My View

The Session + The Questions = My Response

by Max

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May 15 proved to be an all round informative evening where Dr. Haertsch I feel adequately covered the techniques of surgery for Trany Girls. Though he did appear to gloss over a couple of points, questions raised by the audience were answered concisely. The audience was also quite helpful in ensuring Dr. Haertsch left with some [to him] previously unknown facts.

Something though, I guess I'd expected, was little information and much less enthusiasm when it came to discussing Trany Boys' surgery. A positive point though was Dr. Haertsch's belief that for Trany Boys, transplants using micro surgery could very well be eventually a reality, but alas it would either not come in my lifetime or if it did I'd be too old and senile to make any sense of what was being offered to me.

Admitting to not having succeeded at every operation, Dr. Haertsch explained his process over the years of trialing various surgical techniques by other surgeons elsewhere in the world and discovering which he believes to be best and appropriate for each individual. Yes, he admitted to his knowledge of loss through suicide by three members of our community. He did deny the need for psychological intervention on his part as he is totally unqualified as a counselor, [the issue of counselling demands further discussion].

I know there was recently a survey conducted on Tranys, their lives, surgery, etc. and another survey approximately two years previous. I don't personally know of the results but I am prepared to surmise.

I feel that only a small portion of the Trany community responded to either survey. If that was the case then yes the surgical failure rate of the Trany community would appear to be greater than what it actually is. Needless to say, irrespective of the percentage we still need to ask, in what way was the surgery a failure?

• Was it a physical failure, if so what was actually the cause of this failure?
• Was it a psychological failure, did it not make the Trany a 'true man or woman as they supposed it would?
• Was it a combination of both a physical and a psychological failure?

When we talk of suicide and its prevalence in the Trany community, we need to look carefully at where the prevalence lies. Is it more predominant within the pre-op or post-op Trany?

What are the reasons all these people are committing suicide? No doubt one could quite readily ask the same three questions as for surgery failure rates after all, people generally commit suicide because they deem their life a failure adding these further questions:

• Were there any unresolved emotional problems in the Trany's life that was the sole cause of suicide?
• Was it a combination of an operation's physical failure plus unresolved emotional problems?
• Was it a combination of psychological failure plus unresolved emotional problems?
• Was it a combination of an operation's physical physical failure, a psychological failure plus unresolved emotional problems?
• Were there any other health problems?

Of course, unfortunately as these people are no longer with us, we will never really know why they chose to leave.

Dr. Haertsch spoke of receiving a letter from a consultant of the New South Wales Health Department (Clinical Policy and Practice) with a request for his assistance to look into policy and practices relating to; gender reassignment therapy, hormonal therapy, surgical procedures, and post-operative follow-up care. These are points I strongly feel are in need of attention, and if at all possible, I would like to be a part of the process.

I want to see it ensured that Dr. Haertsch, or any surgeon for that matter, does their best work on each individual. I want to see that every individual is fully aware that a successful outcome of surgery is based on their emotional acceptance as well as their psychological acceptance, and that Dr. Haertsch, or any other surgeon, has done their best. Since your body heals differently as do all individuals - one cannot truly compare against another.

What it boils down to in the long run is: even if Dr. Haertsch, or any other surgeon, says yes to performing surgery on you, ultimately you are the final decision maker therefore, for your own health's sake, please ensure you are carefully and professionally counseled and you've gotten all the answers [that are possible to get pre-surgery] to your questions.

Some people decide to have surgery and then again some don't - whatever you decide, make yours an informed decision.

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