Hi all -
I'm really down and need some advice. To give you a quick background, my #1 goal in surgery was the ability of standing to void. I had other desires as well, which all factored into my decision to go the metoidioplasty/urethral extension route with Dr. Miro in April 2016. I know complications aren't uncommon, but I have been disheartened to have a fistula which never completely closed. The fistula is extremely small; in fact, so small that I can stand to pee if I use my finger to create pressure against the hole. However, I still have problems with residual dripping once I release the pressure.
I have consulted Dr. Zhao and Dr. Bluebond-Langner at NYU with the hopes of having the fistula fixed so I can have my right testicle restored (lost due to infection) and get on with my life. After going through 2 cystoscopies to locate the fistula, his reparation plan is to use a graft from my thigh to rebuild the urethra. He said that even going this route I only had a 3 in 5 chance of the initial fix being successful.
I figured a hole this small would be a fairly easy fix, so I'm extremely depressed to receive this news. Others' accounts I have read regarding fistulas are that they had a repair completed after the initial surgery which closed the fistula. Hence, I never considered it a possibility that I may never be completely restored. At this point, I have two decisions: 1. Live the rest of my life plugging a hole and dealing with post-drippage or 2. Attempt a repair with the surgeon knowing it's a gamble I could end up worse off and lose my ability to STP.
While I desperately want to STP without dealing with drippage, I'm afraid of going through more surgery and ending up worse off than I am now. I have plans to have my testicle re-inserted and the mons completed, but I think I need to deal with the fistula first. Any thoughts or words of advice you could offer me?
Thanks in advance,
Patrick
I'm really down and need some advice. To give you a quick background, my #1 goal in surgery was the ability of standing to void. I had other desires as well, which all factored into my decision to go the metoidioplasty/urethral extension route with Dr. Miro in April 2016. I know complications aren't uncommon, but I have been disheartened to have a fistula which never completely closed. The fistula is extremely small; in fact, so small that I can stand to pee if I use my finger to create pressure against the hole. However, I still have problems with residual dripping once I release the pressure.
I have consulted Dr. Zhao and Dr. Bluebond-Langner at NYU with the hopes of having the fistula fixed so I can have my right testicle restored (lost due to infection) and get on with my life. After going through 2 cystoscopies to locate the fistula, his reparation plan is to use a graft from my thigh to rebuild the urethra. He said that even going this route I only had a 3 in 5 chance of the initial fix being successful.
I figured a hole this small would be a fairly easy fix, so I'm extremely depressed to receive this news. Others' accounts I have read regarding fistulas are that they had a repair completed after the initial surgery which closed the fistula. Hence, I never considered it a possibility that I may never be completely restored. At this point, I have two decisions: 1. Live the rest of my life plugging a hole and dealing with post-drippage or 2. Attempt a repair with the surgeon knowing it's a gamble I could end up worse off and lose my ability to STP.
While I desperately want to STP without dealing with drippage, I'm afraid of going through more surgery and ending up worse off than I am now. I have plans to have my testicle re-inserted and the mons completed, but I think I need to deal with the fistula first. Any thoughts or words of advice you could offer me?
Thanks in advance,
Patrick