Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I am considering Dr Kathy Rumer in Philadelphia for my MTF GCS.

I would like to know what experiences MTF people have had with her. I would like to know what her vaginoplasty method is.  I'd like to know what her process is, i.e.: Consultation, Physical requirements (I'm diabetic and overweight), Pre-op consultation, check-in, Surgery, hospitalization after, recovery, and release -- the whens, hows, and wheres of all that.

Thank you all so much in advance.

Shannon

 ??? Wow me too, everybody talks about Dr. mcginn or Bowers but no single picture of Dr kathy job on srs.... im having an skype appointment i let u know what she says. email me if u want anong1rl@hush.com

I have a friend who went with her and sings her praises to the skies (and I've seen her results in person and they're very good, very natural-looking and the "porn-star tidy" look). She does standard inversion, and had an aftercare residence for several days; she does require an initial consult, and I believe there's a charge for that.

That sounds very promising, Jenna. Could you tell us more information about that? any complication after the surgery for your friend?

Sarah - no complications, unless you count wishing she had an e-reader because dilation was boring. :) I'm afraid I don't know many more details than that, though; it's been about a year now, and I didn't pay enough attention. (Unfortunately, she also kind of drifted away from social media and her transition friends when she was post-op.)

Oh, and that Rumer takes insurance and doesn't do the "pay first and get reimbursed" version of it, either. But that may not be useful for you. Good luck with her! She does at least have a shorter waiting list...

 :D so far so good i had the skype appointment with Dr. Kathy Rumer and she answer my questions and showed me some pictures they wer blurry but im having another pre operative appointment again and my surgery will be  next month i will keep updating for those who want more info...

Well i will have my srs with Dr kathy rumer for may 7 everything ready, I'm so anxious I can't wait any longer , I will keep updating ......
:D

Update on your surgery? Hope all went well! I'm considering going with rumer and would love your input.

Yes my surgery with Dr Kathy Rumer was amazing , she does a perfect work , I'm getting lots of compliments from Doctors and friends and everybody agrees that is a awesome job , looks so realistic like a natal vagina my clitoris it's sensitive right now, and I'm still sore but I'm so happy that I choose her as my surgeon, highly recommended,  ;D
Sara.

Im glad to hear all went well. I wonder how she compares to Supron...if the comparison is good enough i might not have to leave the US after all.

Quote from: brujeria2666 on April 03, 2013, 02:12:06 PM
??? Wow me too, everybody talks about Dr. mcginn or Bowers but no single picture of Dr kathy job on srs.... im having an skype appointment i let u know what she says. email me if u want anong1rl@hush.com

One word.
"No".

*former patient*

Quote from: ShelleyAMB on January 22, 2014, 02:27:37 AM
One word.
"No".

*former patient*

Can you say why?

 :o holy frack, girl. that is really awful to hear and a bit scary too. If I were you, I'd be finding a lawyer to look into malpractice.

Rumer is the other option that my Cigna HMO plan would allow me to go to besides Dr Bowers for surgery. But after reading this, it only adds more doubt that she's any good overall, besides the lack of ANY examples on her website unlike every other legitimate (and illegitimate) surgeon's sites that have multiple before and after pics. This is going to be my vag and theres only going to be one shot at getting it. I certainly wouldn't want to risk unnecessary or avoidable complications being under the care of someone that sounds like theres a few loose screws up there ( i have enough of that at home).

I've been collecting other incidents as well.

Shelley

I can now add that although my friend was quite satisfied, I've heard stories of deeply unprofessional behavior (sending people PMs with insults, etc.) relating to her site, PinkEssence. At least one other friend was booted from the site based on having given a poor review of one [different] surgeon.

As I mentioned.
I want to hear from anyone who had problems with Doctor Rumer's services.
My only requirement is, that anyone who responds had a confirmable helper who was there during the surgery (well, not in the or) and rehab.
Needless to say, I want no dispute from my listings.
What about those text messages?

Quote from: ShelleyAMB on January 22, 2014, 02:27:37 AM
One word.
"No".

*former patient*

Can you explain why?

Im sorry to hear that sounds really bad ! My experience with her was pretty good , I sleep on the first room like in the 3 flor if I'm not bad my catheter never felt off the only concern that I have it's cosmetic, I don't know if the pink part should look the way it looks and the clitoris it's not hooded enough I guess , when I have sex it feels pretty good no complaints , but one true thing her work it's totally better that Maggin , I have a friend that went to McGinn, and I can tell you looks bad. 

I heard that Dr Rumer accepts insurance but I am not sure which ones. I know that this topic is old but I would like to know what the bad experiences were with her.

Quote from: makipu on December 22, 2014, 11:03:55 AM
I heard that Dr Rumer accepts insurance but I am not sure which ones. I know that this topic is old but I would like to know what the bad experiences were with her.

I have recent experience with Dr. Rumer. You can find it here:

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,164493.msg1590634.html#msg1590634
(https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,164493.msg1590634.html#msg1590634)

I sent an email inquiry last week and haven't heard back yet, but I asked several non-standard questions that may have required her to directly answer the email vs a nurse.

Thank you for the replies. I read your experience. It's still hard for me to decide on who to go with for top surgery (FTM). I also sent an email inquiry and it's over a month and still no response. I talked to the receptionist and I still have specific questions that are left unanswered.  The part I don't get is why there are no 'before and after' photos of any kind in her website.

Quote from: ShelleyAMB on February 19, 2014, 07:00:43 PM
As I mentioned.
I want to hear from anyone who had problems with Doctor Rumer's services.
My only requirement is, that anyone who responds had a confirmable helper who was there during the surgery (well, not in the or) and rehab.
Needless to say, I want no dispute from my listings.
What about those text messages?

Can you please let me know the details on why not go with Rumer?

I have to go to her because Rumer is the only person my insurance will pay for. I am excited to get GCS, but at the same time I am scared because I have heard many horror stories about her. I have heard that her work is not that good, nor is her bedside manner and followups. It makes me even more nervous because I am not able to see any examples of her work.

All I do is just hope when I go in for the surgery she doesn't mangle me too bad. I have really bad dysphoria about "down there" and have been at times at risk for doing a back alley job, so again I am happy to be able to get surgery also I am poor and on state insurance, so, hey, better than nothing, but at the same time it's still my body and by virtue of that there is still a level of concern that I have regardless of getting it through medicaid and things like that.

Does anyone have any good experience or stories with her?

Quote from: Shadowsister on January 11, 2018, 05:35:08 AM
I have to go to her because Rumer is the only person my insurance will pay for.

That is crazy that she is only one your insurance will pay for. How far along are you with her in the process cause it seems crazy to me that if you are scheduled far enough to have a date and still have seen no images of her work.

Quote from: Shadowsister on January 11, 2018, 05:35:08 AM
I have to go to her because Rumer is the only person my insurance will pay for. I am excited to get GCS, but at the same time I am scared because I have heard many horror stories about her. I have heard that her work is not that good, nor is her bedside manner and followups. It makes me even more nervous because I am not able to see any examples of her work.

All I do is just hope when I go in for the surgery she doesn't mangle me too bad. I have really bad dysphoria about "down there" and have been at times at risk for doing a back alley job, so again I am happy to be able to get surgery also I am poor and on state insurance, so, hey, better than nothing, but at the same time it's still my body and by virtue of that there is still a level of concern that I have regardless of getting it through medicaid and things like that.

Does anyone have any good experience or stories with her?

I am generally satisfied with my results from Kathy Rumer. I'm 3 1/2 years post up and I have full sensation and can have orgasms if I supplement with T. My aesthetics are not perfect but that wasn't my aim to start with. I have some tender spots that make penetration uncomfortable, though I don't know that any of that was the surgeon's fault.

That being said, I've been in contact with a number of people who have not had experiences as satisfactory as mine. If you want to know more, PM me.

I am a little over 1 year post op from Dr. Rumer. I have no complaints. Everything healed as expected and I have full sensation with 5" of depth. I have a thread here documenting my surgery.

Quote from: Yumistar on January 11, 2018, 05:43:41 AM
That is crazy that she is only one your insurance will pay for. How far along are you with her in the process cause it seems crazy to me that if you are scheduled far enough to have a date and still have seen no images of her work.

Yup she is the ONLY one. I asked my options and my nurse told me it was only Rumer. I confirmed with other depts as well. They used to use Meltzer who is supposedly one of the best in the world, but he is too far, more expensive and often backed up, or so my insurance company says. I missed that boat.  :(

Thanks for all who replied to me. I sent suzi a private message. I hope you all understand why I am a little worried. I need that awful 'boy part' stuff pumping testosterone into me and reminding me of its existence every time I shower or use the bathroom gone, gone, gone. So much so I'd rather be mangled, but being mangled like hearing stories of necrosis still concerns me because it is my body after all. Sorry for the frantic concerns, I just saw an old thread pop up about Rumer knowing she is my only options I wanted to see what others thought of her. 

Quote from: Shadowsister on January 12, 2018, 12:43:15 AM
Yup she is the ONLY one. I asked my options and my nurse told me it was only Rumer. I confirmed with other depts as well. They used to use Meltzer who is supposedly one of the best in the world, but he is too far, more expensive and often backed up, or so my insurance company says. I missed that boat.  :(

Thanks for all who replied to me. I sent suzi a private message. I hope you all understand why I am a little worried. I need that awful 'boy part' stuff pumping testosterone into me and reminding me of its existence every time I shower or use the bathroom gone, gone, gone. So much so I'd rather be mangled, but being mangled like hearing stories of necrosis still concerns me because it is my body after all. Sorry for the frantic concerns, I just saw an old thread pop up about Rumer knowing she is my only options I wanted to see what others thought of her.

I wish you all the luck and hope that it turns out amazing for you.

I had gender-confirming surgery on August 8, 2017. I want to say that leading up to the surgery everything was rainbows and butterflies. But to be honest, there was a lot of confusion. It was over simple things, like what is the process for scheduling your surgery appointment. One office person told me one thing, while someone else told me something different. I was so excited to be moving toward surgery that my mind made everything better.

The "recovery" rooms offered are fairly lackluster. They are very bare rooms with the minimum of decor and amenities. My insurance paid for the room, so that was a no-brainer to choose. However, I wonder if that was the best choice. The room I stayed in didn't have a microwave, but there was shareable one in the "kitchen" on the 3rd floor. So, I wanted to buy one for the room. I went to the front desk and asked if that was "ok". I was told that it would be fine. I went to the nearest Target and bought a microwave for the room. The doctor came to visit and told me that we could not use it because the socket in that room could not bear the load. The stairs up to the third floor are kind of narrow and steep. The staff does and will help you up the stairs post-surgery, which is nice.

The day of my surgery and in the hospital, things were great. Well, minus the uncomfortableness of the surgery of course. I didn't recognize Dr. Rumer in the prep room, but it was all right. It was a strange, fantastic, odd crazy time.

Upon returning to the recovery room is when my realization that the aftercare reviews I was reading were correct. Some challenges with the "recovery" center were trivial while others were more meaningful, for example, we ran out of toilet paper and paper towels on a Friday. The staff is not there on the weekends, and all the supplies are locked. So, we called down (they do not want you coming downstairs) to make sure we could get those items before 5 PM on Friday. We asked twice. We never got them. That Saturday was my first BM post-surgery. My Mother, who stayed with me, had to go to the nearest store to buy those items. Now, that is trivial, and I get that. But it's so simple. We asked for them twice. It was frustrating.

The more meaningful issues were things like the bed was not very comfortable. It was also very low to the ground, getting out of that bed was a bit of a challenge. By the end of our time there I figured out a way to roll and push up to get up without pain. There was not a hook near the bed to hang your catheter. There wasn't one next to your bed or next to the toilet in the bathroom. Simple things that could make life so much easier. The bed my mother slept on was a cheap futon. You are required to have someone with you during this time, and they do not provide a comfortable place for them to stay.

The TV in the room was ok, and the basic cable was fine. However, the internet was awful. In today's world Internet is a thing. It's an important thing while you are bedridden because you are recovering.

We didn't have anyone clean our room during our entire stay. For $95 per day, you just expect better. If it were out of pocket, I would have been livid. It's a little easier to swallow when insurance is paying for it, but it is something I think people should understand going into it.

The doctor did come to the room on a couple of occasions, and that was a nice benefit of staying so close. I am not sure that the benefits of the doctor visits outweighed the poor conditions of the room.

When I arrived home, Dr. Rumer was on vacation. So, when I had medical concerns, they were going to the PA or the office staff. During this time I learned that follow through isn't this staff's strength. I have read many reviews that comment on the staff's friendliness, and they are quite friendly and kind people.

I had some complications. With each difficulty, Dr. Rumer had a plan and knew what steps to take to overcome them. That was a comforting experience. However, enacting that plan with the office staff was another issue. Each time the I needed to order something or do something the instructions or assistance from the team was lackluster. I would get vague, incomplete directions or assistance. For example, at my 3-month checkup, I was experiencing some irritation and pain during dilation. Dr. Rumer had a plan. She prescribed some medication. I got the medication then I was told instructions would be emailed. The instructions I received were general and unclear. I emailed back to ask for clarification. I got back poor instructions again. I once again emailed back for more information. I still got back vague instructions. I have several examples of this type of interaction with the office staff.

I have faith in Dr. Rumer. I believe she is smart and knowledgeable. She has had a plan at every turn. That is a great comfort. However, her staff fails in the delivery of that plan. It has been a struggle and a fight to get it. It's to the point I just give up when trying to get anything from them. That issue started immediately post-surgery.

Finally, Dr. Rumer is dry. She is straight to the point kind of woman. I have read about her poor bedside manner. I can see how people interpret things in that way. She is "matter of fact." There is not much sugar-coating in her explanations. But she will have a plan for your medical needs. She will act on that with quickness and act in your best interest.

As I read through this review, some of the things sound so trivial. You will be going through a world of change. And when all these little things are half answered it really starts to add up. I was told before surgery they would ensure I was able to pee before I left. They did not do that. My Mom made sure I could after the packing and catheter were taken out. She stood over my, making me drink water until I had to pee. It's a long list of those small things.

I am unsure if I would choose Dr. Rumer again. On one hand, I really appreciate her knowledge and abilities. On the other, ugh, her staff.

JRD,

Welcome to the site.

Thanks for that very detailed review. It was done in a positive way without just bashing. We appreciate that and it helps our members. I don't know if she visits the site but some doctors do. So a respectful review like this could well go a ways to seeing changes.

We are late getting and official welcome to you. We like to pass some links along. Mostly welcome and site policies stuff.

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Once again, welcome to Susan's. Look around, ask questions and join in.

With warmth,

Jacqui

My experiences with her have been, shall I say, um,...fanTAStic!!! Really, she accepted and worked with my Medicaid and granted the wish of a 35 year old intersex (amab-ish) woman. The day of the surgery was great and I was hooked up to a morphine drip b4 I could say please!

The results: porn star tight and tidy. It's a perfect little-ish thing. I couldn't be happier. I had some granulation tissue but Dr. Rumer fixed it with silver nitrate last visit. Now, dilating is a breeze.

But I'm still getting used to it going on five months.  Eeek!!!