Has anyone used Dr. Meltzer?

[Cowboi]

I was curious if anyone here has been to Dr. Meltzer or may know someone who has used him. We are moving to the Tempe, AZ area in summer of 2011 and so I figured I'd scout the area for possible doctors and surgeons to see what was around. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Dr. Meltzer would be so close to us! (Keep in mind I live in Nebraska, there is nothing near us right now haha)

I just wanted to see if anyone else had experience with him and his office to get a feel for what to expect. From the website they offer pretty much damn near everything. I know that they do everything I need (FTM) but my fiancee would probably prefer some other surgeons for her more major surgeries. Either way it'd be nice to hear from anyone on either side of the fence as it may come in handy anyhow.

Thanks everyone for any info.

[Alex509]

Meltzer did my top surgery in July 07.  I have nothing but good things to say about him.  Both myself and my mom were very comfortable with him. 

Alex

[Cowboi]

Yeah, top surgery is the one thing that I DEFINITELY want to pursue first and I should be able to afford it soon after the move to Arizona in 2011. We planned on visiting my fiancee's family out there and a friend of mine sometime this year so I am going to see if I can set up a meeting with Dr. Meltzer while we are out there.

What type of chest surgery did you do? I am kind of up in the air as I would be a good candidate for keyhole but I am uncertain if it's what I would prefer from the pictures I have seen online from other guys. To me it seems like there is a noticeable difference and they keyhole doesn't look as natural to me, despite the lack of scars. I just recently began even thinking about bottom surgery, I've just been trying NOT to think about honestly, it isn't something I can even look into pursuing for years so why torture myself with the thought you know?

*sigh* 2011 is so long to wait... but I guess considering I've been living as male for 10 years waiting another year and a half isn't really that big of a deal.

[Cowboi]

i was born and lived about 20 some years in nebraska...was just back this weekend.

it was still flat.

My parents have been having a fight about Nebraska being flat for the last 30 years. I'm serious. They bicker about it all of the time because apparently it was the one thing my mother hated about it here (they met in the military so even though his home was here she had never even seen Nebraska). He thinks it's absurd because she is from Florida, which is equally flat according to him. I'm 25 and I hear about this at least once a year, they apparently were never able to let this ONE thing go. Silly parents.

[Alex509]

Yeah, top surgery is the one thing that I DEFINITELY want to pursue first and I should be able to afford it soon after the move to Arizona in 2011. We planned on visiting my fiancee's family out there and a friend of mine sometime this year so I am going to see if I can set up a meeting with Dr. Meltzer while we are out there.

What type of chest surgery did you do? I am kind of up in the air as I would be a good candidate for keyhole but I am uncertain if it's what I would prefer from the pictures I have seen online from other guys. To me it seems like there is a noticeable difference and they keyhole doesn't look as natural to me, despite the lack of scars. I just recently began even thinking about bottom surgery, I've just been trying NOT to think about honestly, it isn't something I can even look into pursuing for years so why torture myself with the thought you know?

*sigh* 2011 is so long to wait... but I guess considering I've been living as male for 10 years waiting another year and a half isn't really that big of a deal.

I had the double incision procedure.  Meltzer removed almost 10 lbs of stuff.  Had no idea I was that big.  The office staff is very nice and helpful.  One of the secretaries visited me in the hospital to see if either I or my mom needed anything.  We were from way out of town.  I really wanted root beer barrals to suck on cuz my throat was sore from the intubation.  She ended up bringing me the fancy root beer lollipops from See's candies.  That was a real treat for me.  Above and beyond what I was expecting. 

Alex

[gentle_patience]

Love to hear any Meltzer opinions on MTF 2 stage SRS

[Cowboi]

Love to hear any Meltzer opinions on MTF 2 stage SRS

I would too. From the photos I have seen I honestly prefer Meltzer's work over several of the more famous surgeons, including Bowers. Even though I'm obviously planning to see him for FTM SRS, my fiancee is hoping to go there for her MTF SRS as well so we've been looking into what results we can find online. I find it's somewhat easier for us to do together, especially since combined we both have a pretty damn accurate idea of what male and female bodies look like lol.

I personally felt that Meltzer's results seem more realistic and less sloppy with his MTF bottom surgeries. There don't seem to be as many of the details that are off. However when I've read some commentary on the photos of his work and even other surgeons I see a lot of MTFs complaining that they need to go back to fix certain aspects afterwards, and sometimes I just don't see the issue or even find that I felt it looked better in before pictures once they have gone back for alterations. So I'd say that maybe my opinion is skewed or off... then again being FTM I'd personally think that I would have a better idea of the whole idea of realism in that region, just as I suspect that MTF people could probably tell me a heck of a lot more about how realistic my surgery ends up!

I wish I could remember an example of some of the specific kinds of comments I saw that shocked me. I remember even sitting here with my fiancee I found myself showing her how some of the things she thought were flaws actually seemed more realistic. Maybe she will remember more about our conversation, this has been months ago though, about the time I first started this thread.

[gentle_patience]

Hi Cowboi !

Yes I would love to pool our resources. We all need to work together for sure !
I have refined it down to Meltzer and Suporn after looking into it for a few years. for MT / SRS ( Yeah... I know... Way too long to wait).
Anyway, your opinion would be very valuable and I would be more than happy
to help you if I can too. (if you find any FTM result pix or links you want me to look at ) 

There are a lot of post on this site that are active that have various opinions too. You have probably done some searches already though. What area do you live in ?

Does it matter to you if you or your fiancee go out of the county for surgery ?

 

[Cowboi]

Right now we are in Nebraska (Omaha) but we are relocating to Phoenix next summer in 2011, that's actually how I stumbled upon Meltzer. I was poking around looking at the local therapists and doctors in the area down there.

I've found that a lot of the comments I see from MTF people about what they like or dislike about certain surgery photos tend to be really skewed opinions. I don't really talk to a lot of FTM guys about it yet since I just decided recently that it was a step I want to take, since I know it will be a few years down the road I've been putting off learning more lol. However my fiancee takes an amazing interest in everything under the moon regarding being transsexual so I end up seeing a lot of the stuff for MTF people because she is studying it or looking into it and well, I just tend to be around her lol.

I do know I've seen some surgery pictures since her and I have been together where even her comments on what she thought looked good or bad shocked me. To find someone with as much knowledge as she has who still thinks that certain aspects are more important than others astounds me sometimes. And it broke my heart when we saw some of the pictures where women went back in for surgery corrections for something that really was not an issue at all and looked very real... especially when afterwards it seemed to look more "fake" than it did before the corrections. To spend so much time wanting something so badly, then finally be able to afford it and feel unhappy over things that really are not a big deal to those of us who have that part naturally... well the whole thing just kind of makes your heart hurt you know? I guess it's like that saying, pulls at the heart strings. I could physically feel that when I saw some of these women and the disappointment they felt or the shame when their surgeries turned out so well and natural looking.

Are there any particular websites you use to see surgery photos? We could totally start some commentary through private messages. We are allowed to send private messages with links right? If not we could do email.

[gentle_patience]

I am kind of new but I think we can send pivate messages with links. Like you said, if not we could do email. I will find some of the links and pass them on when I get some from the two Doctors I am looking into, (Meltzer and Suporn). Feel free to do the same whenever you are ready -Even if it is after you move. Take care

[gentle_patience]

"Patience, Patience, lol  I see you everywhere haha!"



Hehehehe... Well the way I see it. I can gather information now and it will make a difference but later, after the fact ... Uh - not so much.  ;-)

I know I am on the right track with these two docs tho. I have a tentative appointment scheduled with both but down to the final decision as to who does what. (meaning GRS, BA, and minor FFS revisions etc). * Meltzer will be the FFS choice without a doubt.

I see your issues with Meltzer and staff and that scares me but so does some of the info on Suporn. On the other hand, I hear rave reviews about them both. It is perplexing but I guess I am in the place to "sleep on it" for a few days or a week or two. I rely a lot on my intuition but it is not always clear and I read it wrong at times so I guess I don't fully trust it. I do trust that the answer will come to me. It is just not here yet.   

[Meshi]

Well, Dr. Meltzer did all my soft tissue (rinoplasty, eyes canthopexy, upper eyelid (very good at this),  Malar cheek implants, and last was the lower facelift, which i am liking).  For face, i would look no further.  IMO he is the best in FFS. When i go to the gym, i get more looks than most natal women and not one woman has ever second looked me inside the locker room or out. He even took alittle more bone down (you know the part near the upper chin that makes the jawline squarish?).  I had just alittle bump on one side, but it imo was in my mind making me still make ppl take a second look, but now i dont have that MTF jawline AT ALL.  No one would ever give a seconf notice to my jawline, and imo that is what i notice most on alot of MTF. He did it even tho he really didnt want to, because the bump was near the nerve that functions that side of the mouth and one nick would have ruined me, but he did it on my demand, lol!  I told him "Common..you can do it...Lets go for it" and so he did.  He will even give you that little uplift fo the lip to get the Michelle Phifer kook.  One thing, you will not get the dept that you would from Suporn nor as sensate, but im not totally un-sensate, and i think perhaps all the elation will subside from the TG now getting the SRS, as im sure it will not last long term.  Most natal women do not even have this sensate of a clitoral and vaginal area.  I think perhaps too alot of my issues have to do with me having a small pelvic area and not much to work with..so i dont totally blame him.  I do tho about the lipo.  That is why im seeking a consult with Dr. Milkos from Milkos and Moore in AL, Georgia.  They are the masters of vaginal reconstruction and gynecological urology.  They are soo busy tho...i hope they accept me.  I think for face/BA go with Meltzer.  SRS give it some more thought...I always heard tho that 2stage always provided a more aesthetically genetic result.

[MsFierce]

Well, Dr. Meltzer did all my soft tissue (rinoplasty, eyes canthopexy, upper eyelid (very good at this),  Malar cheek implants, and last was the lower facelift, which i am liking).  For face, i would look no further.  IMO he is the best in FFS. When i go to the gym, i get more looks than most natal women and not one woman has ever second looked me inside the locker room or out. He even took alittle more bone down (you know the part near the upper chin that makes the jawline squarish?).  I had just alittle bump on one side, but it imo was in my mind making me still make ppl take a second look, but now i dont have that MTF jawline AT ALL.  No one would ever give a seconf notice to my jawline, and imo that is what i notice most on alot of MTF. He did it even tho he really didnt want to, because the bump was near the nerve that functions that side of the mouth and one nick would have ruined me, but he did it on my demand, lol!  I told him "Common..you can do it...Lets go for it" and so he did.  He will even give you that little uplift fo the lip to get the Michelle Phifer kook.  One thing, you will not get the dept that you would from Suporn nor as sensate, but im not totally un-sensate, and i think perhaps all the elation will subside from the TG now getting the SRS, as im sure it will not last long term.  Most natal women do not even have this sensate of a clitoral and vaginal area.  I think perhaps too alot of my issues have to do with me having a small pelvic area and not much to work with..so i dont totally blame him.  I do tho about the lipo.  That is why im seeking a consult with Dr. Milkos from Milkos and Moore in AL, Georgia.  They are the masters of vaginal reconstruction and gynecological urology.  They are soo busy tho...i hope they accept me.  I think for face/BA go with Meltzer.  SRS give it some more thought...I always heard tho that 2stage always provided a more aesthetically genetic result.

I couldn't find any info on how much does he charge for FFS? I don't want a lot done, Maybe like my nose.

[Meshi]

I only had tip rinoplastiy with him, which included the nasal flares.  He did a more than fantastic job.  I can think of NO other dr i would want to work on my face, and I am a VERY picky person.  You will be very happy.  You will find, cheaper is not always better, especially if you have to find another dr to do a revision because you arent happy.  Nose usually runs around 6k, but it all depends on how much work you need.  Everyone tells me how nice my nose looks, but it isnt like its because it is radically different.  They say if ppl can tell you had plastic, then it isnt a good job.  Imo, Dr. Meltzer is the best in FFS, especially soft tissue.  He is also very good with eye work and facelift, which many get done after 6 months post bone work, because of all the bone loss, most will end up with loose skin, especially under the chin and neck areas.

[Cowboi]

Michelle I do have to say that in your pic there the work really must have paid off! I obviously don't know what you looked like before but you are right about the point that none of the little things that sometimes give away MTFs are there. Obviously I spend a lot of time looking at my fiancee (wouldn't it be odd if I didn't? lol) and the only things I ever really pick up on in her face are things about the jawline, so that is actually a good thing to know about Meltzer for us.

On another note, your picture really reminds me of an actress but now I just can't put my finger on her name! I hate it when you actually want to talk about a celebrity and all of a sudden you can't remember their names or movies they've been in lol. I can remember her looks and her voice perfectly, but nothing that would be identifiable to anyone else online. I will have to look into that and get back to you!
Post Merge: April 26, 2010, 01:54:16 PM
Beth Broderick is the actress. Oddly enough I was showing pictures of her to my fiancee while I was pulling this up to post right now, she saw that I was coming to Susans and immediately said that a woman on here looks like Beth Broderick. She apparently thought the exact same thing at some point when she saw your picture.

[NikkiJ]

I'm glad to see this thread established, as I just put my deposit down the other day to have SRS and BA with Dr. Meltzer on Oct. 26th of this year. I could have booked it sooner, but I'm starting a new career next week, plus, there's no way I can take the heat of AZ in the summer. Neither can my friend who's going to be there for one of the weeks, LOL, she said "Not in the summer!".

[Meshi]

Michelle I do have to say that in your pic there the work really must have paid off! I obviously don't know what you looked like before but you are right about the point that none of the little things that sometimes give away MTFs are there. Obviously I spend a lot of time looking at my fiancee (wouldn't it be odd if I didn't? lol) and the only things I ever really pick up on in her face are things about the jawline, so that is actually a good thing to know about Meltzer for us.

On another note, your picture really reminds me of an actress but now I just can't put my finger on her name! I hate it when you actually want to talk about a celebrity and all of a sudden you can't remember their names or movies they've been in lol. I can remember her looks and her voice perfectly, but nothing that would be identifiable to anyone else online. I will have to look into that and get back to you!
Post Merge: April 26, 2010, 11:54:16 AM
Beth Broderick is the actress. Oddly enough I was showing pictures of her to my fiancee while I was pulling this up to post right now, she saw that I was coming to Susans and immediately said that a woman on here looks like Beth Broderick. She apparently thought the exact same thing at some point when she saw your picture.

Thanks!  I take that as a compliment, but it is not all Dr. Metzer's ideas.  I pushed him to the limit. I mean there were some things he didnt feel comfortable about doing, but i pushed and he did it.  I did ALOT of research and studying women's faces and as you say, it is usually the jawline that shows the most.  I had two little bumps on either side of my chin at the end of the jawline, and to me it was the only thing left that looked male-ish, but no one thought it was anything.  I had to actually press him to do it, because the bumps were right next to the nerve that controls the sides of the mouth and one wrong move would have meant a lopsided mouth.  I told him to be careful, as he was also doing the  lower facelift because of the bone displacement, i had loose skin.  He had to use a rasper to bring the bumps down and go thru my inner gum line to get to it, but he did it and now absolutely no squared edges to my jawline.  It is one smooth line which was my objective. I am extremely picky, but i paid alot for everything i had done, so i wanted everything to fit.  I still have a couple issues, but my face is done.  I also practiced for long periods to get my voice exactly like a females, which i notice alot of MTF do not work on.  It is weird how ppl will spend alot of $ to look really good, then have this male voice.  I dont understand it.

[Cowboi]

I also practiced for long periods to get my voice exactly like a females, which i notice alot of MTF do not work on.  It is weird how ppl will spend alot of $ to look really good, then have this male voice.  I dont understand it.

lol, so true! Bianca complains about her voice all of the time saying she needs to work harder at it. I always think to myself, "Harder? In a year and a half I've only seen you work on it like one time." I try not to say it but every now and then it does come out before I stop myself. At the same time it's mean I do feel she needs to have this pointed out. If her voice truly bothers her so much she needs to know she isn't really doing anything to alter it and not be allowed to pretend that all of the options available just don't work.

To clarify a bit, I don't just act this way about her voice or issues involving being trans, it's just kind of my personality to begin with. I believe in taking steps to change the things you can in life, especially if they truly displease you or hurt the people around you that you share your life with. Assuming that if it's change for the sake of other's it is something reasonable, truly hurtful or small things that are just a matter of being considerate of others. I would never expect someone to change something that is acceptable and that they are happy with just due to another person's opinion.
Post Merge: April 29, 2010, 02:20:11 AM

I'm glad to see this thread established, as I just put my deposit down the other day to have SRS and BA with Dr. Meltzer on Oct. 26th of this year. I could have booked it sooner, but I'm starting a new career next week, plus, there's no way I can take the heat of AZ in the summer. Neither can my friend who's going to be there for one of the weeks, LOL, she said "Not in the summer!".

The summer in AZ really isn't that bad. I personally hate hot weather, can't stand it at all. I not only sweat an insane amount (especially since starting T two years ago) but I'm one of those people who being to hot just turns my stomach and makes me feel ill. However AZ doesn't have humid heat which helps a lot for me personally. Then again, I live in Nebraska right now and have since I was about 12 years old... not a lot can compare to our crazy weather here. In about another month I won't be able to leave my house without my clothes just sticking to me within 20 minutes.

It's good of you to have taken it all into consideration when planning though. It surprises me how many people overlook these kinds of detail. You will have to be there for awhile so you may as well make sure you'll be comfortable, especially during recovery from these types of extreme surgeries. And it was nice to consider how your friend felt too!

[Meshi]

lol, so true! Bianca complains about her voice all of the time saying she needs to work harder at it. I always think to myself, "Harder? In a year and a half I've only seen you work on it like one time." I try not to say it but every now and then it does come out before I stop myself. At the same time it's mean I do feel she needs to have this pointed out. If her voice truly bothers her so much she needs to know she isn't really doing anything to alter it and not be allowed to pretend that all of the options available just don't work.

To clarify a bit, I don't just act this way about her voice or issues involving being trans, it's just kind of my personality to begin with. I believe in taking steps to change the things you can in life, especially if they truly displease you or hurt the people around you that you share your life with. Assuming that if it's change for the sake of other's it is something reasonable, truly hurtful or small things that are just a matter of being considerate of others. I would never expect someone to change something that is acceptable and that they are happy with just due to another person's opinion.
Post Merge: April 29, 2010, 12:20:11 AM

I bought a digital recorder. It doesnt have all the gadgets, only record and playback.  Its smaller than the size of a credit card.  I carry it in my purse all the time, or in the bedroom.  I would go over and  over it, hear my voice played back and making it sound more and more fem, fixing and replaying.  I still use it. Its the best and fastest way imo.  These videos will help alittle, but you have to really hear how your own voice is developing.

[NikkiJ]

It's good of you to have taken it all into consideration when planning though. It surprises me how many people overlook these kinds of detail. You will have to be there for awhile so you may as well make sure you'll be comfortable, especially during recovery from these types of extreme surgeries. And it was nice to consider how your friend felt too!

Thanks Cowboi! I'm fortunate in that my ex will be with me the first week, and my friend the second week. I have been to Phoenix once before, I think in September, and I remember drying my hair by simply going out on the balcony of the hotel room for a few minutes... It is better than the sodden, humid mess that is summer (and, almost every season) here in DC.