It's been nearly two years since I had facial feminisation surgery with Dr Bart van de Ven, and I'm really glad I went with him

It's been nearly two years since I had facial feminisation surgery with Dr Bart van de Ven, and I'm really glad I went with him. I attended an initial consultation with him in London in May 2018, where he suggested that I receive a forehead recontouring, rhinoplasty and jaw reconstruction. Initially I also thought I would need a tracheal shave, however he told me that it wouldn't be necessary. This particularly reassured me that he wasn't trying to offer unnecessary procedures, as I've heard regarding other surgeons.

My surgery was booked for August 2018, and I travelled to Antwerp two days prior. The first night I stayed in a hotel, then the next day I checked into the guesthouse situated above the clinic. There's a real familial atmosphere at the clinic, and you're made to feel welcome the moment you arrive.

The surgery itself was around five hours long, and I woke in a dazed state. During the surgery I had swallowed a lot of blood, which made me feel really nauseous. Throughout the first night I was throwing up and was pretty uncomfortable, particularly due to the gauze placed inside both nostrils. My one criticism of the overall experience comes from this night, where I accidently knocked out my drip while throwing up. I called the night nurse and he was particularly rough trying to replace the drip in my other arm, before giving up. I quickly became dehydrated and couldn't drink water due to my mouth being totally numb.

Thankfully after a few hours I was able to be assisted with a shower and have the gauze removed from my nose. The experience wasn't pleasant, but after then the recovery was a lot better. Over the next few days the bruising of my face reduced, and some sensation returned to my face. I was able to eat and drink again after around 24 hours. The staff at the clinic really made my stay as comfortable as possible, and I cannot stress enough how welcome I felt. The week of recovery flew by, and before I knew it I was on the way home.

While recovering at home, the swelling reduced quickly and over the next three months sensation returned to all parts of my face. I noticed that the tip of my nose was sinking slightly, and when I went to the post-op consultation Dr Bart agreed. He offered me a free correction, which I accepted and had in August last year. Since then I've not had any problems, and I'm absolutely thrilled with the results.

For anyone looking for facial feminisation surgery, I highly recommend Dr Bart van de Ven and the 2Pass clinic.