So Massachusetts told insurance companies that they need to cover trans services recently but that wouldn't apply to my employer plan. Yesterday I sent in the paperwork to buy my own health insurance so assuming that works I'm starting to finally be able to think about assessing surgeons. I'm wondering what others have done to really decide on which surgeon is best for you. There are result pictures for most but many times they're a few years old, there's varying amounts of info on doctors websites and sometimes testimonials for doctors that may be recent or not but often mixed so how can we really know who is best for surgery?

Everyone's policy will have there own required hoops to jump.

In network vs out of network vs reimbursements.

That will be your requirement to search surgeon.

Read and ask before you buy.


 

I ended up getting a ppo plan to help with that. I'm know that not every surgeon will be covered and some will be covered better than others. Though I'm trying to figure out the best way to choose among the ones that will be available to me.

First, draw up a list of what matters most to *you,* in order of priority. Ironically, which surgeons to look at is step 2. For example, I cared about functionality and looks but not depth, so right there that eliminated some surgeons.

Once you've used that list plus the insurance limitations to winnow down the list to a manageable number, contact the remainder and ask them questions (relating to your priorities) and if possible ask for recent photos. Most surgeons' offices will have a standard reply to this sort of thing, and they're used to it.

I'm also trying to figure who to go to.

What Jenna said is the best way to go about it. I'm really concerned about aesthetics and functionality. Its really difficult with the lack of photos online as to who to choose. I wish there was some anonymous post op picture site so we could make a better decision about it. Coincidentally a lot of the pics I find other than from the surgeon's sites are of botched surgeries. I did find one that was posted on ->-bleeped-<- but that woman went to suporn I think, so that doesn't help me much since I'm not even considering him. I'm currently between brassard or mcginn, I just dont know. I think I might go with mcginn but brassard's after care seems really amazing.

I went to McGiinn for breast augmentation and I'm sorry that I did. She is a woman of few words at the best of times and if you need her to come through on her guarantee, then she becomes curt and dismissive . Maybe she's more skilled with GRS, I don't know. However she's been doing GRS for less than half the time as Brassard, so I would choose him because he's had more time to practise and improve.
If you're considering any kind of cosmetic work at the same time as GRS, know that McGinn is not an accredited plastic surgeon. Brassard  and his colleague both are.
There's no doubt that Brassard's after care is really good, and McGinns is practically non-existent once a patient is discharged from the hospital. It's a bed and breakfast in an old house. Patients have to ascend a steep narrow staircase to get to their room. There are no nurses or other medical people around. Unless you're taking a caregiver with you, you are on your own.
Also, the Canadian dollar is used to pay for Dr Brassard. His GRS cost is 19500, about the same as McGiinn, but in US dollars, it becomes $14625 USD.
I'll let you decide.

I'm choosing local surgeons for my FFS. One does not take insurance for even a diviated septum and says it is a "cosmetic procedure" for some odd reason. But he has at least a before and after of what I'm looking for and I saw his work on the person who referred me. Plus he does not do all I want at once. Another surgeon will do everything at once but has no real before and afters, so I'm going on faith. I'm still deciding and the time to choose is near for me.

I've managed to spent a lot of time trying to work this out and came to the conclusion that in some ways you can't. You just have to choose one.

There's not enough information out there, and no way to know if what is available is really representative of reality. I don't think for example that any surgeons website is going to say they are a second rate doctor with lots of complications, but there must surely be some. And all surgeons appear to have patients that are happy with them, and some that are not.

Some of the surgeons do a lot of self promotion. Are you sure they are good or is it just marketing doing its magic? I've no idea myself.

To be practical I think you need to narrow the list of possibilities down as far as possible. Rule out all the ones there's no chance of seeing even if you knew they are the best in the world. If you must have insurance and its impossible otherwise that would rule out most of them. Same if you can't travel.

With whatever remains, as others have said draw up a list of whats important and perhaps whats not.

Do you really know how to use search engines well? It makes a big difference in what you can find.

Don't trust anything you read at face value, but try to understand any biases that night be present, and weigh it all up to get an idea of whats likely true and whats not.

Perhaps this is not terribly helpful, but I've got a bit discouraged.

Quote from: Christine Eryn on February 16, 2015, 12:10:38 AM
I'm choosing local surgeons for my FFS.

I know this thread was originally about GRS surgeons (and I think that's a unique procedure which requires a certain level of expertise and experience that isn't found in your average urologist or plastic surgeon's office, so choices are rather limited to a handful of well-known practices), but when it comes to FFS, I was pleased to read that I'm not the only one who is looking locally.

This is my take on the issue: there are a large number of very qualified, experienced facial plastic surgeons out there who are more than capable of feminizing noses, foreheads, performing brow lifts etc.  It's what they do all day, every day, the bread-and-butter of cosmetic surgery.  If you're lucky enough to have a face which needs tweaking rather than major top-to-bottom revisions, then it's worth checking out a few of the well-known local guys and girls who practice in your metro area.  Their web sites might not say that they perform FFS, but chances are they've done it many a time before on transgirls, and also feminized countless masculine-looking cisgirls.  They just haven't developed their practice into a niche transgender FFS practice akin to the likes of Spiegel and Zukowski, much of which - to me - seems like a means to play upon our insecurities to charge three times as much for work which a competent local surgeon could perform just as well.  Remember, there really is no "FFS" as such, just a series of standard (and a few not-so-standard) procedures to modify a face, male or female, most of which are Cosmetic Surgery 101.  Spiegel and Zukowski do not hold a monopoly on understanding the aesthetics of a beautiful female face.

Of course, as with GRS, sometimes when a face is particularly masculine and will require major reconstruction, it would be worth sticking to the big names and justifying the cost cost by virtue of the experience they have in those niche areas, but for me - and I like to think that my face isn't so far to the masculine side of the spectrum that I need major reconstruction (nor do I particularly want it; I don't mind looking like "me", just wish it was a more feminine "me") - I too found a local surgeon who has over two decades of experience in cosmetic facial work, plenty of before-and-afters, and whose skills, experience, price, location, bedside manner and overall "feel good" factor are just what I was looking for.  Outpatient surgery, sleep in my own bed, easy follow-ups, doc right there in town if I need him at any time, etc.  During my consultation, he listened to what I wanted without making suggestions - there was no upsell - and thoroughly explained how he could get the results I was looking for.  Just made sense (for me).  And all for just over a third of the price of what Dr. S wanted for the same work (not including the additional expense of travel/lodging while in Boston).

None of the above is meant to disparage the big names in FFS.  They do produce some amazingly pretty results, and were money no option I'd most likely be using one of them.  I'm merely unconvinced that for those of us seeking minor FFS, there's not equally-effective and cheaper options out there.

Of course, I may have some hideous before and afters in a few months, so I reserve the right to amend this post come summertime after I put my "local FFS is just as good" theory to the test.  I hope I don't end up eating my words and becoming one of those "plastic surgery gone wrong" stories...

Brenda, I agree with many of your points! I chose local surgeons (and was surprised to know there's a few) because there are no well known FFS doctors within 1500 miles of me, and I live in a major US city. There's no way I would fly (or drive) to any of the big name FFS docs and stay a few weeks for any follow ups. If it wasn't for my brow bossing I could go to anybody that does nose jobs, but I'm playing the hand I was dealt. I'm now considering botox on my jaw muscles instead of having my jaw ground down. I'm still on the fence with that one.

GRS is also something I wanted to do locally, but again, nobody near me. I was going to go to Dr. Bowers when she was in Colorado. At this point in my life I won't rule out going overseas (also due to budget) but I'd prefer someone in the US. Waiting list is also a big consideration for me.