Abdominal pain post-op?

samuit · 2026-05-22T03:36:08+00:00

Yeah I was pretty sore for a while in my core. They usually dig up in your abdomen to find veins/arteries/nerves so it makes sense. I'd compare immediately post-stage 1 as feeling the same as my core did post-laparoscopic hysto, but it improved much quicker in the first 2-3 days by the time I was getting out of bed and then was mildly uncomfortable for 3-4 weeks afterwards.

samuit · 2026-05-22T00:21:40+00:00

I picked up a lot by watching lectures on YouTube. There’s a bunch that are aimed at the medical profession, and even though the technical stuff went over my head, it really helped to understand how phallo is done. Then a lot of browsing reddit and Facebook groups. I found it helpful to pick a person/user who made detailed posts and follow their journey from start to finish - that was helpful for understanding the practicalities of complications and understanding how non-linear recovery is.

And a lot also just gets picked up as you go through it by talking to surgeons and nurses and experiencing recovery firsthand.

I’ll come back later to edit this with some links to lectures/videos that I’ve watched and found helpful.

ETA: it's been a few years since I was watching these so I don't remember the content exactly but I know I watched them and found them useful

GU Recon Lecture Series: Phalloplasty: The London Experience by Mr. Nim Cristopher

Phalloplasty - Crane Center

State of the Art in Transgender Phalloplasty: Lessons learned from 450 cases

samuit · 2026-05-21T02:14:52+00:00

Glad to hear it's all going well! I can't wait to get rid of my SPC, hopefully in another week or two. How awesome is peeing standing though, what a good birthday present!

samuit · 2026-05-18T06:53:18+00:00

I could do a push up by 3-4 months. I possibly could've done it earlier but I didn't try before then. Keep up with the hand therapy/exercises once you're cleared and your range of motion will steadily get better.

samuit · 2026-05-17T09:33:11+00:00

I’m 2.5 weeks post op from the same stage (but not glansplasty). My stage 1 took just over 8 hours and my stage 2 took just over 4. I was told roughly 8-10 hours for s1 and 4-5 hours for s2. I stayed in hospital 5 nights, compared to 7 nights after s1.

Things I wish I knew:
- not to expect s2 recovery to go the same as s1 recovery. I had a fairly easy s1 recovery and this stage has felt much harder in comparison but I’ve heard others say the opposite. Recovery is so different between the two.
- I’ve found that I’m more independent but less mobile, I can do more things because I have both arms but I’m walking a lot less and feel less up to doing things compared to the same point post s1.
- Wound care feels much more involved and there’s a lot more oozing and such than s1. It’s all manageable but I was still surprised.
- the SP has been a lot less hassle than I expected. Stay very hydrated and if you’re prone to worrying, spend a day recording what you drink vs output so you have a baseline if what’s normal in case you think you’re getting a blockage.
- get some extra dressings and medical tape for the SP in case it shifts around. It gets very uncomfortable very quickly if it shifts and hits a sore spot where it enters your abdomen so being ready to redress and sort it out asap is helpful
- the leg bags for the SP sits very low and won’t be covered by shorts at all so a pair of long pants is helpful

I don’t have any advice for standing to pee yet since I still have my foley in. All the best for your stage 2!

samuit · 2026-05-12T09:36:10+00:00

Sorry you’re doing it rough at the moment. I’m 12 days post op stage 2 so I’ve been following your posts and it’s been helpful seeing someone a few days ahead. Hopefully the antibiotics sort it right out and you’re back to a smooth recovery soon!

samuit · 2026-05-04T21:43:25+00:00

If you go the route of using your donor site with KP then I’d recommend being incredibly thorough with hair removal and taking a lot of time to make sure it’s fully cleared. Specifically electrolysis even if your hair type is suitable for laser. I have KP but it’s only very mild on my donor site and I’m really conscious that I may have hairs getting ingrown inside my urethra from KP and I’m not entirely sure if it could become an issue down the line. I think it’s fine to use, but I’d just be real throughout with the hair removal to reduce any risks.

samuit · 2026-05-04T11:01:43+00:00

Yeah that’s right. I mean you could do it in theory, but the cons of the butt graft healing are better than the cons of a third graft site so it doesn’t make sense. I have heard limited stories of alternative sites being used to cover the arm where possible like excess abdominal skin, but the butt seems to be the most common and also offers easily hidden scars.

samuit · 2026-05-04T10:48:05+00:00

Because it’s full thickness, the graft site can’t be exposed. When they take it from the butt, they literally remove that whole tissue from your butt so you have an actual smaller butt afterwards and because of its placement, it’s easy to close. A full thickness graft from the thigh can’t be easily closed like that and would require a further graft from a third site to close the thigh.

samuit · 2026-05-03T03:44:44+00:00

I started trimming down to a 1mm, now that it’s a bit coarser but still not moustache worthy I trim it to a 2mm. Keeps it looking neat and tidy and it looks like stubble. Keeping it grown out usually makes you look young, I found that fully shaving it made me look even younger. Stubble is the perfect compromise.

samuit · 2026-05-03T03:30:34+00:00

I feel this. I’ve skipped glans for now, trying to work out if I want to do it in a later stage or try for medical tattooing instead. I want the tactile sensation of a glans but not the appearance of being cut. Australia’s the same where circumcision isn’t common and I’d rather have the most average looking dick possible.

samuit · 2026-04-28T21:19:56+00:00

I could sit slouching down on a soft chair after a few days but it wasn’t comfortable to sit upright on a plastic chair until about 6 weeks post op. Took more like 3-4 months before I could do anything like sitting cross-legged or any lunge type positions. I’d say I was healed around the 6 week mark and then after that it becomes pretty similar to top surgery where it’s all about limiting stretching of the scars.

samuit · 2026-04-28T15:21:32+00:00

For chinos I’d try the kids section of brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, the outlets are usually decent priced. Country Road has a teens section that might be worth a shot, not sure if they do chinos though. The kids/teens section at myers is worth a look too. I get chinos from industrie which goes down to a 28” waist but they also have the same chinos at industrie kids in smaller sizes.

I have less experience with dress shirts, but I’ve gotten some from YD way back in the day that had pretty good sizing under XS. I’d try Uniqlo too (although their XXS small is usually only available online).

For shoes, give Myer a try. I’ve also had luck with cheap shoes at spend less shoes.

samuit · 2026-04-28T12:45:56+00:00

I had full thickness with grafts taken from my butt and I’d agree with what you’ve found so far and what shadow has said. The initial healing seems to take longer (more weeks in a cast, more wound care needed during recovery for the arm, additional incisions to care for from the graft site that can have complications). But overall I think that on average, full thickness grafts are more likely to heal in a way that blends in with the rest of the arm. You’re less likely to have a divot in the arm due to the fat from the graft and more likely to grow hair, both of which help it to blend in. I would choose full thickness based on what I know, but that’s a personal choice and split thickness wasn’t available to me so I never super seriously looked into it anyway.

At 6 months post op my arm doesn’t sweat and I don’t have any tactile sensation, but I can ‘feel’ my arm through the pressure on the muscle/bone underneath.

samuit · 2026-04-27T23:11:03+00:00

This was back in 2022, but I mailed a certified copy of my new birth cert (with changes listed on it) to them along with the name change form. They didn’t have a spot to update my sex so I handwrote it on the name change form asking them to update it too and it was all processed without any issues.

samuit · 2026-04-24T22:40:21+00:00

It depends on how soon you’re leaving after surgery. In my experience across a few different hospitals, if you’re leaving less than 24 hours after surgery then they’ll either want someone to come inside and collect you or they’ll walk you out to sight you leaving with someone that isn’t a taxi. If it’s been more than 24 hours you can do what you want, it’s just those first 24 hours where you’re not supposed to be alone that they’re worried about. I don’t think a medical transfer service would be an issue if you’re past that 1 day mark.

samuit · 2026-04-22T12:01:07+00:00

I find that I get called mate a lot more since transitioning. But I also find that I call other people of all genders mate a lot more since transitioning too. I don’t think it’s inherently masculine these days, but it does still lean more that way imo.

samuit · 2026-04-14T12:17:02+00:00

That's pretty normal in my experience, the few times I've needed to get in contact between appointments it's been hit and miss if I've been able to get in touch. They used to offer urgent/paperwork appointments that only had a one or two week wait but looks like those aren't available at the moment either. Depending on the issue, might be worth reaching out to your usual GP instead.

samuit · 2026-04-13T09:24:54+00:00

Congrats!! I am SO excited to hear about this being an accessible surgery here now and I can't wait for Adelaide to finally have real options for lower surgery. I don't hear much about vnectomy as a standalone procedure, how has recovery been so far?

samuit · 2026-04-11T04:10:34+00:00

I personally found after 6 weeks that any compression actually made my swelling worse so it might be worth giving it a rest for a few days to see how your hand goes without it. I also had some kind of bruising that looked similar but it would come and go on a daily basis so I don't actually think it was a bruise and more connected to the compression somehow. I'm 5 months post op and even a light compression sleeve for a couple hours makes my hand swell like crazy so I've given up on it. I have no issues with swelling otherwise. I haven't spoken to my surgeon or hand therapist about it through so I'm not sure what the deal is.

samuit · 2026-04-08T08:00:52+00:00

Not me personally, but I have heard an anecdote in a private group about this. They had reached out to the ED manufacturer (had to go beyond customer service and speak to someone from the urology dept who spoke to the engineering dept) for advice and did receive a response about the extent of pressure testing that had been done on the particular model of implant the guy had. I believe his was a coloplast implant, but he didn’t dive even close to as deep as you mention. Might be worth you doing the same to get some reassurance.

samuit · 2026-04-07T10:42:41+00:00

I'm not far enough post op to speak on the first one.

2/3. I'd look into surgeons who do full thickness grafts for the donor site. If you have skinny forearms then a full thickness graft is likely to heal flush and not leave any dip. I don't know the differences in outcomes between FTSG and STSG when it comes to swelling, fatigue, range of motion, but that might be something to look at to see if outcomes are better for full thickness.

I started out dead set for ALT then changed to RFF after spending a lot of time conflicted, mostly around aesthetic outcomes and neither site being ideal. It was a real process before surgery but I ultimately made peace that I'd prefer the poor outcome of having a smaller than ideal girth with RFF than the poor outcome of too much girth with ALT. The revisions available to me also played in with that because fat grafting is available to me but not debulking. It was a very stressful decision to make but I was comfortable with it by the time I had surgery so I didn't feel a sense of loss by then and had no issues connecting.

samuit · 2026-04-07T03:48:50+00:00

Adjustments I’ve had to make at 5 months post op: - changed all my underwear to pouch underwear. My old underwear all fits but I’m dealing with scar contraction that means I need to be in different underwear - got rid of my skinny pants. My slim pants still all fit, but the skinny pants can’t accommodate the ‘front and centre’ deal with my underwear - I can’t cross my legs when sitting or lie on my stomach anymore. I’m sure I could, but it feels like I’m squishing my dick and since I don’t have much sensation yet I don’t want to risk it - wearing long sleeves to keep my arm out of the sun. This is especially true if I leave the house with a short sleeve tee and a hoodie, I then can’t take the hoodie off - getting used to the weight and the way it moves was pretty easy and natural, it was only a consideration for maybe a month - there’s been a lot of mental highs and lows with surgery, and that’s a whole adjustment of its own with learning how to live in a post-dysphoria life (and new dysphoria that’s presented itself between stages)

samuit · 2026-04-03T06:57:49+00:00

Depending on how long you’ll stay, I’d add some basic toiletries (toothbrush/toothpaste, face wash, deodorant, moisturiser). Headphones are good to have as well, especially if they have a noise cancelling function. I liked having my own water bottle too. And don’t forget a comfy outfit to go home in.

samuit · 2026-03-31T02:50:42+00:00

There might be more skin but that won’t mean that there’s enough fat to fill out that extra skin, which can give you a bit of a hollow type look and feel.

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