Tips to Choose the Best Surgeon for Gender-Affirming Surgery

Regardless of the type of plastic surgery, you want the best surgeon possible. However, when it comes to gender-affirming surgery, that becomes even more critical. After all, this is a life-changing event. For that reason, you want everything to go perfectly. At the same time, you want to choose a surgeon with extensive knowledge and one that offers a vast amount of support.
 

1. Board-Certified

Most importantly, choose a surgeon that’s board-certified. After all, that means they have accredited education and experience. Once a doctor completes medical school, they go through postgraduate training. For that, they’re required to complete a required number of years specific to their surgical or medical field.

In addition, a doctor must complete both an oral and written examination. With that, they prove both their knowledge of and competency in their medical field. After completing that, they receive their board certification. So, for gender-affirming surgery, always select a surgeon of this caliber.
 

2. Choose a Thorough Surgeon

Considering the extent of gender-affirming surgery, you want a thorough surgeon. Here are some examples of what things they should inquire about:
 

Medications - This includes over-the-counter medication, as well as all of your prescriptions.
 

Medical Documentations - The right surgeon will request a copy of all your medical documents, including your primary care provider, psychiatrists, therapists, and others.
 

Insurance - To help cover the cost of gender-affirming surgery, a surgeon will inquire about your insurance.
 

During an initial consultation with a board-certified surgeon, the two of you will go over many details. If a surgeon doesn’t ask a lot of questions or require that you provide the above-mentioned, you should continue your search.

3. Ask Questions

Just as the right surgeon will ask you questions, you, in turn, need to ask questions as well. Again, the right gender-affirming surgeon will gladly answer everything and provide proof. Although you’ll have a long list of questions to ask, be sure to address each of these:

Training - Don’t hesitate to ask the surgeon about their training specific to this type of surgery. Even if you’re only having one of many necessary surgeries performed, you have the right to know.
 

Number of Surgeries - In addition, ask how many cosmetic and/or gender-affirming surgeries they’ve performed, or perform on average in a year. As a point of reference, a working cosmetic surgeon usually performs about 100 surgeries every year.
 

Portfolio - Most surgeons can provide a portfolio of before and after results while protecting the patient’s identity. If you’re planning to have facial feminization surgery, make sure they’ve worked on patients of a similar age and ethnicity.

4. Support

The best surgeon will have a support team that consists of specialists. They’ll offer assistance before, during, and after having an operation done. This is essential since gender-affirming surgery is not only about the body, but also heavily involves mental health. The surgeon will provide a positive experience so that you can move on with life as a happy and healthy individual.

5. Technique

Surgeons use various techniques when performing gender-affirming procedures. Not only do you want someone who stays up to date on training, but also who offers the procedures you feel the most comfortable with. During the consultation, ask why they prefer the methods they do and what advantages they offer over others.

Research Surgeons - Researching gender-affirming surgery will reveal valuable information. So before scheduling an appointment with a surgeon, spend time educating yourself. Dr. Aron Kressel, MD, specializes in this field and ready to discuss the changes you desire. Call 212-772-6968 to book an appointment at his New York, NY, office.