GSP BC (Vancouver)

The Surgical Consult

Before the appointment for your surgical consult, you will receive information about what to expect during this appointment. Sometimes you might have more than one appointment as part of this process. Each visit is a bit different, but generally the process will include:

Meet the nurse and have a detailed health history. The nurse might:

  • ask questions about your gender, general health, and family history
  • check blood pressure and heart rate
  • listen to your lungs, if needed
  • talk about what to expect from the rest of the process

Meet the surgeons and have a focused health history. The surgeons might:

  • ask more detailed questions about your health, if needed
  • ask about your hopes and surgical goals
  • do a physical exam, including a genital exam
  • assess need for medically necessary hair removal
  • take pre-op photos of the genitals if needed
  • determine if additional assessments or diagnostic tests are needed before proceeding

The surgical team will review the process of informed consent by helping you understand the:

  • recommended procedure
  • details about the procedure
  • potential benefits and risks of the surgery
  • permanence of the surgery and how it affects fertility
  • possible surgical outcomes
  • possible need for revisions
  • timeline for healing
  • what to expect for aftercare in the months after surgery, including return to physical activity

The next step is for the surgical team to initiate the process of filling out the OR Booking Package. This is done when someone is medically ready to proceed with surgery. Some people will fill out the OR Booking Package at their consult and others may need to complete a few additional assessments first.

Closer to the time of your surgery, you may be booked an appointment with the Pre-Admission Clinic (PAC), which is a clinic that provides support for patients having surgery at VGH and UBC.

During this appointment, the nurses and anesthesiologists will review your health history, your current medications and your planned surgical procedure. You will also be reminded about instructions for before your surgery about diet and medications to take the day of surgery.

You will be given instructions about what to bring with you for this appointment.