She began hertransition journeyalone at 19.
She then underwent hormone therapy and two years of counseling.
She received bottom surgery a year later.
Channing Smith
Complications from bottom surgery can sometimes necessitate an additional procedure for optimal results.
She also had scars that made certain sex positions impossible.
“I was frustrated and a little sad…
I mostly just didnt want to go through surgery again.
You know, surgery is a massive pain,” she says.
“I mean, the revision didn’t solve everything.”
The health benefits of these surgeries are well-proven.
All of this can have an impact on a patient’s final result.
And yet, despite the expertise of her provider, Martha still experienced complications.
She’s planning to undergo a third revision when the time is right since her scarring has come back.
A brief history of gender-affirmation surgeries
Gender-affirmation surgeries have been performedsince the early 20th century in Europe.
There are currently six other gender-affirming surgical fellowships in the United States.
“[However] genital reconstruction surgeries require more training beyond the standard.”
Safer says genital reconstruction surgeries are more complicated and nuanced than other plastic surgery procedures.
Trans women may report complications following vaginoplasty, breast augmentation, and vocal cord surgery.
“You couldn’t do a gender-affirming residency before [2017].”
All of this is changing, albeit slowly.
She says she began performing top surgeries on patients because of her experience with breast reconstruction.
The surgical techniques employed intop surgeryare similar to other breast surgeries, like mastectomies.
“That wasn’t part of my training.
Quite frankly, because I do a lot of breast surgery people just found me through their insurance companies.
“I see so much bad work because there is no board for facial feminization surgery.”
He has never taught anyone the technique but says he hopes to teach the right candidate before he retires.
“I see so much bad work because there is no board for facial feminization surgery (FFS).
Dr. Mayer says he does many revisions because so few doctors understand how to perform facial feminization surgery correctly.
“A good part of my practice is revision surgery,” he adds.
“Because, unfortunately, theres a lot of bad work out there.”
“I had top surgery 13 years ago.
I also had orthopedic knee surgery at 14 and often regret it,“he tweeted.
Strangio had no surgical complications and said his quality of life has improved following top surgery.
“I was binding my chest and had for many years.
Its a very uncomfortable experience.
I felt so much more alive and free [after surgery].”
Strangio has no qualms about his decision to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
“It’s not for everyone.
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