$$$ Cost of Sexual Reassignment Surgery $$$

[Kelly DeWinter]

$$$ Cost of Sexual Reassignment Surgery $$$

I've had the privilage of being able to communicate with 3 surgeons who perform SRS surgery in the United States, and one who performs GRS in England. ( They are called by different classifications because of the different procedures performed). I wanted to post a bit about the costs involved because of a number of misconceptions in other threads. The cost of male to female SRS/GRS surgery including additional cosmetic surgery averages between $25,000 and $55,000. Female to Male SRS/GRS surgery is more costly averaging between $45,000 and $75,000. This includes pre surgery consultation, procedures, and post op follow up care. The low end is the cost of the basic SRS/GRS surgery while the remainder is the cosmetic surgery side.

Now based on additional economic data i've looked at, the cost of transitioning is about the cost of an avg auto, between 25K and 35 K .

That being said my question to everyone here is:

If the cost of transitioning is between $250 to $385 per month for 5-10 years and would give you the peace of mind to transition, why would you ? or why would you not transition ? and why?

I would prefer not to discuss the surgeons in this thread, but would prefer to focus on the financial topic of transition and how you see it affecting you.

Thanks
Kelly

P.S. I may change this topic thread based on my poor spelling,grammer,additional information.


Some really good suggestions are being posted;
. Put aside 200 to 400 per month to cover the cost.
. Treat the cost of transitoning as a helth expense that needs to be covered.
. Take a loan out to cover the cost.

[MC-lite]

I would do it if I could pay $300 - $400 per month. The problem for me is getting the loan to do it.

[Kaz]

I would do it if I could pay $300 - $400 per month. The problem for me is getting the loan to do it.

Plus the cost of the interest payments!

My concern is the cost of making the wrong decision? Whoops I changed my mind! This isn't what I thought it would be like! Sorry, a bit pithy but this is my problem.

Put it this way, it's a bit like buying a car? But I suspect getting the loan is the biggy. xx :)

Kelly, this is a great idea though and hopefully a thought provoker...

[Bree-asaurus]

If you can't afford it now, start putting that $3-400 into a savings account every month and then in 5-10 years, you CAN afford it!

If you need SRS, you will find a way. It may take a while, but it CAN happen if you want to make it happen.

And you can get SRS for cheaper if you outsource to Thailand ;) Joking aside, there are some amazing surgeons over there with great facilities (from the research I've done and the stories I've heard) that are significantly cheaper than here at home. AND THERE'S CULTURE OVER THERE! :D


Plus the cost of the interest payments!

My concern is the cost of making the wrong decision? Whoops I changed my mind! This isn't what I thought it would be like! Sorry, a bit pithy but this is my problem.

Put it this way, it's a bit like buying a car? But I suspect getting the loan is the biggy. xx :)

Kelly, this is a great idea though and hopefully a thought provoker...

Well, if you're not sure if it's the right decision, then hold off until you know for sure.

[Stephanie-L]

Yes, an interesting topic. One question, in your top end figure, are you including things like FFS, BA, etc? If you are, then your prices seem a bit low as I was shopping for FFS and BA, and got a range of $25,000 to about $75,000, just for that. If you are just talking about SRS/GRS, i.e. "bottom surgery", then your numbers are about what I was expecting. As to how I am going to pay for it, well, if I don't get the surgery, I probably won't care about my retirement fund, so I am just going to use that. The choice is working an extra 5 years or so, and being happy while I do it, or retiring early and being miserable. Really a no brainer for me......Stephanie

[Kathryn Martin]

There is a surgeon in North America who is considered to be one of the best where the cost is $18,040.00 in May 2012 dollars. I have spent $12,000.00 on electrolysis and about $6,000.00 on a new wardrobe. In addition, there was $1,500.00 in therapy, and hormones which I will be paying anyway for a long time to come as it should be. I don't count these costs since they replaced the cost of anti-depressants which are very much more expensive. So my total transition cost paid out over two years was $37,540.00.

Why would I ? Because I am worth it!!!!!!!!

And that's Canadian Dollars.

[Rianna Humble]

If you can't afford it now, start putting that $3-400 into a savings account every month and then in 5-10 years, you CAN afford it!

There is a massive assumption in that statement which does not hold true for everybody. If I put that amount into savings every month, we would lose the family home and my 90 year old father would be homeless.

To return to the original post, if I had to choose between paying that amount and not transitioning, I would take the third option and hope that the death-in-service benefit would cover the cost of rehousing my father.

[Bree-asaurus]

There is a massive assumption in that statement which does not hold true for everybody. If I put that amount into savings every month, we would lose the family home and my 90 year old father would be homeless.

To return to the original post, if I had to choose between paying that amount and not transitioning, I would take the third option and hope that the death-in-service benefit would cover the cost of rehousing my father.

*sigh* Rianna... I'm not outlining a plan that works for everybody... this isn't "BREE'S ANSWER TO EVERYBODY'S PROBLEMS"... it's an example situation. I was just using the figures provided by the original post. I can't put that kind of money aside right now either. Don't take it so literally. My point is, if you can't afford it right now, then save what you can when you can and maybe some day you will be able to afford it. Don't give up on something just because you can't get it RIGHT NOW.

[pamela_a]

If you look around you can find excellent surgeons for significantly less than your example. My SRS was just under $13K US. I personally know someone who's FFS and BA around $19K US (and the results were excellent).

Like everything else in life...it pays to do comparison shopping".

[Bree-asaurus]

If you look around you can find excellent surgeons for significantly less than your example. My SRS was just under $13K US. I personally know someone who's FFS and BA around $19K US (and the results were excellent).

Like everything else in life...it pays to do comparison shopping".

Yeah, but for $55,000 they throw in complimentary vajazzling!

[Kelly DeWinter]

Yeah, but for $55,000 they throw in complimentary vajazzling!

Never thought I could snort a Frozen Margarita through my nose ! LOL

[Diane Elizabeth]

Reading this thread is toooooooo depressing. I (no pity please) will never be able to afford getting corrective GRS. Too many bills to pay. Not enough time left in life to wait 10 years for my savings to grow. Too sad to think about. Oh, whats a girl to do.

[Aprilrain]

That being said my question to everyone here is:

If the cost of transitioning is between $250 to $385 per month for 5-10 years and would give you the peace of mind to transition, why would you ? or why would you not transition ? and why?

By "transition" i will assume you mean SRS and not just living full time

Why I would; because I have to
why I wouldn't; I can think of only 2 reasons to not have SRS, money and or health reasons

[Stephenie S]

Well I proposed just this idea earlier this year and got SUCH a raft of poopies about it.

Many, many people think nothing of buying a new car at $25K to $40K. Just the cost of surgery, it turns out. Drive a clunker and buy the surgery. Seems like a no brainer to me. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way.

Personally, I drive a $40,000 high speed touring car that I paid $4,000 for in 2000 when it was 5 years old. It is still one of the fastest and most comfortable cars on the road and I have had zero payments.

Just one of the ways you can save money if you think about it.

Two jobs is another way I saved money. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way.

S

[LisaMallon]

Don;t underestimate Thailand. There are many very good doctors and clinics. I know a few girls who have had FFS, BA and SRS there.
And you can get your BA while your SRS is being done, which is cheaper (nit rougher on the body of course).

I'm hoping to do SRS through our health system here in Australia, but BA or (possibly FFS) are not covered and I might end up being in Thailand in the end.

[Elizabeth]

Reading this thread is toooooooo depressing. I (no pity please) will never be able to afford getting corrective GRS. Too many bills to pay. Not enough time left in life to wait 10 years for my savings to grow. Too sad to think about. Oh, whats a girl to do.

Hi Diane Elizabeth,

What a lovely name. What a girl can do is accept it. I am disabled and on Social Security, I can not afford GRS now or in the future. Medicare won't treat my GID and I can't afford to do it on my own. Early into this process I heard the mantra "transition or die". So if I can't transition, that left me only with dying. So I tried that and swallowed 35 vicodin, but did not die. Didn't even get high. No liver failure, didn't even fall asleep. Threw up for a day, but that was pretty much it.

But crossing that threshold and being willing to kill myself freed me in a way. It was my therapist who pointed it out, that I had been given a gift because now I could do whatever I wanted. Since in the end, I could always just kill myself, I could whatever I wanted and if it didn't go well, I could just kill myself. Here is what she told me, paraphrased because I don't remember it word for word. "If you are selfish enough to kill yourself, couldn't you be selfish enough to live for yourself?".

So I came out and started living as a woman. That was eight years ago. No, I can't afford hormones and I can't afford a gender therapist. I can't afford electrolysis or laser hair removal. Heck, I can't even afford new clothes, I buy most of my clothes at a thrift store. I get up everyday and shave my body head to toe, because it disgusts me if I don't. I wear a monofiliment wig because I can't afford a nice real hair wig. I wear breastforms that I glue on 24/7 and only take them off to bathe.

I don't wear makeup everyday, but I do keep my eyebrows trimmed and girly. I don't even own any men's clothing. My drivers license says I am a girl so I don't have to worry about using restrooms and the like. And lastly, I got everyone out of my life who can't accept me how I am. So in the end, the only people who know I still have a penis is my wife and kids. Everyone else assumes I have already had the operation.

So if I win the lottery, sure I will get all the surgery, if I can. I have had a heart attack at age 45 so it is somewhat dubious to go on female hormones, considering I am also overweight. But really, I am not sure it would make my life better. It would make me feel better to have those parts gone, but I am not going to let it be a deal breaker. I don't have to die, I can be happy in spite of my shortcomings.

Love always,
Elizabeth

[Diane Elizabeth]

Hi Elizabeth,

I almost went with Elizabeth Diane. Such a pretty sound to it. But I chose to reverse them so they matched my current initials and nickname, Dee.

I am such a selfish B@#%^&. I know there are people worse off than me. But I have alwasy been hard on myself and non-accepting. I am into self pity

forever. I am employed and married (??). I do have most of my health. Old age is creeping up on me. The down side is that I am drowning in debt and look 6

months pregnant. And lazy, way too lazy. Also upset that I can't dress like a 20 something, 30 something, 40 something, or some 50 something female

(another story). Maybe I can win the lottery. Note to self- pick up a lottery ticket today.

[Rianna Humble]

Drive a clunker and buy the surgery. Seems like a no brainer to me. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way.
...
Just one of the ways you can save money if you think about it.

Two jobs is another way I saved money. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way.

I couldn't even afford to buy insurance for my 20 year old car. As for 2nd jobs, when you are working shifts 5 days out of 7 on a rota with a 12 hour day including travel, there is not much chance of fitting in an extra job even if there were any around.

There are several things that I want badly enough, and I am doing what I can with my transition, but the Yewjeshaffta brigade hasn't yet come up with a workable suggestion.

[noeleena]

Hi,

Full Grs with scrotal skin US $ 12,000,

Breast Augmentation , US $ 4,000,

I see we have another surgeon doing other surgerys as well.

You can check on Sanguan's Testimonials , What i had to say while over there,

Phuket Plastic Surgery,

& the new wing.

...noeleena...

[AudreyTN]

look into SRS in Thailand. Significantly cheaper, and the quality of the procedures based on those I have talked to who have undergone and those experiences I have read online by those who went overseas, is far better than many US doctors.

http://www.transgendersurgerythailand.com/price-promotion-sex-reassignment-surgery-srs-transgender-breast-body-surgery-facial-feminization

http://www.chet-plasticsurgery.com/?page_id=5675

http://www.cosmeticsurgerythailand.com/srs/mtf-thailand.html



you can also look up Dr. Christine McGinn, she is in New Hope, Pennsylvania, an excellent surgeon but her prices are up there too.

http://drchristinemcginn.com/services/srs/vaginoplasty.php

[Traci Elizabeth]

By "transition" i will assume you mean SRS and not just living full time

Why I would; because I have to
why I wouldn't; I can think of only 2 reasons to not have SRS, money and or health reasons


I can think of only one reason not to have SRS: YOUR DEATH.

[Rianna Humble]

I can think of only one reason not to have SRS: YOUR DEATH.

I'm not dead yet, but the doctors say I'm too great a health risk and won't do it. Does that come under your one reason?

[Bree-asaurus]

I can think of only one reason not to have SRS: YOUR DEATH.


I'm not dead yet, but the doctors say I'm too great a health risk and won't do it. Does that come under your one reason?

Ok... seriously? We're going to start an argument over personal reasons for why or why not to get SRS? She JUST SAID that health risks wouldn't stop her. You don't have to agree...

She has her reasons and you have yours. End of story.

[LisaMallon]

Rianna that is my single greatest fear. That I go through my transition ... and somewhere along the line a (unknown to me) health issue comes up that means I can't continue.
Gives me cold shivers at times.

[Stephenie S]

You know, we've been round and round about this in the past. The answer is that those who have to transition always find a way, and those who are content to wait, wait.

Those who actually transition do so not because they WANT to, they do so because they HAVE to.

S

[pamela_a]

You know, we've been round and round about this in the past. The answer is that those who have to transition always find a way, and those who are content to wait, wait.

Those who actually transition do so not because they WANT to, they do so because they HAVE to.

S

That is so perfectly and succinctly said Stephanie. Thank you

[Bree-asaurus]

That is so perfectly and succinctly said Stephanie. Thank you

I agree. But then this is going to start a fight because someone will say "Well, I have to transition but I can't... blah blah, post-op elitism... yadda yadda..." and in a couple days... thread closed *sigh*

[StephanieC]

Well, over the course of a lifetime, you go through a number of cars. Eventually, they all turn into rust-buckets. Using the equivalent of one of those car purchase/pay cycles for a life-changing event with long-lasting effects seems to me to be a good investment.

I can drive my car for a few more years and put the money where it's best.

-stephani