Orchiectomy with Dr. Reed in Miami, August 2003

By Grace Bock; edited by Anne A. Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D.

Like many who identify as transgendered, I have put a great deal of time and energy into research. When it came to looking into an orchiectomy it was no different. I spent countless hours reading personal narratives, educating myself about the procedure itself, and choosing a physician to perform the procedure. As in the past, the resource I relied upon most was the Internet.

We’ve all heard the old saying, "timing is everything," and when it came to scheduling my own orchiectomy this old adage held true. The summer was to be a busy time for me, in that I was selling a home and moving to a new city to continue graduate school. Additionally, I had also undergone a two-stage procedure on my left eye prior to my relocation. The goal was to squeeze the orchiectomy between settling into my new city and the first day of the fall semester in late August. I was hoping, too, to find a surgeon in a locale I would find desirable for a few days of rest and relaxation. While this may sound like a misguided way of making such a decision, things worked out wonderfully. My choice was Dr. Harold Reed of the Reed Centre in Bay Harbor Island, Florida.

I first became aware of Dr. Reed on the TWR web site where I was able to link to his own site, SRSMiami.com. There I found a great deal of useful information about Dr. Reed’s experience, which was an important element for me in choosing a surgeon. Being satisfied with what I saw, I decided to send an email to learn more. Much to my delight, it was Dr. Reed himself who responded to my inquiry and this direct contact has continued to this day, nearly two weeks postoperative.

It soon became apparent how thorough Dr. Reed is. In many ways he goes beyond what others may require with respect to psychological and medical clearances prior to performing a procedure. Yet this attention to detail is perhaps indicative of the final outcome. Although I was in good health and had had a physical shortly before my decision to undergo an orchiectomy, there were other tests that were requested. In fact, my medical clearance with the Reed Centre seemed more thorough than one done by a prominent teaching hospital. Also standard for Dr. Reed is that his patients obtain two letters of psychological clearance, one of which must be from a psychiatrist. I scheduled a date for early August, booked my flights, made reservations made at the Bay Harbor Inn, and soon we were on our way.

The procedure was scheduled for 9:30 AM on a Thursday, with a 1:00 PM consultation the day before. Upon our arrival on Wednesday, I was immediately impressed with the appearance of the reception area, which was elegantly decorated and very comfortable. Both my traveling companion and I were greeted warmly by Anne, his nurse, and I was asked to complete some paper work. I had heard so much about Anne during my research and found her to be just as others have -- wonderful! Upon completing the forms, it was Dr. Reed himself who invited me back into the clinic. Once in his office, Dr. Reed introduced a visiting surgeon who had authored an impressive text on genital reconstructive surgical techniques. After a close look at the physical and lab results my general practitioner had provided, Dr. Reed then ran through a list of basic health questions. He was warm, with a good sense of humor, yet was business-like as well. It became apparent that he had a good bedside manner. I was relaxed and confident.

Once the physical was complete, I had time to talk more with Dr. Reed to ask questions. Since I had a good understanding of what to expect we spent a just a few minutes as he described exactly what the term radical bilateral orchiectomy meant, and then outlined what to expect postoperatively. We covered topics such as the pressure dressing, pain management, and antibiotics. Before I knew it, I was on my way.

The next morning I arrived at 8:30 AM, because there had been a schedule change. I was shown to a locker area and bathroom where I undressed and locked up my belongings. I then made myself comfortable in the recovery area and a short time later was escorted into the operating room and assisted onto the operating table by Anne. Moments later I was all hooked up, Dr. Reed had started my IV, sedatives were introduced, I was shaved, a local anesthetic was injected and the rest is kind of a fuzzy memory. The next real memory was that of lying comfortably in the recovery area with ice on my surgery site. I dozed for a while until I began feeling hungry. I was fed a nice lunch and was feeling wonderful, ready to go by mid afternoon with a prescription for antibiotics and pain killers and an invitation to stop in the next day for a postop check up.

I was up and out and into the Florida sun by mid afternoon. It was a bright sunny day and it felt good to be outside. Although my movement was somewhat restricted by the pressure dressing, I felt no pain. In fact, I never felt the need to use anything other than Extra Strength Tylenol to manage the slight discomfort when I stood up or sat down. Although I was hoping to lounge by the pool that afternoon and get some sun, I opted for the comfort of my bed for the next couple of hours. By evening, however, my friend and I were out on the veranda enjoying the balmy evening. We ordered room service and called it an early evening.

The next morning we were awakened about 7:30 AM by a call from Dr. Reed. He had several patients at the Inn, was coming to do rounds, and offered to stop in to see me as well, saving us a walk to the clinic. His visit was short, a quick check-up, and he was on his way. My next visit was planned for early the following morning, Saturday, prior to our departure for the airport. We spent the early part of Friday around the pool and later visited the mall on the bay in downtown Miami. Next morning the dressing was removed, I was cleaned up a bit and sent on my way with some final instructions. Dr. Reed offered a handshake but I felt a hug was more in order, which he graciously provided.

In conclusion, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my orchiectomy experience. Much to my delight, there was only minor discomfort and the recovery has been uneventful. Both Dr. Reed and his staff were a joy to meet, and I will likely consider them again as full SRS is in my future. They delivered exactly what was advertised with professionalism, style and grace; I was treated wonderfully. Additionally, I would recommend the Bay Harbor Inn: The service there was good, the food wonderful, and the proximity to the Reed Centre a plus. I am not offering a blanket endorsement of the Reed Centre as "the ultimate" in trans-related surgical facilities; but after carefully researching my options, I found the Reed Centre offered the best for me, and the end result was a satisfying experience.

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