Vaginoplasty Guide to Surgery and Recovery

Morning of Surgery Day

I woke up around 3:30 AM to get ready for the big day. I showered using the remaining surgical soap, finished packing my hospital bag that my roommate would bring after I get out of surgery, and assembled my bare essentials kit that I brought with me into surgery. I only brought my cell phone, driver’s license, insurance card, and a list of my medications. 

A friend drove me to the hospital and accompanied me inside. Soon after I checked in at 5:30 AM, I was called back and was given a room, a hospital gown, and a personal belongings bag for me to stow my street clothes and bare essentials kit.

The Preparation Room

Content Warning: Needles

A nurse took my vitals, asked me a questionnaire, [cw: needles] and put in an IV on top of my left wrist. Since I had never had an IV installed before, I expressed that I was anxious about possibly feeling pain if I bent my wrist too much. The nurse showed me how the tube they insert into the vein is very small and extremely flexible. While the IV was distinctly uncomfortable and disconcerting, it wasn’t painful. 

While I waited, the nurse came back to check in on me a few times. A different staff member came by to make sure I had filled out all the appropriate paperwork. 

The anesthesiologist who would put me under for the operation visited my room. They described and listed the risks of both general anesthesia and spinal block. The general anesthesia would put me in a deep sleep for the duration of the surgery. The spinal block serves as a fail safe in case I were to wake up from general anesthesia in the middle of the operation because it numbs the entire lower body. It also helps manage pain for the first few days after surgery. After consenting to the risks of anesthesia, the anesthesiologist went on their way.

My entire surgical team of around 5 people visited me around 7 AM. The lead surgeon, Dr Hyer, introduced me to the team, made sure I was ready for surgery, asked if I had any questions, and finally informed me that I would be wheeled back to the operating room soon. About 15 minutes after the surgical team left, I was pushed in my rolling bed to the operating room

The Operating Room

Content Warning: Needles

The surgical team were spread throughout the room talking with each other. Comically, Paint the Town Red by Doja Cat played over a speaker. The anesthesiologist guided me to the surgery table and prepared me to receive the spinal block. They asked that I mimic the position of sitting on a toilet while hunching over your knees. [cw: needles] A few moments after they warned me of an impending poke, I felt a sharp pain on my left butt cheek and let out a small yelp. They asked me where exactly I felt the pain, and made an adjustment. I began feeling a delightful sensation in my legs as if they were being gradually filled from toe to hips with perfectly warm water. They had me lay down, put a breathing mask on me and told me to take really deep breaths. I distinctly remember feeling perfectly alert for about three breaths before my memory of the operating room suddenly ends. 

Waking Up in the Post-Surgical Unit

My friends received a call around 11:30 AM stating that I was out of the operating room and I was safe. Around 1:00 PM, I awoke as if from a very powerful nap that wasn’t ready to release me yet. While in a drowsy state, a nurse prevented me from itching my eye multiple times. Once I was awake enough to speak, I asked if I could itch my eye and they allowed it. 

I asked the nurse if the operation went smoothly. They assured me I did great and that my surgical team would visit me soon with details. The nurse performed some diagnostic tests to see how I was recovering from anesthesia. They pushed against my feet and asked if I could feel the sensation. I passed with flying colors and they left for a few minutes.

I looked under my blanket to see my surgical dressings. Joy and contentment surged through my body when I confirmed with my own senses that I was now entirely smooth. All I wanted to do was see it with my own eyes, but that moment wouldn’t arrive until the dressings were removed at the end of my hospital stay. 

I noticed EKG stickers all over my torso, my catheter bag hanging off the bed, and a small rubber bulb called a JP drain. My throat was scratchy and sore from being intubated. I discovered that my head rested on a small ring-shaped foam pillow. I wore it like a halo and made passing staff laugh.

When the nurse returned, I asked for my phone back and when I would be able to see my friends. They handed me my bag of personal belongings and shared that I would be moved out of the post-surgical unit and into my room at around 4 PM. I excitedly messaged all my friends that I had woken up from surgery. Through lots of typos, I celebrated with them and shared the details of when they would be able to visit.

The nurse handed me a hospital menu and asked if I wanted to order anything from the hospital menu. I had quite the appetite, which is uncommon after intense anesthesia. I ate up an entire egg and cheese burrito with graham crackers, apple juice, and lots of water. I’d compare the hospital food to a slightly improved gas station burrito. While the meal hit the spot, it unfortunately did not soothe my scratchy throat. 

Moving into My Recovery Room

The transportation team came in and wheeled my bed out of the post-surgical unit to my room. The room was equipped with a bathroom, a shower, a cabinet for belongings, an adjustable table that could be positioned over the hospital bed, a window, seating for guests, a small television, and a fair amount of medical equipment. My bed had a built-in remote control that could toggle the lights, control the TV, raise and lower my torso or legs. There were special air-powered leg massagers that softly squeezed my legs, almost like big automatic blood pressure cuffs.

Because I was on strict bed rest, I wasn’t allowed to stand for a single moment. Not even to carry myself between my old bed and my new bed. Instead, the transportation staff rolled me onto a special lifting board, pulled me from one bed to the other, then snuck the board out from under me. The nursing staff finished up by connecting my IV to a saline solution to hydrate and nourish me, then took my vitals.

I was so grateful to have my friends with me in my hospital room on surgery day. I was thrilled to be able to share my excitement, beautiful heartfelt gratitude moments, and silly conversation with them. They made sure everything I needed was within reach, helped me brush my teeth, played calming ambient music over my bluetooth speaker, helped me change into a warm zip-up hoodie, and put my long hair up in a satin bonnet to keep it from being tangled. They helped advocate for me with the hospital staff to get me food, water, and painkillers.

When my friends left, I had to advocate for myself in the hospital a lot more than I originally anticipated. I also needed patience because the hospital staff were often stretched incredibly thin and constantly triaging issues. Once I realized I needed something, like a new ice pack or to have an alarm silenced on the medical equipment in my room, I made it known immediately. I erred on over-communicating my needs.

My friends prepared lots of delicious sandwiches so I wouldn’t be solely dependent on the hospital food. As a vegetarian, I was grateful for a reliable and tasty meal source. They were kept in a dedicated patient fridge and I could get one delivered to my room at any time.

Getting Through the First Night

I didn’t experience any pain that night, only discomfort. While the spinal block likely dampened most of the pain, they gave me oxycodone regularly to manage pain as well. I sat on my donut pillow to help alleviate pressure from the surgical site. I talked softly so as to not irritate my throat and drank lots of water. Hilariously, while the nurses had to prescribe cough drops and limit how many I got in an hour, my friends were able to bring me a whole bag for me to use at my discretion.

I napped frequently throughout the rest of the day and I slept solidly throughout the night. Every few hours, I would be visited by the assistant nurse to take my vitals. Around 4 AM, someone came in for a blood draw so they could run tests. I would get about 1-3 hours of consecutive sleep at a time. Despite this, I felt very well rested. I remember waking up naturally at 11 PM and thinking that I had slept in until 11 AM. After sending out good morning messages to my friends, I slowly came to the realization that it was actually the middle of the night.