Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi there,

Basically I really want to get chest surgery for all the reasons I suspect most of us do.  Being able to take off my shirt and not have to wear this binder would be a fantastic thing.  My dysphoria would also benefit greatly obviously.

The thing is the cost is a mystery to me and my partner is convinced any sort of procedure would cost an enormous amount of money.   He wants me to wait another year to save up $15,000 or more and I'm not sure I can wait that long.

So I really need to know from people who have had it done how much did you pay?  In total including, anaesthesiologist cost, doctor consolations,  price of surgery centre and so on ...

It would really help me out a lot.  Also anyone have any luck getting insurance to cover anything at all?  How did you argue it was medically necessary? 

Thanks so much

I got it done with Dr. Fischer in Maryland.  The surgery is $7300 and that includes the anaesthesiologist fee too.  The consult fee was $100.  If you are under 275 lbs in weight, she can do you at her clinic so there is no cost there.  If you weigh more, you have to have it done at the local hospital, but I have no idea if that costs extra or not since I was light enough to not need the hospital.  Then you have to have perscriptions filled, blood work performed, and a physical with your regular doctor done beforehand, but if you have insurance, you could probably get some or all of that covered (but if you have to pay out of pocket, it came out to about $300 total for me).  Total cost was about $7700.  After that, the rest was just hotel, food, and travel expenses. 

So if you arrive the morning of your consult and go straight to the office, then check in at the hotel and stay for 8 days with whoever is helping you and get the drains removed on the 7th day post-op,  then if we estimate $100 per night for a two bed hotel room and $50 a day for food for two (rather unrealistically high, but that depends on what you like to eat), two tanks of gas to do the round trip, and $20 in tolls going each way, your total would be about $9000 for EVERYTHING.

I'm going to Medalie in Ohio in a few weeks, my total was $5590--so while it is still a chunk of change, it isn't anywhere near 15,000(!).

The breakdown of costs were listed as follows:
Surgeons fee: 4000
Anaesthesia: 500
Operating room: 650
Recovery room: 275
CosmetAssure: 165
--
Unlisted is the price for the post-op compression vest which is about 60.00 or so (I don't remember off of the top of my head).
+whatever prescription painkillers might be offered

I had read plenty of really good reviews of his work, as well as seeing photos on transbucket, before I choose him--I'm travelling a bit to get there (I'm taking my parents with me for the week between op & post op visit), the round-trip flight for the three of us was about $900 with car rental, and I'm paying just over $1,000 for a two room suite for six nights--I haven't factored in food or entertainment expenses, but considering I was quoted a price of $7,175 ($6325 surgery+facility, ~$850 anaesthesia) for a less experienced surgeon about 200 miles away from me (I ended up not convinced that I could get the best result from them), it ended being about equal and less expensive than I had initially thought, prior to sitting down and planning for it.  Edited to add: both surgeons I contacted had free consultations.  Medalie didn't require medical clearance, I don't know if that's because I'm still fairly young/in good health or what, but since I don't have insurance, and I've never had a mammogram/pap _{and I would like to keep it that way}, it was good enough for me.

Seriously, I'd been reading about top op (hoping, wishing, etc) when I was 14, knowing I'd have to get it one day--thinking "Holy ..."--I have to save up at least 10 grand, so I feel you on the price thing ... and was very happy to realise it was going to be a bit less than expected.

I haven't had mine yet but garramone who I'm planning to have it with is $5700 for double incision.

Quote from: noxdraconis on August 31, 2010, 06:13:41 PM
I got it done with Dr. Fischer in Maryland.  The surgery is $7300 and that includes the anaesthesiologist fee too.  The consult fee was $100.  If you are under 275 lbs in weight, she can do you at her clinic so there is no cost there.  If you weigh more, you have to have it done at the local hospital, but I have no idea if that costs extra or not since I was light enough to not need the hospital.  Then you have to have prescriptions filled, blood work performed, and a physical with your regular doctor done beforehand, but if you have insurance, you could probably get some or all of that covered (but if you have to pay out of pocket, it came out to about $300 total for me).  Total cost was about $7700.  After that, the rest was just hotel, food, and travel expenses. 

Wow!  I had no idea something like this could be done in office.  That explains how they keep costs down.  Thanks for the information Noxdraconis.

Thank you for answering Revel that is also very helpful.  I'll probably be staying in state to get mine so I imagine it will be even less.   

Best of luck when you get it done Carson.     

Just like noxdraconis, I also went to Medalie this summer so his numbers are roughly the same as mine.  I live in Philadelphia so I drove down ahead of time for the consult.  My mom and I drove and stayed overnight in Maryland the night before and the night of surgery then I recovered at my mom's house for a week (She is an RN so I had no fear about not being near Dr. Fischer).  I go to the Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia who works with Dr. Fischer so I was able to get my drains removed and have my checkup there instead of having to drive back down or stay in Maryland.  I don't know where you are looking to have surgery that I know for me it definitely cut costs not staying in a hotel for a week (which was a huge factor in who I chose for my surgery).   I have friends who went to Dr. Brownstein from the east coast and their surgery cost was much more due to travel and hotel costs.