Abroad
Would you rather have your genital surgery abroad? Then make sure that you obtain written permission from your health insurance company, in advance. Properly inform yourself about the treatment, beforehand, as well as about the price and level of reimbursement from your health insurance company.
Preconditions operation abroad
When you have your surgery abroad, you will still need to meet certain preconditions, in order to be eligible for genital surgery. The most common preconditions are listed below:
- You must be at least 20 years old. If you are 18 or 19, you need permission from parents/legal guardians.
- You have been living as a woman for at least one year.
- You have been on hormone treatments for at least one year (without interruption). This is necessary to stimulate the growth of the outer labia.
- You must consult a psychiatrist in your own country as well as in the country where the operation is to take place (the latter is usually arranged by the foreign hospital).
- You are physically fit enough for surgery.
Ensure that you are well prepared for your operation. The preparations that you can make are described here. It may be that the country where you are having the operation requires you to make additional preparations.
Cost indication
Feminising genital surgery can be very expensive. The costs are approximately between EUR 8,400 and EUR 17,700; costs differ per method and country/clinic. Sometimes, this amount does not includes any costs related to your stay in the hospital, post-operative care, consultations, medications, and transportation.
Whether the costs of genital surgery abroad are reimbursed varies from one health insurance company to another. There are no fixed rules, the insurer assesses each situation to determine whether it can be reimbursed. If you want to undergo surgery abroad, it is therefore important to obtain approval from the health insurer before you leave. On the website of Transvisie you will find more information and tips on how to apply for reimbursement for genital surgery abroad.
Recovery time
Recovery after surgery is a long and painful process. You should expect to spend at least 3 to 4 weeks in the country where you were operated. For any corrections, you will have to go back to the hospital where you were operated.
Control
To monitor the progress of your recovery and avoid complications, you should consult your local physician, regularly, after the operation.
This text was edited on 9-8-2022
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