a quick question

[TSMichelle]

Im interested in a basic sex change ( my freinds say i will turn out like my freind Jess in my avatar ). Can anyone tell me what is the lowest price for a sex change operation in Australia, Qld ?

[TSMichelle]

$2.95 perfromed by Dr. Nick Rivera from the Simpsons:p
lol, that was funny. But really, what is the cheapest price ?

[tara 24-7]

seriously, a friend if mine had the full op 3 years ago on the cheap in the uk, shes still in pain to this day, and corrective surgery is gonna cost more than the op its,self, now she has to sell her house to get it all put right., and suffer all that pain again, poor cow,

cheap surgery forget it, its your body were talking about here, dose treat your body as a temple ring a bell????????????????????????
kisses tara, xxxx


,

[TSMichelle]

Well how much is an expensive sex change ?

[Gilded Graper]

Saq,

Ask at: http://www.gendercentre.org.au/index1.htm
75 Morgan Street (P.O. Box 266) Petersham NSW 2049

[Rachel_740]

Saq,

What exactly is a 'basic sex change'. You either have a sex change or you don't! There are NO varying degrees.

That said, I expect my costs to run to some £20,000 by the time I've had my surgery in June, finished hair removal, counselling, psychiatrists, drugs and countless other bits and pieces. I've not worked it out properly - I think I'd be too scared. I'm not having any facial work, which (from what I've been told could double it) and that figure doesn't include the many thousands I've spent building a new wardrobe (which is still on-going).

It's not a cheap game and it's defininately NOT a decision you want to take as lightly as you question comes across. You don't just wake up one day and say 'I'm going to have a basic sex change today'. It's something I've thought about for nearly 30 years to a greater or lesser degree and eventually I had to do it.

If this is something your seriously looking at you need to take it much more seriously than your casual question and you should be 100% sure before you even think about approaching doctors etc. Remember if you have surgery it's completely irreversable. That's why they demand you do a RLT - and yes, you can cheat the RLT but your not cheating the medical professionals, you're cheating yourself and compromising your future health and happiness.

I advise you to go and do a lot of research before you go any further - for your own good and because of the way you've written your question.

Rachel

[Helen MC]

Am I correct that, apart from any breast implants and of course hormone implants and hair removal by electrolysis ,the actual surgery involves not only the removal of the penis and testicles but the utilisation of a section of the Large Intestine (Colon) which is resected, (the two ends of the bowel being reconnected), moved with its blood supply and nerves intact and fashioned into an artificial Vagina together with external plastic surgery in the perineum/what was the scrotal area, to make Labia? If so this is very major surgery indeed, is likely to have a lot of post-operative pain and discomfort not to mention incontinence problems, hopefully only temporary, for both bladder and bowels until the surgery heals up and normal performance is resumed.

Thus it is not something to be undertaken lightly and is totally irreversible.

I have no wish to have a "sex-change" myself, I am a Cross-Dressing Male not Transgendered, but would feel Saq that you are possibly going to make a big irrevocable mistake if you are looking for a "basic" sex-change especially if done on the cheap.

Perhaps you could opt for the half way house of having breast implants and hormone treatments then after having lived as a woman for a while think about taking the final step. I know a couple of people in Brighton (England) who have had breast implants , hormones, electrolysis for hair removal, and live as women but are happy to remain, (if I can use this phrase) as "chicks with dicks" and not have the final surgery.

[Maria D]

That's the last option a surgeon would use Helen. The usual option would be to use penile and scrotal skin, the next option if there's not enough skin would be using skin grafts. That's more awkward since grafted skin doesn't necessarily 'stick' in all cases, and more dilation is required to prevent graft shrinkage. Only if those options are no good, or if you really want it will a colon resection be used, since it's a huge step up in terms of surgical risk.

I too want to know what 'basic' is. Is it like car specifications? You have the basic sex change, then the LX version where they do the sex change, breast enlargement and give you a CD player and sunroof, then the SRi where they also do the face, hips and a years free insurance.

Ok, I'm sarcastic, but in all seriousness your best option is contacting a professional NEAR YOU. They will know costs, where to get it, and can ensure you make the right decisions with regards to YOU, and help you do it safely. That way, whatever you ultimately decide, you'll end up happy.
On another note, you might find Thailand cheaper, but again their surgeons require you to take an RLT and have referral letters.
Take care
xxx

[Rachel_740]

Am I correct that, apart from any breast implants and of course hormone implants and hair removal by electrolysis ,the actual surgery involves not only the removal of the penis and testicles but the utilisation of a section of the Large Intestine (Colon) which is resected, (the two ends of the bowel being reconnected), moved with its blood supply and nerves intact and fashioned into an artificial Vagina together with external plastic surgery in the perineum/what was the scrotal area, to make Labia? If so this is very major surgery indeed, is likely to have a lot of post-operative pain and discomfort not to mention incontinence problems, hopefully only temporary, for both bladder and bowels until the surgery heals up and normal performance is resumed.

No!

Rachel

[Rachel_740]

Am I correct that, apart from any breast implants and of course hormone implants and hair removal by electrolysis ,the actual surgery involves not only the removal of the penis and testicles but the utilisation of a section of the Large Intestine (Colon) which is resected, (the two ends of the bowel being reconnected), moved with its blood supply and nerves intact and fashioned into an artificial Vagina together with external plastic surgery in the perineum/what was the scrotal area, to make Labia? If so this is very major surgery indeed, is likely to have a lot of post-operative pain and discomfort not to mention incontinence problems, hopefully only temporary, for both bladder and bowels until the surgery heals up and normal performance is resumed.

Sorry Helen,

I couldn't resist the blunt answer.

To answer you properly, firstly I don't know the details of the op as it is performed in Thailand or and other country - I only know how it is performed by most (maybe all) UK surgeons.

Firstly, no breast implants. That is a completely separate issue and I have no need or intension of going there. My breasts have grown enough (although I wouldn't complain about a bit more) with just hormones. Hair removal, again is a separate issue, which I am having done by laser treatment. I had 6 treatments to my face, finishing last July. I have subsequently had genital hair removal because hair on the shaft of the penis is not desirable - as you will see later in this post. Although I finished laser treatment to my face last July I wasn't completely happy with it and was going to have some electrolysis post op. However, the last couple of months I have been getting increasingly unhappy with my face so I have picked up laser again for a few sessions, still pre-op.

As for the genital surgery, which is the only surgery I am having done (as I said above), in simple terms the surgeon is going to skin my penis and sew the skin back together inverted (inside out). If there is insufficient 'donor material (a term that I love :) ) it is supplimented with scrotal tissue to give sufficient depth to the vigina. The sensitive tip of the penis will remain connected to the blood supply (to keep the flesh alive) and will be used later for the clitorous. The erectile tissue that remains is the removed and disposed of. A hole is made in my pelvic floor muscle and the inverted penile skin is put in and sewn to the large intestine to hold it in place at the top - this is now my vagina. The urethra is then shortened to the correct length and sewn in place and what was the sensitive end of the penis is then sewn back, giving a clitorous. Some surgeons then make a clitoral hood using more scrotal tissue (I think), others don't. The labia (minora and majora) are also made using scrotal tissue, and that's it:D . Simple :rolleyes: . I really can't wait :D .

Rachel

[MandyTS]

Rachel is right with the SRS part,

Some of us to not have it so easy. In my case for example I was born intersexed with a micropenis, basically speaking errect it is less than 2 inches (that is pushing it) and flacid about 1/2 inch from barily notacable to just noticable. I also have a narrow shaft so that does not help things either. Due to these complications I will definitly be going to a specialist in SRS to get the very best care in my complicated case. I would expect the procedure to run about 15k all said and done (+2500 for labiaplasty). Now I could have it done in tialand (I have looked at that option) for about 7k but then you have to worry about traveling to a forign place, etc.

Sex Change "I detest that term" is not something to be taking lightly. For "non intersexed" persons (I am intersexed), it is even harder it seems because you are functional, etc. Now if you want a complete price, for me it is hard to say, because I do not need electrolysis (no facial hair), but my estimates are as follows...

1k hormones? (insurance)
6k (?) facial hair removal
4k counciling (if not covered by health care, 40 visits)
15k for FFS
15k for SRS (both steps)
1k for paper changes

So easily 40 - 45k, and that does not include full FFS.

Do it because you have to, not because you want to... it is not an easy life.

Mandy