As some of you know I'm due to have my gender reassignment surgery on July 19th. In the run up to surgery I have to stop taking my HRT 6 weeks prior to the op. I continue taking antiandrogens right to the end. The anti androgens will actually cover the op and a few weeks after it as I'm on Zoladex injections now and they are a 12 week dose.
My question is why do we need to cease taking our hormones? I asked the surgeon and his answer was that we needed to clear our system of them. If anyone knows the medical reason why we need to stop taking hormones for the few weeks before our op and for the first 2 weeks post op then please let me know. I don't have to stop taking any other tablets that I take to keep me ticking over.

Alina xx

hiyas alot of it from riscs of dvts and blood clots eec and plus your body is about to go through hell and it needs the strongest fighting chance possible


good luck being post opp eec i should be done in oct or nov all being well


hugs Gem xxx

i hope this has helped alittle

It's what I suspected Gemma. Thanks for confirming that. However it seems odd that it's only HRT that needs to be stopped.
Best wishes with your own surgery.

Alina xx

Alina

A few years ago my wife had a knee replacement and she too has to stop taking arthritis drugs 3 weeks prior to the operation.

Hi Alina!

Just as Gemma said, it is to reduce the risk of blood clots. Strange that your surgeon didn't explain that. Mine was very very VERY specific about it and said that he'd refuse to operate on anyone who had not been following his instructions to stop.
Different surgeons seems to suggest different times though. For me it was 4 weeks before surgery (as I was on pills) and I had to stop the anti-androgens too. He said that anti-androgens are probably safe but since they couldn't say for sure it was better to stop taken them too.
For those on shots, the time to stop taking them was 8 weeks before surgery.

Hope everything goes well for you!