We now have such a wonderful surgeon on the weblog in the present day. And this put up could be very particular & one thing that must be talked about extra.
Dr. Michael Safir is right here to speak to us all in regards to the surgical technique of turning a penis right into a vagina, and a vagina right into a penis. Not solely that, he’s letting us in on how he acquired into transgender surgical procedures & why he loves it a lot.
After Dr. Safir’s podcast episode, Lauryn knew he needed to come on the weblog asap, too.
You’ll want to take heed to the total podcast epsiode the place Dr. Safir discusses gender dysphoria, misconceptions about transitioning, the significance of pronouns, & be extra understanding of others & their decisions.
Let’s welcome Dr. Michael Safir to the weblog.
Dr. Michael Safir on The Transgender Surgical procedure Course of
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OK – principally, I flip vaginas into penises and switch penises into vaginas.
I didn’t at all times carry out surgical procedure for the transgender and non-binary group. However my life and training put me on a path to discovering what was necessary to me and the way I might greatest assist folks as a surgeon.
I grew up in a conservative family and was taught to observe non secular teachings tenaciously. This included studying that solely being heterosexual and pursuing heterosexual relationships have been OK.
Faculty and medical faculty have been eye-opening for me, as I met colleagues and sufferers who didn’t adhere to conventional sexuality or gender roles.
I made a decision in my ultimate yr of residency to pursue superior surgical coaching in feminine and male reconstructive genital surgical procedure at the most effective facilities within the nation (UCLA and UCSF).
On the time, I used to be the one urological surgeon within the US to have carried out separate year-long fellowships in these fields. I visited Serbia, a significant transgender heart in Japanese Europe, to go to with a preeminent surgeon who carried out surgical procedure for the trans group.
For the final 5 years, I carried out completely reconstructive backside (beneath the waist) surgical procedure for the trans group in San Francisco, earned the designation of Surgeon of Excellence, and set my profession path in an ultra-specialized path. I lately relocated to Los Angeles, California and joined a terrific multi-specialty transgender surgical procedure group.
It’s very easy for me to talk with the trans and non-binary group and medical practitioners who serve the group. It’s typically onerous to talk with the cis-gender group as a result of I’ve to beat, in lots of instances, childhood indoctrination that forestalls a lot of the inhabitants from sustaining an open thoughts a few group that strives for easy understanding. I’ve to count on that many individuals gained’t “get it” and perceive that it could take some people extra time to develop an understanding in regards to the trans group.
The Transgender Surgical procedure Journey:
It’s the guardian of a kid exploring gender points who performs probably the most important function within the correct growth of that youngster. Younger kids could categorical feeling uncomfortable of their organic gender as early as 3-5 years outdated. I heard a superb assertion that I’m unable to attribute:
“Don’t be your youngster’s first bully!”
That’s an aphorism for fogeys that extends even past trans points. Hear and search out recommendation past your house of worship. Pediatricians, psychological well being professionals, gynecologists, and plenty of major care physicians serve an unbelievable function in serving to people categorical themselves with out essentially being herded into present process gender affirming procedures.
By the point they see me as a “backside surgeon,” most sufferers have undergone their “high” (breast) surgical procedure. And a few have undergone facial feminization or masculinization. Nearly all have been on hormones for years and most “current” (bodily categorical) reverse their organic gender.
Sufferers search me out towards the tip of their surgical journey and affirm their need to have their bodily physique congruent with their self-identified gender. All sufferers have letters of assist from two psychological well being professionals and their hormone supplier.
Making a penis & vagina:
Backside surgical procedure is extraordinarily complicated and has been described because the “Tremendous Bowl” of reconstructive surgical procedure. Creating a practical penis with sensation and blood move requires two surgical groups, transferring a rolled pores and skin/fats donor website (arm or thigh) to the realm the place a cis-gender penis would ordinarily reside. A scrotum is created, the earlier genitalia (vulva and vagina) are eliminated. And a urethra (urinary channel) is created to carry urine move all the best way to the tip of the brand new penis. Much less complicated surgical procedure could also be accomplished by constructing a penis and scrotum utilizing adjoining pores and skin – this process known as a metoidioplasty.
Conversely, a vagina could be created through the use of inverted penile and scrotal pores and skin. And fashioning the pores and skin of the brand new vulva to approximate the looks of the labia. After surgical procedure, sufferers could search out different procedures sooner or later to permit extra purposeful use of the newly created genitalia.
Submit-Surgical procedure:
Sure, nearly all sufferers have sensation after surgical procedure – there are small nerves that we discover with particular eyeglasses. After which join utilizing a microscope and suture finer than hair.
We all know how necessary sexuality is to our sufferers and supply affordable expectations to them preoperatively to assist them plan for his or her sexual life after surgical procedure. Sufferers who endure gender affirming surgical procedure solely very hardly ever categorical any remorse of their bodily transformation.
I’ve but to be requested to reverse or undo any gender affirming surgical procedure so {that a} affected person can have genitalia that appears like their pre-operative anatomy.
This stays a captivating discipline for me. And I’m energized by my fantastic sufferers who belief their our bodies and lives to me. And I study from each affected person, not merely enhance the operation, however to know the challenges they and their family members’ expertise.
I’m providing backside surgical procedure for transgender and non-binary sufferers within the Los Angeles and Ventura County. I could be reached at www.drsafir.com, or through Instagram at @msafirmd.
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As talked about, make sure to take heed to the total podcast episode the place Dr. Safir actually will get into it.
x, The Skinny Confidential staff.
+ try the high classes Lauryn has discovered from being podcast host.
++ stalk this put up on feminine empowerment from Tiffany Hendra.
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