When you are considering gender-affirming surgery, your first important decision is choosing your surgeon. Here are the 5 factors you should evaluate when making that choice.
1. Check Credentials
Make sure you select a board-certified plastic surgeon for your surgery. Don’t be fooled by claims of certification by boards other than the American Board of Plastic Surgery – it is the only one recognized by the American Association of Medical Specialties.
2. Look for Trans Surgery Experience
Board certification is only the first criteria of your selection process. Your surgeon also should have years of experience performing the type of plastic surgery that you are considering. A surgeon with Trans Top Surgery expertise also has an understanding of the trans experience you are undergoing. Make sure the surgeon you choose follows the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care guidelines.
3. Does the Practice Have a Dedicated Patient Coordinator?
The role of a patient coordinator is a very important one in the Trans Top Surgery practice. In addition to scheduling your surgery and performing the usual duties would expect of a patient coordinator, he/she should be available to assist with non-medical needs of Trans Top Surgery patients as well. This person is like a concierge who has experience in plastic surgery. He/she is happy to your calls and provide answers to your questions as well as be available to help out with all of the details surrounding your surgery, from providing financing options to assisting with lodging arrangements for out-of-town patients.
4. Be Picky about the Surgical Facility
Because you are reading this article, you likely have decided not to cut corners with your health and well-being. All procedures that require deep sedation and monitoring should be performed in a facility where they can be provided by a board-certified physician anesthesiologist. If an anesthetist is supervised by an anesthesiologist (M.D.) on the premises, you have nothing to worry about. If the anesthetist is supervised by the surgeon performing your procedure or by an anesthesiologist that is not physically present, you should think twice about surgery performed in that location. You want your surgeon to focus on your surgery and not to be distracted by the responsibility of the anesthesia. Utilize hospitals or surgery centers with full operating room accreditation, intensive care capabilities, and overnight stay options. Cost containment is important, but never at the expense of safety.
5. Expect Post-Operative Convenience
The last thing you want to do immediately after surgery is go shopping for the items you need for your recovery. The practice you choose for your gender affirming surgery should provide patients with the first round of their post-op medications and other procedure-specific items on their pre-op visit. This saves a trip to the pharmacy on the way home from surgery, and is immediately available when the patient gets home.