top surgery

[The Oopster]

could not find a head spinning smiley

So surgery is scheduled for April 29th.

His cost has gone up some from when Theo had it but I really felt comfortable with him and his staff so decideded to go with him.

One of the things I appreciated was in his pictures of others not all of the pictures were perfect. Of course the ones that weren't have had revisions, but he said its been awhile since that has been necessary.

He also showed evolution in his work, he does the nipples smaller now than originally.

Already talked with work so that worry is over with. I told them I'll probably need a minimum of 4 weeks off but I"ll have a better idea after surgery. Most likely I'll start back just working weekends or such. I also put out there that i could be up to a couple months but by the time we start getting busy again around mid july I should be back to normal speed hopefully.

I may or may not have tubes. Voloshin uses them only if there is excessive drainage, otherwise he prefers to remove any drainage via a needle. Says there is less risk of infection that way.

So nervous and excited at the same time. Now I just need to get odds and ends done and try to find someone to go down with me. Hopefully someone that can stay in the area that night, just seems like it would be easiest to go crash in a hotel verses an hour plus ride home. Also if I do that he'll check me the next day and then I can go home, otherwise I'd have to go back down in a couple days. hmmm just thought of a new question ... wondering how that will work since he doesn't work on fridays ... so will have to double check on that. MIght go home that day after all and go back on monday.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by The Oopster

could not find a head spinning smiley

So surgery is scheduled for April 29th.

His cost has gone up some from when Theo had it but I really felt comfortable with him and his staff so decideded to go with him.

One of the things I appreciated was in his pictures of others not all of the pictures were perfect. Of course the ones that weren't have had revisions, but he said its been awhile since that has been necessary.

He also showed evolution in his work, he does the nipples smaller now than originally.

Already talked with work so that worry is over with. I told them I'll probably need a minimum of 4 weeks off but I"ll have a better idea after surgery. Most likely I'll start back just working weekends or such. I also put out there that i could be up to a couple months but by the time we start getting busy again around mid july I should be back to normal speed hopefully.

I may or may not have tubes. Voloshin uses them only if there is excessive drainage, otherwise he prefers to remove any drainage via a needle. Says there is less risk of infection that way.

So nervous and excited at the same time. Now I just need to get odds and ends done and try to find someone to go down with me. Hopefully someone that can stay in the area that night, just seems like it would be easiest to go crash in a hotel verses an hour plus ride home. Also if I do that he'll check me the next day and then I can go home, otherwise I'd have to go back down in a couple days. hmmm just thought of a new question ... wondering how that will work since he doesn't work on fridays ... so will have to double check on that. MIght go home that day after all and go back on monday.

Congrats, Oopster, on finding someone you feel comfortable with.

[DapperButch]

1) How many surgeons did you consult before deciding who was going to do your surgery?
Two, Dr. Beverly Fischer (Timonium, MD) and Dr. Charles Garramone (Davie, FL)
2) Who did your surgery?
Garrmone
3) Are you happy with the results?
Absolutely. I am over the moon.
4) Did you need any revisions?
Too early to tell, but I doubt it very much.
5) What procedure did you have?
Double incision. Garramone also does "mansculpture" which is liposuction of the hips and thighs to create a more male physique
6) What was your recovery process like?
Great. I stayed at New Beginnings in Delray Beach, FL, which is a group home for top surgery guys recovering from surgery. They take you to/from your appts/surgery, the grocery store, to pick up prescriptions, etc. Unfortunately, they had to temporarily close this past week. TF was of course amazing in my recovery and made me healthy foods in the kitchen. It was cheap and it was great to be around other transguys as they healed. I started out the process with another guy there and we ended together. It was great. did I say great? Yes, I did.
7) Did you do anything to prepare for the surgery?
Making sure I ate healthy and did cardio workouts to be as in shape as possible cardiovascularly for quick recovery. I also worked on my pecs, however, this is not necessary. Dr. Garramone follows the line of your pec muscle with his incisions (he cuts under the line of the pec). He certainly is able to find that muscle without large pecs! It is notable to say that I am not on testosterone and still have a defined chest. Your mileage will vary based on your natural muscle definition, of course, but I believe he gives the best result for the non-testosterone using patient.
8) How much time did you have to take off work?
I am taking two weeks because I have a desk job.
9) Is there anything you wish you would have done any differently?
Me, being who I am, did extensive research on what I needed to do before surgery and what I needed to bring. However, I did not focus on my abdominal muscles prior to surgery as much as I should have. You have to use your abs to lift your body up and down as you can't use your arms to assist you, so I had some soreness in my abs for a day or so. Additionally, I would bring a loofah with a handle for lower body washing while standing in shower during recovery so you don't have to bend over/stretch incisions. Those are the only two things I missed.
10) What questions did you ask the surgeon?
WAY too much to write!
11) What didn't you ask that you wish you would have?
Nothing really
12) what resources did you use in helping to decide what surgeon to go to or for what questions to ask?
The MOST important thing I think a person who is getting this surgery can do to determine surgeon is go to transbucket.com to look at surgery results.
13) What online resources do you know of?

http://transbucket.com/
http://www.ftmguide.org/chest.html

14) What supplements did you use, if any?

http://www.vitamedica.com/products/r...pport-program/
http://www.vitamedica.com/products/r...na-30x-bottle/
*Curcumin (Tumeric) for inflammation
*Probiotics

15) Any surgery recovery tips?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/emmettp/things-you-may-not-know-you-need-for-your-ftm-ches-dcoa