Hey guys, I’m posting on here to recount my personal experience going through
Stage 1 RFF Phalloplasty, Urethral Lengthening, and Nerve Hookup at UNC Chapel Hill with Dr. Adeyemi Ogunyele (plastic surgeon and specialist on free flaps) and his partner Dr. Bradley Figler (Urologist) on November 19, 2020. UNC Chapel Hill has been doing Metodioplasties for over a year now and phalloplasties since this year. They do amazing work, are very knowledgeable and caring. Their nurses and coordinators are nothing short of amazing. They have trans people on their staff! The hospital and nurses were very attentive and wonderful!
I am now 4 months post-op from stage 1 RFF phalloplasty.
I am looking at probably 3-4 more surgeries to complete my transition.
Stage 2, possible fistula repair, glansplasty, and ED pump implant. The doctors say it’s very possible depending on how I heal, for me to be done by the end of the year or beginning of next.
So I saw Dr. Figler and Dr. Yemi last week and the good news is we are on for stage 2 sometime in may! I should be getting a date soon
everything looked good and I’m healing very well, the little area on the underside that is still open is continuing to heal. Dr. Yemi thinks we may even be able to do my ED implant surgery at the end of the year!
Now for the not so great news. So my
penile urethra has contracted about an inch in length. It has contracted in width as well so when he tried to push the catheter in, it was hard to get it through.
I also have a fistula about halfway through the shaft that needs to be surgically repaired. I will most likely require a separate surgery to fix the fistula sometime in the summer. Dr. Figler said
he will probably use a skin graft from my hip to fix the fistula. He will have my permission to
use a bucal graft if needed.
Stage 2:
So stage 2 for me will consist of
scrotoplasty, which from conversations with Dr. Figler, will be a similar method that Dr. Chen uses.
I’ll also be having vaginectomy, urethral hookup and repair. Since I do have the fistula mid-shaft, Dr. Figler says it’s possible he may only be able to get my urethra repaired up to that point. If that’s the case then
I will have to pee out of a hole between the scrotom and phallus until the fistula repair. Here’s to hoping he can
repair the urethra and dilate it all the way up the shaft 
either way I will have a catheter in for a few weeks while I train my bladder and an SP catheter for a few days.
I have to say that Dr. Figler really took his time to talk to me about all my concerns and we sat and brainstormed on the order of the surgeries to come. He listened to what my needs and wants were and we made a tentative plan for getting me to where I want to be, there’s a chance the fistula could heal on its own so that’s why we are giving it some time and tackling the fistula repair after stage 2. Although I am extremely happy with everything so far, I do battle some serious dysphoria not having a scrotom and v-nectomy yet so we are going to finish that soon. I’m so happy he took the time to listen to my needs
As far as my arm and leg go, everything is healing well and Dr. Yemi is very pleased. I don’t need to see him anymore about them unless I have issues. I will continue doing my arm exercises, silicone scar treatments and such
Dr. Yemi thinks he might be able to do my
glansplasty at the same time as my ED pump implant toward the end of the year. It all just depends on how I’m healing!
