The number of people wanting gender reassignment surgery is on the rise. Many who struggle with living in the wrong body travel abroad for surgery. Fortunately, in Scotland there is a hospital that has been transforming the lives of trans people for six years.
Read on to discover how it changed the life of one of its female-to-male patients…
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‘I am now who I want to be, who I am meant to be’– Lee Milne, after female to male surgery
Meet Lee Milne, from West Lothian, who goes by the name Wee Scottish Trans Man on Tik Tok. The trained chef is an inspiration to the trans community on the popular video-sharing social media platform for opening up about his journey from female to male.
Just last week, the day the building site labourer was waiting for finally came, and he underwent ‘top surgery’ at St Ellen’s Private Hospital in Livingston with Cosmedicare.
Lee’s journey
“I had been waiting for over three years on the NHS waiting list for a first appointment and there has been no other support offered by the NHS. I would be looking at another three years for top surgery, so for these reasons, it wasn’t viable for me – I couldn’t possibly have waited that long.
“It is excruciating waiting on the list, waking up every day, knowing you have many years to go and having to put that binder on.
“I see people who are suffering, on Tik Tok and in real life, and now my journey is finishing, I need to fight for everyone else’s journey. People shouldn’t have to raise thousands of pounds for this surgery.
“I have never in my life been happier than I am at the moment – I am smiling every day.
“After the surgery, I am in a bit of discomfort, but the pain is manageable. It will be an eight-week recovery in total before I return to my job because it involves heavy lifting.”
Lee has been impressed with the treatment and aftercare he received at Cosmedicare, he said:
“Cosmedicare has been the most amazing company I have ever come across. Not only have they helped me to become the person I want to be, but to become the person I am meant to be.
Everybody from the receptionist, the nurses, the aftercare team, to the director of Cosmedicare, everyone has treated me amazingly well. Gill and all at Cosmedicare have changed my life and I can’t thank them enough.”
And now this part of his journey is complete, Lee has advice for those who are at an earlier stage of their transformation:
“Everything will come good in the end. Things will get better. Don’t give up. There is plenty of support out there, even if it’s from guys like me, there are people who want to support you and help you.
“The bad days aren’t there forever.
“The trans community on TikTok have been unbelievable. They are there to talk to, answer your questions and support you through those bad days. I am here so other people can talk to me and ask for help.”
What is gender reassignment? What does female to male surgery involve?
Gender reassignment is a major surgical procedure that involves changing your birth gender. Gill Baird, founder and director of Cosmedicare, learnt many years ago about the importance of supporting people who wish to transition after working in the gender clinic at Sandyford in Glasgow.
So she launched Cosmedicare in 2016 to treat patients and support them on their gender reassignment journey.
Gill said: “Until I was working at Sandyford, I had never really come across the transgender community – I thought it was a small demographic – but then I got to find out more about the patients and their journeys. It really touched me as they spoke about so many injustices.”
So Gill moved from the public to the private sector to launch Cosmedicare, specialsing in a number of cosmetic procedures, including breast reduction, weight loss surgery, tummy tucks and gender reassignment.
Gill, who is from Glasgow’s east end, explained: “We specialise in ‘top surgery’ which for a male-to-female is breast implants and for female-to-male is a double mastectomy and since 2016 we have lost count of the number of patients we have treated.
“But I want to stress that identifying as transgender or non-binary does not mean you need to have surgery.”
Cosmedicare is proud to have several Scottish-based consultants in reconstructive surgery at the practice, when they are not performing NHS procedures.
How can I transition from female to male? How long does it take?
All patients who are looking to transition are offered a FREE consultation at Cosmedicare, which employs patient care coordinators who look after you every step of the way.
To be considered for any form of gender reassignment surgery, whether with the NHS or privately, you must:
- have been living as your chosen gender for at least two years;
- you also need to have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria;
- have a letter of support from a medical professional (such as your GP)
Healthcare organisation Cosmedicare offers the same pathway as the NHS which involves:
- Initial consultation with a specialist consultant plastic surgeon
- Cooling-off period for two weeks
- Second consultation with surgeon
- Surgery two weeks after second consultation
- Dressings changed (and then removed when healed)
- Post-operative consultation
It could be a little as six weeks to surgery from your first consultation. Post-op you continue to be looked after by Cosmedicare thanks to their special aftercare programme.
One person who knows all about the care being offered by Cosmedicare is Lee Milne. Lee has recently undergone ‘top surgery’ after living in the wrong body for many years. Desperate to have the life-changing procedure, he launched a fundraising drive to generate enough funds to pay for it.
After Gill Baird discovered Lee’s posts on TikTok, she offered to contribute a significant amount to his surgery, through Cosmedicare Trust.
The importance of aftercare
As with any major surgery, post-operative care is important, explained Gill. This is why Cosmedicare have a full aftercare package, which is why it is a better option than travelling abroad.
Gill explained: “Post-operative care is a key aspect of any elective surgery an it’s the reason why we would encourage everyone not to go abroad for surgery, and stay local because you want to be within easy reach of surgery and facility if you have to return.
“Because they are big surgeries, you need to make sure you have access to the proper aftercare, with specialist surgeons who are accountable for their actions.”
Where can I get gender reassignment surgery in Glasgow? And how much does it cost?
At Cosmedicare, Gill believes in equality, so the pricing structure is the same for ‘cis gender’ (one who continues to live as the same gender they are born with) and transgender patients. So a male-to-female trans patient would pay the same for breast implants as a woman would.
Top surgery can cost between £6,500 and £8,500.
It can be expensive, but for those who are struggling to meet the full costs, the Cosmedicare Trust can, on some occasions like it did with Lee, contribute to the cost of surgery.
Gill added: “There was something special about Lee, and we felt he was an excellent representative for his community. He finally had his top surgery on July 12 and we were wanted to help him. We do not give away surgery though.”
If you are transitioning and considering surgery, Cosmedicare offers a free no-obligation consultation. To book email the team at Cosmedicare. To find out more visit Cosmedicare website or follow on Instagram: @cosmedicare_UK