Day 3 - 1st stage thigh free flap phalloplasty

Day 3

1^st day post op

I did not have a great sleep throughout the night as I was checked by the nurse every hour. The vac dressing on my free flap donor site wasn’t working because there is a leak somewhere. The doctor took the free flap about 13cm x 25 cm to create the phallo on my left thigh and uses skin graft from my right thigh to cover the free flap wound. So the vacuum dressing will remove any air or liquid to create an environment which ‘force’ the skin graft to ‘stick’ to the area. My skin graft donor site were oozing a lot. The nurse check both my thigh and then called Mr Christopher for advice. He said change the dressing on my skin graft donor site but leave the dressing on my free flap donor site as changing the dressing there will risk the skin graft to fall off. Changing the dressing for my skin graft donor site wasn’t too bad as the wound is still wet, the dressing came off easily.

I am still wearing the special legging and both the shin area were wrap in a special massage 'thing' which will massage my leg to reduce the risk of getting blood clog. I also have injection on my tummy area where it will thin my blood, again to reduce the risk of getting blood clog.

I was antibiotic through the IV drip and some sort of pain killer through the drip as well. I wasn’t given any morphine pump where you can press the button and it will release some morphine into the IV drip. I could feel the pain in skin graft donor site but not much pain in the other. However the free flap donor site is a lot weaker than skin graft donor leg.

I start to eat and drink normal now. I have catheter in and I still could not get out from the bed. The nurse came and help me wipe my whole body on the bed.

Today the nurse came and check me every 2 hour instead of one hour. 

PS: Please do not use the photo without permission. Thank you

My lovely thigh before surgery.

After Surgery.

Left Leg: free flap donor site with vac dressing, Right Leg: skin graft donor site.