How do you choose a surgeon?

[AmyNYC]

This is a SRS forum, but since there isn't a specific FFS forum...

Having your face (or genitals) altered surgically is such an extremely important thing to do for all of us, it's hard for me to imagine ever being completely comfortable with a surgeon.  In a place like NYC, I have a choice of several different surgeons that all have experience with FFS.  My physician (his entire practice is TS's, and has been for 10 years or more) recommended two surgeons.  And my therapist (she's TS and her entire practice has been TS's for several decades) recommended two surgeons.  So where do I start, and how do I ever decide on one?

I had a consultation today with one of these surgeons for a trachea shave.  The surgeon and his nurse were INCREDIBLY nice and comfortable to be around.  After the nurse took my vitals and some photographs, the doc and her sat and talked with me in the exam room for what seemed like forever.  I've never seen a doctor be so free with his time.  I really got the impression neither of them was there to just make a buck.  We talked about everything from my transition, to the procedure, to my doctor (whom the surgeon knows and attends a group with at Columbia University), to the state of transgendered affairs there in New Jersey.

After the doctor left, the nurse took me to her office and showed me before & after pics of other patients who had trachea shaves.  The patients who had large adam's apples saw great results.  But in the patients with not quite as obvious adam's apples, there wasn't much difference.  That bothered me.  (Mine would fall in the second category.)  And the other thing was that the nurse referred to every patient as "he".  She admitted she's only been at that office for six months, and hadn't really dealt with trangendered patients before that.  And it didn't really look like the patients were presenting female in any of the pictures.  (In fact, one patient's before & after photographs looked like exactly like Joe Rogan from Fear Factor.  You know, almost shaved head and a five o'clock shadow.  What's up with that?)

So all in all I felt good about my appointment, with the single reservation of not seeing a huge difference in some of the before & after photographs.  The surgeon came well recommended.  He has lots of experience with the procedure.  The price was very good, compared to NYC at least.  But I don't know if I should have a consult with one or more other surgeons. (Each consult is between $100-$200.)

Any advice or direction would be appreciated,

Amy 

[AllisonY2K]

I'm going to pick solely based on who has a coupon in the paper. 

ok maybe not. lots of factors go into deciding who to go with. reputation and word of mouth carry a lot of weight. cost factors in later since it is in fact your body you are dealing with, I want someone who is really good at what they do, even if they are a little more expensive than other doctors who can do the same thing.

[Kimberly]

I would like to direct you to a link in a wiki article.
At the bottom of the FFS wiki article there is a link entitled FFS Support. I have not been a member of that group for very long but from what I have seen there is good advice present, in particular the choosing of which surgeon.