can & do go wrong so be warned .

...noeleena...

[mustlovedogs]

More from Amy Hunter:

http://www.thescavenger.net/isgd/more-problems-with-trans-healthcare-28679.html

[Stephenie S]

There is risk in any surgical procedure.

I am a medical professional. I see the results of surgery gone wrong on a regular basis. But the fact remains that the vast majority of surgeries result in a happy outcome.

Just because some procedures go wrong does not mean you shouldn't do it. Modern SRS surgery in a reputable hospital with a well trained surgeon is as close to routine as you can get these days.

S

[Katesback]

ALL TS people unite and stand up to the evil SRS doctors that are in colusion to turn us all into mutants. We all must keep our penisis and NEVER EVER EVER take the risk of getting surgery since that would be absurd. We can live our lives as women even with a penis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[Frances]

It seems to me that if one group in the medical establishment is "on the side" of transsexuals, it is surgeons. This thread is a little trollish in my opinion.

[Felicity71]

ALL TS people unite and stand up to the evil SRS doctors that are in colusion to turn us all into mutants. We all must keep our penisis and NEVER EVER EVER take the risk of getting surgery since that would be absurd. We can live our lives as women even with a penis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL HAhahaha Your so funny gal, whats a anal/virginal fistula. Ehh nothing, you may end up deficating through your vagina. Risks should be discussed, and should lead people to choose wisely.

I dont see this thread as an attack on the surgeons. The need is for the medical community to start setting up future training for new surgeons, with SRS as a defined field.

[RachelDee]

Sobering reads things like this. It's quite easy to talk yourself into believing things like this happen "to other people", the unlucky ones who had a poor surgeon, or who had some underlaying issues. Complications in surgery are one thing, but at the very least I would be thinking after they could *fix* whatever went wrong. Seems like that is not the case either.

[Sharon]

The surgeon in question here is one of the best in my opinion, arguably at the top of the heap in the U.S., and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to have her operate on me..., if only I could. Mistakes happen in all professions, but even the best surgeons have to forever live with their rare errors.

How many bad results versus how many good results is a better measurement rather than one unfortunate operation. This surgeon has had many, many, many happy results.

[Stephenie S]

The surgeon in question here is one of the best in my opinion, arguably at the top of the heap in the U.S., and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to have her operate on me..., if only I could. Mistakes happen in all professions, but even the best surgeons have to forever live with their rare errors.

How many bad results versus how many good results is a better measurement rather than one unfortunate operation. This surgeon has had many, many, many happy results.

As has, didn't we say, almost every well trained, reputable, surgeon.

S

[AKAMichelle]

I am glad to see that you didn't let the problem destroy your life. You have attempted to overcome the obstacles and hopefully it will lead to a good result.

[mustlovedogs]

This thread is a little trollish in my opinion.

I started this thread because Ms Hunter articulated many of my fears, concerns and anxieties about traveling a great distance alone for major surgery for the first time. I consider Ms Hunter a brave woman to write such a frank account of her experiences.

Frances, please provide details about why you think this thread is a "little trollish."

Thanks
C

[Frances]

Frances, please provide details about why you think this thread is a "little trollish."

The thread was started with no background information on why this was important to you. It seemed to me like fear-mongering to discourage trans women to get surgery. I have seen this a few times on this site from other members who do not seem to be on the side of trans people. Also, you have an empty profile with no personal information or photo. You could be anyone.

Please tell me why you considered this thread worth sharing? Have you undergone surgery or are you thinking of it and are afraid of the complications? I would like to know more about you and your story.

[Teri Jean]

You go Frances, A couple decades ago I went into the hospital with a herniated disc in the lower back. The neuro surgeon had me on the table for 3-1/2 hrs and there was no guarentee I would walk as before when he finished. Fast forward to 2005 and I am lieing in the ICU with a strep infection (flesh eating) in my left arm and the doctor of internal medician left me for the night with this statement. If the infection doesn't subside by morning we will be flying you to said hospital and they will remove the arm at the sholder and it may not save your life. Obviously neither turned out negative but the odds were against me. That is the nature of the beast.

Like my sisters before me, Frances included, took the chance and turned out great. I will be in that position in 20 days and yes there is a chance things could go wrong but the date has been set and trust is given and heart felt thanks has been given. So here we are; will it go bad, maybe, will it go well, more than probably.
So for all the nay saying, fooie. See you soon on the other side of the table. As far as the rest I would think one would be asking some more basic questions first.

JMO Teri

[AllieSF]

I have followed this thread from its inception. There is no nay saying, nor intent by the thread initiator nor the article's/blog's author to denigrate the doctors nor to tell people to not have the operation. It is just telling what really happened. I have been on this site for over 4 years and have seen just about all new posts, because unfortunately or fortunately I am addicted to reading everything here. That being said, I see no issue nor negativity in posting this thread. I think reality checks for everyone is always recommended whether we or you think that they are needed or not. Katesback tells it like it is in a very direct and hard way sometimes. Though I do not understand her post above. No one has to agree or like the tone of her message, but at least the message is very direct, non-sugar coated and honest from her opinion and experiences. People need to hear that tone of voice and kind of message too. They do not have to accept it. The article should be mandatory reading for all considering GRS, even if it is a surgical result that never happens to most. It is still a potential risk and outcome. Hell, they used to make us watch horrible and gory accident movies when taking drivers education just so we know that driving can be dangerous. No one did that to discourage anybody from driving. It was done to help young drivers to understand the risks, dangers and consequences of driving unsafely.

This thread does not need background information nor justification to be posted. Just because someone does not fill in the personal data section of their profiles does not mean that they are no one. Just because someone filled theirs in does not mean that they are someone. My details are pretty scarce too. If someone wants to know about me, read some of my 3,000+ posts or PM me. We do not need to understand the OP's reasons nor history to clearly understand that surgeries are risky, especially when that risk becomes a reality to someone. I speak from experience. I had an operation and suffered the side effects that the specific procedure that I had performed was designed and proved to avoid (in most cases!), which it didn't avoid for me. So many times people rush into surgeries for whatever reason without fully understanding the potential risks. Just join a cancer support group, to see the one continuing theme there that we really did not do enough research into the options, surgical or non-surgical, that are available to us and the potential and real risks involved with all options. So many of us rush into corrective and/or curative surgeries without doing enough research depending on doctors for all of our information. Doctors should be the best source of all information, but unfortunately most of the time they leave a lot to be desired.

Also from reading most posts on this site, there are so many wannabe and pseudo TS's, who are more likely CD's and TG's that get carried away with what they think that really are and then think that they should go the full route to GRS. Maybe this thread and article will help them come back to reality and accept that they may not really be the TS that they think that they are.

[mustlovedogs]

Thanks AllieSF. Great job stating my feelings and motivation for starting this thread.

To anyone interested, use the "view forum posts" feature and see that I underwent FFS and SRS. I did not mention this when starting the thread because I wanted to avoid the perception of bashing/promoting surgeons.

The link I posted to the PBS program "In The Life" was personal. I met Krys 6 months prior to her death while recovering from FFS with Dr Spiegel though mutual friends. Despite her declining health, she made me "from scratch" tapioca pudding and one of my favorites, cherry jello with mandarin oranges when we met December 2008.

I returned to Boston as a volunteer several months before Krys' death to assist with her end of life care. Her cancer was detected during a pre-op exam for SRS and she underwent treatment and pronounced "cured." During the pre-op exam for her second attempt at SRS, inoperable/untreatable cancer was detected and she was unable to undergo SRS. She joked that she was the only Brassard patient that got a full refund of surgical costs twice.

I know many of the people featured in the episode.

C

[Kaitlyn Michele]

i agree that ms hunter is very brave and i'm very sorry she went through all that..
SRS is serious stuff, like any surgical procedure ..however, it's a relatively safe procedure compared to lots of 6 hour surgeries that people endure every day..

to be honest..i disregarded your OP simply because there was no explanation, I didn't try to guess your meaning because you gave it no meaning..
if you have something to say, say it for crying out loud, then provide a link if that helps make your point.

posting links with no explanation is not commonly used in message forums except by people with agendas and spambots...for some reason ffs and srs surgeons endure alot of forum bashing around the internet..
it's no big deal, but in my opinion if you don't post anything at all about a link, you are taking away from whatever prompted you to post (just like it happened here)