Sex change in Turkey

Price of a sex change in Turkey

The average cost of a sex change in Turkey in Istanbul is €14,000. Depending on your needs, the price can vary from €8,000 to €20,000.

Procedure	Cost Turkey
Sex change	14 000 €

What is sex reassignment surgery?

Sex reassignment surgery in Turkey, otherwise known as sexual reassignment surgery or simply a sex change operation, is a type of operation that involves physically changing a patient’s sex.

People who wish to live as the opposite sex are identified as transgender. As of this year, there are nearly one million transgender people living in the United States alone.

There are two main types of sex reassignment surgery:

• Female-to-male gender reassignment surgery
• Male to female gender reassignment surgery

Each gender reassignment procedure in Turkey is unique, as it depends very much on the patient’s wishes and health, both mental and physical.

There are three main stages in gender reassignment that patients must follow:

• Mental health assessment – thorough assessment prior to hormone treatment
• Hormone therapy – to masculinise or feminise the patient’s characteristics involving strength, depth of voice and hair growth
• Gender reassignment surgery – the series of operations to make the patient the opposite sex

Preparation

A thorough assessment of the patient will be carried out in Istanbul, in order to better understand the problems the person is experiencing and the reasons for their desire to undergo gender reassignment surgery. Before the operation, transsexuals must understand the dangers and limitations of sex reassignment surgery. Patients generally have to undergo two or three assessments before being referred to a hormone specialist. After 12 months of hormone therapy, patients can undergo sex reassignment surgery.

How it is performed

Female to male gender reassignment surgery:

• Mastectomy (or Torsoplasty)
• Hysterectomy
• Vaginectomy
• Urethral prefabrication
• Phalloplasty

The operations in Istanbul above are carried out in 3 main phases with an interval of 3 to 6 months between them. Because of the high cost and the risk of complications, around 25% of transsexuals do not undergo all of these operations.

Male-to-female sex reassignment surgery:

• Inversion of the skin of the penis
• Feminisation of the voice
• Feminisation of the face
• Breast augmentation
• Vaginoplasty

All operations are carried out under general anaesthetic, and most last between 5 and 8 hours.

Post-operative follow-up

The typical recovery time from gender reassignment surgery varies according to the patient and their gender.

Female to male gender reassignment surgery
The patient’s hospital stay will last 30 days. This period can last up to two years if the patient has undergone all the necessary operations.

Male to female gender reassignment surgery
After the operation, patients must follow an exclusively liquid diet for one week. After one week, patients may start walking for a short time. Sexual relations may be continued for 2 months after the operation. A dilator should be used by the patient for 30 minutes at least twice a day.

Risks

Sex reassignment surgery in Turkey may be accompanied by the following risks and complications:

• Serious infection
• Loss of ability to reach orgasm
• Tissue necrosis
• Intestinal fistulas
• Thrombosis
• Incontinence
• Haematoma

Side effects

Side effects of gender reassignment surgery may involve:

• Pain
• Bleeding
• Vomiting and nausea
• Long recovery period, particularly for female to male sex reassignment surgery

Depression and high levels of anxiety may also be experienced by some, both before and after gender reassignment surgery.

Success rates

Sex reassignment surgery is generally successful. Around 80% of male-female patients report satisfying sexual relations, including the ability to reach orgasm.

Before and after

One week after the operation, transsexual patients may continue to undergo hormone treatment. In addition, male-to-female patients will not be able to have children or menstruate. About 1% of transsexual patients regret having undergone sex reassignment surgery.