Anyone been to Crane? or others!

[sfbarbie]

Hello All 

I have read lots and lots of posts here in the GCS area over the last few days hoping to get as much information as I could.  I also have read through the rules so I hope not to make any mistakes!  I  know I cannot PM yet because I haven't made 15 posts, so if you have any input you don't want to post, please PM me.   

I have had my BA FFS done and did not really find much difficulty with deciding or scheduling those, but I am so overwhelmed about GCS.

I just recently this spring saved up enough money for surgery because I don't have insurance that will cover it, and since I did not have the money before then, I never really researched much at all.  I had no idea there were surgeons who would be booked out as far as 3 years    When I was told that my jaw literally hit the floor.  I mistakenly assumed it would be similar to plastic surgeons like a max of 6 months. Needless to say considering I found this out I am of course upset, but even more than that I am lost because I have no idea who to go to!


I am mostly considering Crane and Brassard.  As many have expressed - I have not been able to get in touch with Brassard, but it seems he can get people in much quicker than Bowers 3 year wait.   I wanted to go to Satterwhite or Whittenberg at least for a consult but they are booked for consults I was told into October 2018    The office did say that Crane could see me for a consult in Texas much sooner, which seems promising however I haven't seen much info on him here.  I did consider Davis in Palo Alto as I had heard some good things about him and his wait is much shorter but his fee is 35k and that is higher than I want to spend on the surgery alone.

I was originally in SF, but I am on the east coast now and not really worried about travel.  I don't want to go anywhere other than the US or Canada though.   I also am just now (July) to start electrolysis for GCS.

I saw several reviews posts and photos of Brassards work so I don't really have any questions about him - but if anyone wants to input their experiences with him please do!

I guess to summarize my questions are is there anyone here who has experience or knows someone who has been to Crane?  I'm curious about sensation and appearance.  I did see the post where you can search the gallery that is outside of this site with photos but there aren't any of Crane's work specifically   Also if anyone has any other suggestions of surgeons who you have personal experience with and are satisfied with that I could get into within the next year would be ideal.   (I think I've decided against Rumer, McGinn, Bowers)


Thank you so much and I'm sorry this was so long winded.

[Gail20]

I'm having surgery on 8/11 with Dr Rachel Bluebond-Langner at NYU in New York city.  She had been at the University of Maryland in Baltimore doing surgery for a few years and moved to NYU last year to head up their new LGBT effort.  She teams with a Urologist and they use a robot. She is the nicest Doctor/Surgeon I've ever met in my life. her educational credentials are over the top.  Her results are great and her bedside manner is second to none. . .

[sfbarbie]

Thank you, I will look into her.   Please let us know how it goes.

[Dena]

Dr. Meltzer now has Dr Ley practicing in the same office. I don't know what the wait time is for Dr Ley but I needed a replacement surgeons certificate and I was able to get an appointment pretty fast. I also haven't seen her work but I know she is doing the second stage of the surgery on some of Dr Meltzer's patients.

[jessical]

Don't give up trying to contact Brassard.  In terms of cost, results and a fairly short waiting list, he is hard to beat in North America.  When I had my surgery this last November it was $20,000 Canadian (about $16,000 US).  I hear it has gone up slightly for 2017, but not much.  His waiting list is about six months.  I am super happy with my results!

[AnneK]

Don't give up trying to contact Brassard.  In terms of cost, results and a fairly short waiting list, he is hard to beat in North America.  When I had my surgery this last November it was $20,000 Canadian (about $16,000 US).  I hear it has gone up slightly for 2017, but not much.  His waiting list is about six months.  I am super happy with my results!

Of course, depending on your time frame, that new clinic that's opening in Toronto next year may be an option.

[justpat]

  My vote is for NYU ,fantastic team and do the original surgery with a robotic aid. I had a revision completed by them on June 19th which was in essence a complete redo. I was totally dead before and was pretty messed up ( i have a post about it ) and now EVERYTHING WORKS !  Questions ?just PM me.

BTW no other doctor would even touch me, talk about depressing

[Sydney_NYC]

+1 for NYU and Dr Bluebond-Langne and her team. I've seen in person the results of her work (including a revision where she fixed someone else's mess) and her work is incredible and she has an excellent bedside manner. I'm so happy that I have picked her and looking forward to my GCS with her next Spring.

[sfbarbie]

Dr. Meltzer now has Dr Ley practicing in the same office. I don't know what the wait time is for Dr Ley but I needed a replacement surgeons certificate and I was able to get an appointment pretty fast. I also haven't seen her work but I know she is doing the second stage of the surgery on some of Dr Meltzer's patients.

thank you, hugs!

[sfbarbie]

Don't give up trying to contact Brassard.  In terms of cost, results and a fairly short waiting list, he is hard to beat in North America.  When I had my surgery this last November it was $20,000 Canadian (about $16,000 US).  I hear it has gone up slightly for 2017, but not much.  His waiting list is about six months.  I am super happy with my results!

I haven't.  I just got super serious this week when I realized if I want to get anywhere I'm going to have to stop waiting for people to email me back and get up and call people.   I'm ok with waiting 6 months or maybe longer because I still want to do several sessions of electrolysis.  I just cannot get on board with thinking about waiting until Oct 2018 for a consult, and then a year to 2 years after that (satterwhite & whittenberg), etc.    I'd like to have a consult this year and then early next year or maybe even anytime next year have my surgery.  I just don't want to have to wait over a year just for a consult.  Thanks for the feed back!

[Jenna Marie]

I went to Brassard; once I was actually ready to book, the office was very responsive (like, sent me the packet and I had a date within a week). His waiting list is about six months, sometimes less. In terms of results, I'm thrilled: I'm orgasmic, depth is acceptable, and even a gynecologist certified that I was cis.

[sfbarbie]

I went to Brassard; once I was actually ready to book, the office was very responsive (like, sent me the packet and I had a date within a week). His waiting list is about six months, sometimes less. In terms of results, I'm thrilled: I'm orgasmic, depth is acceptable, and even a gynecologist certified that I was cis.

Thank you so much for the reply Jenna.  Sidebar- I had an online friend years and years ago who was cisgender and her name wa Jenna Marie I think of her everytime I see your posts, lol.  Is it funny that I am like enthralled at the thought of going to the gyno? 

I am really leaning towards brassard.  I didn't realize at the time of my post that Crane was primarily doing FTM procedures, I just knew his office told me I could get into see him for a consult, about a year sooner. 

Would you mind if I PM you?  I have seen a lot of good things about Brassard.  The only concerns I really have are the complaints about the place you stay after you leave the hospital (no aspect of that seems appealing to me other than having someone there that is familiar with the procedure and stuff) and the girls that say their labia is fused

Thanks again! xo

[Jenna Marie]

Feel free to PM me, and the gyno was not as much fun as I would have expected.

I can say that the "recovery residence" isn't mandatory; I was very happy to go there, but there was another woman who simply went straight home. I also had no trouble with fused labia, but I've seen that reported by people who went to Bowers, Rumer, and McGinn (so far), so I wonder if that's just a possible consequence of the way some bodies heal.

I actually did wonder how you knew Crane was branching out into trans women!