I've been research all of the doctors for a while now. I'm a poor college student and I want FFS before I graduate and go for my full time job. I have looked at Dr. Spiegel, Dr. Di Maggio, and Dr. Cardenas. However, I can't find enough information or photographs from Dr. Lazaro Cardenas (though his website does give a lot of good information and his prices are amazing). I'm unsure of Dr. Di Maggio and I would love to go to Dr. Spiegel but it will be at least 5 to 8 years before i have the money for him. Soooo my question is. Do any of you have person experiences with any of these doctors? What is your opinion on your results or their procedures? If I want amazing results who would you say give the best results for the cost?
Thanks Bunches,
Christine
I'm actually interested in this myself, have gone back and forth in my head about whether it's necessary.
As of now leaning toward not getting any, except for possibly a trachea shave... less than a month ago was adamant about getting extensive FFS. It's not obvious, I change my mind a lot. ;D
Hopefully people will respond soon.
I had a couple of procedures done just over 3 months ago with Dr. Zulkowski. For me, on of the big decisions was what forehead technique is being used. Dr. DiMaggio, Dr. O, Dr. Spiegel all do a invasive procedure where they actually reset the frontal sinus bone and put it back together with mesh, screws and bone paste. This is generally reserved for cases with a lot of brow bossing. This can often be determined with xrays, if a reset is necessary or brow burring is sufficient. Me, I didn't feel mine was that bad and that seemed overly invasive for me. I was sold on Dr. Z's technique as it is all endoscopic which greatly reduces the chance of complication. Plus, I thought his foreheads and noses looked good from the photos I saw and I had friends to stay with in Chicago during recovery. Because most people have only ever seen one surgeon, they are going to say theirs is the best. I am not going to say that, but I am happy with the work.
HTH ,
Jenna
I've been in contact with Dr. Z too and hope to have some procedures done soon! Jenna, how was the healing? Are you in Chicago or did you have to travel to see him?
Quote from: rylielove on March 24, 2011, 12:26:54 PM
I've been in contact with Dr. Z too and hope to have some procedures done soon! Jenna, how was the healing? Are you in Chicago or did you have to travel to see him?
I thought healing went pretty fast. I live in Montreal so I traveled to see him. I had friends that I stayed with in Chicago for the first week. The first week was really intense, I could barely do anything for myself. Day 8 I flew home and was feeling better by then. The long part (and painful part) of the healing process are the daily massages, they are 3 times a day for 20 minutes each for the first 3 months then once a day for the next 6 months.
I should note, I had no lower face work done, and I understand that the lower face is even more intense.
HTH,
Jenna
Hi,
I also went to Dr Zukowski (over 2 years ago) and am very impressed and happy with his work. I travelled from Europe to have the work done. I was persuaded to have the works done, by the man himself when I visited one of his lecture tours in Amsterdam. I was a bit sceptical and worried but I needn't have been, because he's done a great job. As others have said the 3 times daily massaging was one of the worst parts of the procedure, but it does make a big difference. The first few days are awful and it's difficult to really look after yourself, but after about a week it becomes much much easier. I also had my old 20 year old implants changed at the same time as one side was leaking. I think I ended up paying over 30,000 US Dollars all together, not cheap but then I did have a lot done.
Getting back to work was a bit daunting as I just told people I was having a face lift. (couldn't tell them the truth of course, as my past is unknown), but I had some lovely comments from people.
I did such a lot of research before choosing Dr Z and went with him because I felt confident in his skill and from other people who told me what to expect and who were delighted in his work.
Jenna and Saskia if I gave you my email would you be kind enough to send me photos? I have surgery scheduled and I am starting to have second doubts, thank you so much.
Christine,
I have been to the clinic in Guadalajara with Dr. Cardenas. I had some hair work done by his associate, but there are several docs there. His wife is also an excellent nose surgeon. A good friend had complete facial work done there and seems very pleased. If you like, pm me and I will put you in touch with her.
There are a number of Dr. Z girls on here. I was in Chicago and went with Sandy Z for her appointment. I was amazed all all he does. I am sure Sandy will be glad to answer your questions as well. Look her up on here.
I have not had that much work done, but I sort of went a different route. I searched out different people who did the best work in their area. But that is just me. FWIW, my current profile pic is an old one, before I had any of the work done.
Best of luck to you!
Kristi
I am a Spiegel patient and post-op I realize his approach is too conservative for my taste or needs.
I had the following procedures with him: Forehead recontouring with brow lift and reshaping of my orbital rims; feminizing rhinoplasty; cheek implants, upper lip lift; and, jaw and chin recontouring.
Of all the procedures the only one I am happy with the results of is the forehead recontouring (and even so, I wish he had positioned my brows slightly higher and taken my oribital rims back a bit further, but I can live with what he did.) The upper lip lift I feel neutral about. All of the rest I am actively seeking revisions of, most likely with Dr. Zukowski (who was my second choice initially and I am reconsulting with him in a few days.)
Personally I think my cheeks should be stronger, my jaw and chin weaker and my nose, well, my nose is a disaster. As a number of people have commented to me it somehow now looks larger and more masculine than it did before. Partially because of the angle he set it at.
Other comments I have recieved post-op include:
* "You look more trans now than you did before." - Therapist
* "I thought he was going to do something with your chin and jaw?" - Colleague
* "You've gone from a guy who could easily pass as a woman to a woman who could easily pass as a guy" - Friend
* "You don't look bad." - Family member (not exactly the same as "you look good.")
Also, a colleague who last saw me years ago, pre-HRT, with much shorter hair and much more weight, immediately recognized me when he saw me: Telling me I either look much the same facially, or, like my therapist said, look more trans than I do female.
Dr. Spiegel is right for many people, but in hindsight, he and his ultraconservative approach, that can leave one looking quite androgynous, was very wrong for me. I should add that he operates out of Boston Medical Center, a teaching hospital, and that their level of customer service is not what I would describe as top drawer. Similarly, I have felt Dr. Spiegel's staff are a challenge to work with. Post-op follow ups seem welcomed but not exactly encouraged: You need to reach out to them. If you are unhappy with your results Spiegel has a good reputation for doing revisions. I am only opting to go with someone else because I no longer trust him given the range and depth of what I feel to be shortcomings in the work performed on me.
You might consider having a consult with each surgeon personally or via Skype and collecting feedback from as many patients as possible before making a decision as to which surgeon is best for you. Like was mentioned, each surgeon uses a different technique and will generate different results. For example: I ultimately chose Spiegel for my first round of FFS because I preferred his technical approach to foreheads and brows over the endoscopic approach used by Dr. Zukowski.
I had FFS with Dr Spiegel April 2011. I couldn't be more happier with the result. I still see "me" but now a female version.
The procedures included: Forehead/hairline adjustment, brow bossing, brow lift, nose job, lip augmentation, cheek implant, jawline smoothing, left ear otoplasty and trachea shave.
Before you ask: $38K, plus travel, food, hotel.
I have posted video's of my experience:
TLOG #6: MTF Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr Jeffrey Spiegel - Slideshow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MZccLzYUvU#)
TLOG #7: 3 Weeks Post-Op Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) Dr Spiegel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yua9fDKkEGQ#)
I choose Dr Spiegel for his conservative approach which matched my goals for FFS surgery.
If you are planning major, major bone work - Dr O in San Fran would be a great recommendation. I have see a lot of his work, very impressive.
Is anyone familiar with R. Scott Yarish, MD, in Houston, TX. I have been told by a Therapist that he performs FFS. He website makes no mention of it or any "Bone Work".
Not familiar with Dr. Yarish. But I had rhinoplasty and one other procedure with Dr. Kent Davis in Houston. I am very pleased. He and his staff are quite trans friendly and will treat you well.
Thank you! Don't believe there are any Surgeons that do "complete or full" FFS here, which is very surprising given the diversity of the Texas Medical Center, and 2 Medical Schools. Also, the number of Plastic Surgeons in this town has skyrocketed in the last 10 yrs.
And P.S., noticed Dr. O has a new website, still partially under construction.
This is a reposting of a merged topic from Forever21Chic
Forever21Chic
Any suggestions?
« on: Yesterday at 02:23:46 am »
K so just recently I've inherited some money & I'm thinking about getting FFS to enhance my looks. I had two surgeons in mind, Dr. Mayer or Dr. Di Maggio, has anyone had FFS with these guys and who would you recommend?
I <3 MANGO LIPGLOSS!!!
Here is a couple of Dr Mayer Youtube Patients Videos. Take advice about a surgeon from someone you can see!!!
FFS - Facial Feminzation - Before and After Pictures/Discussion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj5ByXIxUEg#)
Jordan official FFS video: Dr. Toby Mayer and the Beverly Hills Institute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KerOTdpHBGc#)
I think a lot of FFS is what your expectations are. Changing a lot of things at once might end up just making you look different, not female. I did a lot of looking at women's faces along with honestly looking at mine and decided to start with I a smaller nose, slightly turned up on the end. I feel like changing my nose made my eyes looks larger and my chin look better because it changed the ration of above my lips/below my lips. I don't have big brow bones and wear my hair (wig.. MPB) so it doesn't show. This comparo shot is one week post op $5K nose fem job and is still quite swollen.
I'm glad now this is all I did. Some things snowball into a mess, chin reduction usually requires U tuck the skin under it, which then makes adams apple more prominent which then needs surgery etc I think too you can get obsessed and start looking "plastic" which just draws attention to yourself. I know some people have a very strong jaw/chin etc that requires a total redo but honestly in a lot of FFS before and after shots, about all I really notice is the diff in their nose. If your budget is limited, start there you can always get more done later plus not sure how good it is to be under for hours and hours doing it all at once? 2 hours for this was -enough- for me!
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.villagephotos.com%2Fp%2F2005-1%2F937049%2Fcompare.jpg&hash=3ce672a6f122e2de251c3fa4eb43eb19afe163dd)
There's truly never a one-size-fits-all to surgery. Some people do not need an ounce of surgery, some only need one specific feature changed for a miracle effect, and some people do need the help of multiple surgeries that doctors have worked hard to learn how to perform, specifically for our needs. In the real world, male androgens have caused some of us to simply look far beyond what is normal for today's female. It's all about harmony, tackling the most important things first, and making sure not to let a doctor sell you procedures that you don't need. Some people do need many, many steps, but some don't, and everyone has to make sure to do a lot of facial analysis and to get a lot of opinions before going through multiple procedures.
Personally, my deal is I want a complete forehead reconstruction (reduction from all directions, I look like this ( http://reelthinker.com/images/posts/2010/06/jason-momoa-conan-the-barbarian.jpg (http://reelthinker.com/images/posts/2010/06/jason-momoa-conan-the-barbarian.jpg) ), a final nasal reconstruction (my nose looks like this - http://www.mlc-laser.com/_images/rhinopleyma-pred.jpg (http://www.mlc-laser.com/_images/rhinopleyma-pred.jpg)), and I hope that hormone therapy will take care of my skin health and forming butt-chin and thick upper lip. If not, I'll have facial filler for the butt-chin.
That's about all I want. I'm actually very fine with my wideset jaw and face as long as it doesn't get any wider. I couldn't imagine getting a lip lift, cheek implants, jaw reduction, chin reduction. Those features are the ones that always have seemed to define what I like about my face, no need to change them. But the forhead, nose, and skin? Hate'em!
Hi Outdoor Girl
Your experience with Dr Spiegel is almost identical to mine! I had surgery in July 2009 and have been so disappointed. I describe myself as androgynous now not male or female. I got scared that other surgeons, Dr O, would be too radical so went to Dr Spiegel to ensure I looked 'natural'. It's now such a dllemma as to what to do, which surgeon to revise Dr Spiegel's work? My main issue is with my forehead and brow area, It is much too strong and leaves me looking more male. So annoying after all the research, money and recovery time. Also, I question whether I expected too much? After two years I can clearly see that I am androgynous and not female in looks. I would be interested to know what you are doing.
Emme
(
Quote from: outdoorgirl on August 08, 2011, 01:28:07 AM
I am a Spiegel patient and post-op I realize his approach is too conservative for my taste or needs.
I had the following procedures with him: Forehead recontouring with brow lift and reshaping of my orbital rims; feminizing rhinoplasty; cheek implants, upper lip lift; and, jaw and chin recontouring.
Of all the procedures the only one I am happy with the results of is the forehead recontouring (and even so, I wish he had positioned my brows slightly higher and taken my oribital rims back a bit further, but I can live with what he did.) The upper lip lift I feel neutral about. All of the rest I am actively seeking revisions of, most likely with Dr. Zukowski (who was my second choice initially and I am reconsulting with him in a few days.)
Personally I think my cheeks should be stronger, my jaw and chin weaker and my nose, well, my nose is a disaster. As a number of people have commented to me it somehow now looks larger and more masculine than it did before. Partially because of the angle he set it at.
Other comments I have recieved post-op include:
* "You look more trans now than you did before." - Therapist
* "I thought he was going to do something with your chin and jaw?" - Colleague
* "You've gone from a guy who could easily pass as a woman to a woman who could easily pass as a guy" - Friend
* "You don't look bad." - Family member (not exactly the same as "you look good.")
Also, a colleague who last saw me years ago, pre-HRT, with much shorter hair and much more weight, immediately recognized me when he saw me: Telling me I either look much the same facially, or, like my therapist said, look more trans than I do female.
Dr. Spiegel is right for many people, but in hindsight, he and his ultraconservative approach, that can leave one looking quite androgynous, was very wrong for me. I should add that he operates out of Boston Medical Center, a teaching hospital, and that their level of customer service is not what I would describe as top drawer. Similarly, I have felt Dr. Spiegel's staff are a challenge to work with. Post-op follow ups seem welcomed but not exactly encouraged: You need to reach out to them. If you are unhappy with your results Spiegel has a good reputation for doing revisions. I am only opting to go with someone else because I no longer trust him given the range and depth of what I feel to be shortcomings in the work performed on me.
You might consider having a consult with each surgeon personally or via Skype and collecting feedback from as many patients as possible before making a decision as to which surgeon is best for you. Like was mentioned, each surgeon uses a different technique and will generate different results. For example: I ultimately chose Spiegel for my first round of FFS because I preferred his technical approach to foreheads and brows over the endoscopic approach used by Dr. Zukowski.
:)
I went to Dr S. a few years ago, and I can honestly say I am happy with the results. I do wish he was a bit more aggressive with my jaw but I think he wasn't because doing so might have made my face look much longer. He recommended that I get cheek implants but I opted out. I may go back and get it done because I think they might soften my face further. I think the best thing you can do is look at each surgeon and figure out what their strengths and weaknesses are and go to the one that fits you individually. I certainly don't regret my decision and my experience was a very positive one. For reference:
Before FFS. Not the greatest photo but you get the idea:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl.dropbox.com%2Fu%2F8642180%2FPhoto%25206.jpg&hash=4c53c79d06aed93c31ea3c9d0f577c5454afefa3)
A few days ago:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl.dropbox.com%2Fu%2F8642180%2FPicture-101.png&hash=74f9ac7a5f6414ac8cafae10b5bbf32fd2e68e16)
I just took this photo. I tried to get similar lighting to the first one with no make up for a better comparison to the first one:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl.dropbox.com%2Fu%2F8642180%2FPhoto%252010.jpg&hash=232b6bb70975e24258851b459797dc41e2224490)
Another thing I noticed is that I don't really see the changes so much when I look in the mirror, but certainly see them when I compare before and afters. The mind still picks out masculine features at times.
Hi Charlotte, i can def see a difference in your before & after pic's. I think he did a good job, you look fab!
I'm considering Dr. S for my FFS because he's good at making minor adjustments to faces that already look feminine. I already look completely androgynous now at 6 months HRT so i don't need the full package or i'd probably have Dr. Z do my FFS.
What procedures did you have done?
Quote from: Danielle×o on January 30, 2012, 03:27:27 PM
Hi Charlotte, i can def see a difference in your before & after pic's. I think he did a good job, you look fab!
I'm considering Dr. S for my FFS because he's good at making minor adjustments to faces that already look feminine. I already look completely androgynous now at 6 months HRT so i don't need the full package or i'd probably have Dr. Z do my FFS.
What procedures did you have done?
I had a scalp advance, forehead contouring, rhinoplasty, brow lift, and jaw contouring. The total came to $27000 and since he is pretty close I didn't have to rent a hotel or eat in the area and my mother took a few days off from work to care for me. The post-op care was great in my case. I have no complaints.
I would like to host a web page of everyone's experiences and photos so that we can all make better choices. It seems like such a treasure hunt to find good information. I have the means to host the web page unhindered and can post basic HTML so that it's easily navigated but I have no idea how to collect the information. Sure the surgeons can show me the good stuff but I also want to see the unhappy clients. Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated.
It would be great for the community to help the community. I feel that we're a little bit at the mercy of the surgeons and that's no way to make a choice.
The problem with "burring" or "shaving" the brow bone is that the sinus cavities are RIGHT THERE. They are open spaces in our skulls. The bone in front of the sinus cavities protects the spaces and what is behind the cavities (the brain). Burring/shaving the brow bone down will make that bone thin. It's difficult for anyone to guess how much they can burr down without getting too close to the actual cavity. If the brow bone is too thin it could be easily broken and then the health problems just pile up from there.
I'm going to go with Spiegel. I've met some of his patients and one of them ... I swear, I thought was born a woman. When she showed me what she looked like before I was actually a little repulsed (which is an odd reaction but that's how different she looks). I can spot transfeatures extremely well because I'm obsessed with appearance and gender... and I am old THUS I have had years to study. I can't imagine how someone looks more masculine post op with Spiegel. I would love to see pix so that I could be educated and spread the word.
Meghan, Jamie, and Charlotte have generously added true education and inspiring messages of hope via youtube.
It would be nice for there to be a one stop shopping webpage - here is what the faces look like - click here for the breast surgeons. Anna Lawrence I think is the one with this amazing post op section on neovaginas.
Anyway. Dr. O I feel is a little bit up there in the years and that concerns me. After researching Dr. Z I'm actually afraid of him. Spiegel most likely is going to be considered the best. His techniques improve and he has fellows so his techniques will be passed on. I've seen many of his rhinoplasties, I can't imagine them going wrong but... I would really like to know before I buy :)
Indecently I live close to Boston Medical (11 miles away) and would be willing to host someone who has no support otherwise. I have a spare bedroom and a comfortable Camry to drive you there and back. I have studied medicine and so has my roommate who is a massage therapist. We're not nurses but we know what to look for in case there is emergent need of medical help.
Quote from: WishnHopeN on February 15, 2012, 11:10:14 PM
I would like to host a web page of everyone's experiences and photos so that we can all make better choices. It seems like such a treasure hunt to find good information. I have the means to host the web page unhindered and can post basic HTML so that it's easily navigated but I have no idea how to collect the information. Sure the surgeons can show me the good stuff but I also want to see the unhappy clients. Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated.
It would be great for the community to help the community. I feel that we're a little bit at the mercy of the surgeons and that's no way to make a choice.
If you do set up a comparison site you are welcome to mine our website's FFS pages as long as somewhere you link back to our site for the full story. The only other restriction is that I won't allow my pictures to be used to attack Dr. Z. I had my surgery on 12/29/2011 and would gladly do it again even with the current lawsuits. While I was there he clearly demonstrated that he was exceptionally patient focused even when you might expect him to be distracted and he was definitely able to take charge in a crisis. I had a panic attack as he was injecting the fat (too much work to do it while under so I was awake). He stepped up and started tossing orders to the people in the room that were clear and coherent and the right thing to do at the moment.
***************EDIT*****************
While the globe under by profile does take you to our site, you'd have to navigate it to find the pages. Here is a direct link http://www.dragonflydreamsfarm.com/Dragonfly_Dreams_Farm/FFSSummary.html (http://www.dragonflydreamsfarm.com/Dragonfly_Dreams_Farm/FFSSummary.html)
I know somone Mentioned DR Yarish.
Stay away from him hes and EVIL MAN... like a crazy evil man....
he shreds transsexuals and doesn't do a polished job at all leaves you with plenty of medical problems and charges to allot to fix it....
Than if you post a review on him he threatens to sue.
sorry I really cant say more. You can PM me if you need the details.
Quote from: ArianaVeri on March 01, 2012, 09:23:04 PM
I know somone Mentioned DR Yarish.
Like in Houston, TX, in Town & Country Village, corner of Beltway 8 & I-10? That R. Scott Yarish, MD?
Appreciate your asking anyone interested to email you instead. Sometimes there's a fine line between fact & libel/slander.
I got my FFS with Dr. Spiegel and I'm very pleased with my results. It's true that he has a minimalist aesthetic, but that was exactly what I was looking for. I have the same face, just minus the handful of little features (my high hairline, the vertical temporal ridges on my forehead, my crooked nose, the corners of my chin, and the little fold of fat under my neck) that always bugged me.
Does anyone know what techniques Dr. Z uses for a trach shave? I like Dr. S's philosophy, and his video gives one confidence that he's using state of the art techniques. However, I'm leaning towards Dr. Z for other things for a variety of reasons, not least of which is that he uses endoscopic techniques for the brow bossing and forehead contouring. An option is to get the trach shave by Dr. S, but the other stuff by Dr. Z.
Thoughts?
(P.S.: my list of 'really wants' is forehead contouring, brow bossing/lift, trach shave, and maybe some minor nose work - but this last one is a big maybe.)