Orchiectomy with Dr. Reed in Miami, May 2005

By Chris B; edited by Anne A. Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D.

I’m a male to female trangendered person in my mid-20s who’s been on estrogen for about 6 months no. My facial electrolysis is almost complete, but body hair continues to be a problem. I had tried taking Spironolactone as an anti-androgen, but the side effects were so severe that I had to quit. Without something to block my testosterone production, my estrogen therapy wasn’t doing much and I felt that my hair removal was an uphill battle. I wasn’t willing to risk my health with mega-doses of hormones, so, I decided to get an orchiectomy. I’d been in therapy long enough I knew I wouldn’t have any problem getting approval, and since I’m not really planning on undergoing full SRS it would let me get the genital portion of my surgery out of the way. At the same time, it would allow me to lower my estrogen dosage and almost completely eliminate androgen production. Not too shabby for an hour-long procedure.

I decided on Dr. Harold Reed of the Reed Center in Bay Harbor, Florida. He’s a board certified urologist and maintains an impressive web page with some stunning before-and-after pictures. More importantly, I’d known some friends who’d been to him and they came back with rave reviews. I contacted him via e- mail and found him to be incredibly nice and helpful. He answered all of my questions and was very realistic in describing what the procedure could do for me. He does require two letters of psychiatric clearance, one of which has to be from someone at the M.D. level. Once I decided on surgery, I had my psychiatrist write one of my reviews. He sent me to a social worker he has worked with in the past for the other. Letters in hand, I booked my surgery. After sending in my deposit and making my flight and hotel reservations, I had nothing to do but wait.

I arrived in Miami on May 2nd, early in the morning. I had decided to stay at the Whitehouse Inn on 123st in Bay Harbor, which was a wise choice. Not only were they very reasonably priced, but they were also kind enough to get me in early. Even though check in time wasn’t until 3 PM, I called them from the airport and they had my room ready for me at around 11 AM. I was surprised at how large the room was. They all have water views, so that was nice, but they also have a kitchenette area which really comes in handy if you want to avoid ordering out. I bought some snack foods and soda from the local convenience store. The wonderful people at the front desk are also quite accustomed to Dr. Reed’s patients and I was treated very nicely.

My pre-op appointment with Dr. Reed was at 1 PM. Arriving at the Reed Center, I was impressed by how lovely it was. I was greeted by Anne, Dr. Reed’s assistant, and paid the remainder of my balance as well as filled out some forms. Then I was escorted back to an office where Dr. Reed and I talked for a bit. He went over again my reasons for having the surgery, as well as my medical history. After that, we went across the hall where I was given a full physical. It was obvious to me that safety is the number one priority at the Reed Center; the exam I was given was more thorough than any I’d had back at home. This is also the point when I met Henry, Dr. Reed’s medical assistant. He was to be an ever present face over the next few days, and was one of the nicest people I have ever met. Before I left, I was given prescriptions for pain pills, Xanax, and antibiotics, which I filled at the local pharmacy. The staff there was very familiar with Dr. Reed’s patients and very nice and helpful. I never felt like a curiosity or anything, even though it was obvious what I was there for.

The next morning, I took the Xanax before my surgery. I arrived at the center at around 10:15 AM and was soon gowned-up and in the operating room. Dr. Reed uses IV sedation and local anesthesia. I’m terrified of needles and blood, but by the time I had my IV inserted I was already so out of it from the Xanax I took earlier than I wasn’t bothered at all. Dr. Reed told me he was going to put some sedatives into my IV line. I started feeling really drowsy, and that’s all I can remember until about 4 hours later. Though technically awake, I have no real memories of surgery and didn’t have any problems. My first real post-op recollection was Dr. Reed and Henry asking me what I wanted to eat. I was given a delicious meal of a turkey sandwich, bean soup, and potato salad and boy was it welcome. I’d been eating little more than snack foods over the past few days due to my rushed schedule and having a real meal felt great.

I took a taxi back to my hotel and got into bed. I watched some television and took a nap. After surgery I’d been completely numb, but even after that wore off I felt little more than a kind of burning ache up in both sides of my abdomen, where I assume the spermatic cords had been snipped off. The pressure dressing was very, very tight around the legs and pulled no matter which way I sat down. It also made it hard to go to the toilet, since it was hard to adjust anything while all taped up. It was worth it in the end, though, since I had no bleeding and almost no swelling. Anyway, it was only on for a few days.

I spent the next few days lounging about, watching TV and talking with friends on the phone. I wasn’t in real pain at any point and I quickly got bored sitting around at the hotel. I was glad when, on Thursday, I returned to Dr. Reed’s office for my check-up. All systems were go, the dressing came off (I felt 100% better after that) and I was good to go. I made sure to thank Dr. Reed, Anne, and Henry for all of their wonderful kindness they had shown me. It’s obvious they all are sincerely concerned about making you happy and that your result be as good as possible. The next morning, Friday, I flew back home to Dallas.

It’s now been almost 3 weeks since surgery and I am about 95% back to normal. The incision can barely be seen and it healed up without problems. The loss of androgens has made a huge improvement in my mood and self-confidence. I feel so much less masculine now and look forward to feeling even less so as my body changes more. All in all, I can honestly say that I made the right decision in choosing Dr. Reed. If or when I decide on further surgery, he will be the one to do it. My Florida experience exceeded my expectations and I would recommend the Reed Center to anyone.

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