top surgery

[cathexis]

Need some advice about my upcoming appt. with a plastic/reconstruction surgeon within the next couple of weeks. Anyone have any advice of do/don'ts during the interview/examination?

As it gets closer, I get more frightened. Have this weird sense that my life depends on the appointment. It's silly, but that's how I'm feeling. I'm all shaky with my BP elevating.

Anyone know this feeling?

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by cathexis

Need some advice about my upcoming appt. with a plastic/reconstruction surgeon within the next couple of weeks. Anyone have any advice of do/don'ts during the interview/examination?

As it gets closer, I get more frightened. Have this weird sense that my life depends on the appointment. It's silly, but that's how I'm feeling. I'm all shaky with my BP elevating.

Anyone know this feeling?

First question is to ask them how many top surgeries they have done. Make them separate out double incision versus peri/key hole method.

As them who trained them (hopefully a surgeon who's specialty is trans surgeries).

I am going to assume you are getting double incision.

I would ask them what size areolas they make. Old standard method is the size of an nickel...surgeons would literally draw around a nickel in the surgery. I personally have seen that when areolas are left too large (for my taste), it detracts from the look of the chest. I see "female", no matter what the chest looks like. It seems to me that the less experienced surgeons leave them too large (beyond the "nickel" size). I went to Garramone in Florida who makes them the size of a dime. They also stretch out. Ask to see photos and then tell them what you think of the size.

Ask if they do free revisions. This would mean not paying for the surgeons fee, but still would pay for the other costs of surgery. However, I am thinking you are using Medicare and/or Medicaid, so I don't know how it would fit into this. I paid out of pocket.

I think your emotional response is completely normal. For us with dysphoria, after the idea of having no breasts comes closer, we realize how important a male chest is to us. I hear this from a lot of trans people when they get closer to their surgeries. Often they (and I felt this way), have excessive worries something will go wrong and they won't be able to have the surgery that day.

Keep us updated!

[cathexis]

Thanks Dapper,
Your note has helped me calm down a bit, but still bouncing off the walls. No one knows anything about this guy. He took the place of a surgeon who had quit. My TG/IM/Primary Care doc said he has heard good things about him. Plan to approach this the way I do most other things...as a skeptic and a cynic. Will let you about the appointment on Monday night. Thanks for the empathetic, calming words. They do help.
cathexis

[cathexis]

Originally Posted by cathexis

Thanks Dapper,
Your note has helped me calm down a bit, but still bouncing off the walls. No one knows anything about this guy. He took the place of a surgeon who had quit. My TG/IM/Primary Care doc said he has heard good things about him. Plan to approach this the way I do most other things...as a skeptic and a cynic. Will let you about the appointment on Monday night. Thanks for the empathetic, calming words. They do help.
cathexis

Sorry, it took Saturday for me to get back. The doc is older with a very laid back, but knowledgeable demeanor. He seems like he has done a fair amount of plastic/reconstructive surgery with experience in trans. surgery ... top surgery at least. Sue and I perused his certificates on the wall, and were happy with his credentials.

Had pictures taken at various angles. He examined me, and questioned about how long I had been thinking about and why. I have a follow up in a month when he has all the WPATH documentation.

Will keep you posted, but I'm really excited about this surgery and the surgeon.

[homoe]

Originally Posted by cathexis

Sorry, it took Saturday for me to get back. The doc is older with a very laid back, but knowledgeable demeanor. He seems like he has done a fair amount of plastic/reconstructive surgery with experience in trans. surgery ... top surgery at least. Sue and I perused his certificates on the wall, and were happy with his credentials.

Had pictures taken at various angles. He examined me, and questioned about how long I had been thinking about and why. I have a follow up in a month when he has all the WPATH documentation.

Will keep you posted, but am

Good to hear! Thanks for posting and keeping us up to date.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by cathexis

Sorry, it took Saturday for me to get back. The doc is older with a very laid back, but knowledgeable demeanor. He seems like he has done a fair amount of plastic/reconstructive surgery with experience in trans. surgery ... top surgery at least. Sue and I perused his certificates on the wall, and were happy with his credentials.

Had pictures taken at various angles. He examined me, and questioned about how long I had been thinking about and why. I have a follow up in a month when he has all the WPATH documentation.

Will keep you posted, but I'm really excited about this surgery and the surgeon.

I'm glad you felt good with him. You mentioned "a fair amount of plastic/reconstructive surgery with experience in trans. surgery" I am not sure what that means. Did you ask him directly how many top surgeries he has done? Did you ask to see pictures of his work?

[cathexis]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

I'm glad you felt good with him. You mentioned "a fair amount of plastic/reconstructive surgery with experience in trans. surgery" I am not sure what that means. Did you ask him directly how many top surgeries he has done? Did you ask to see pictures of his work?

Did ask to see photos. He wanted the medical records (even though I brought some of them with me) before going into specifics. He was especially interested in getting the WPATH documentation, probably because I don't look very masculine.

This is our first meeting. Perhaps, he thought it might be an impulsive decision. Not sure his rationale for waiting to discuss the specific surgery (like 2 incision vs keyhole, when I'm obviously not a candidate for the latter). Appreciate his need to be certain , but a bit worried about how far into the summer I'll be healing if he waits too long. Don't tolerate summer as it is.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by cathexis

Did ask to see photos. He wanted the medical records (even though I brought some of them with me) before going into specifics. He was especially interested in getting the WPATH documentation, probably because I don't look very masculine.

This is our first meeting. Perhaps, he thought it might be an impulsive decision. Not sure his rationale for waiting to discuss the specific surgery (like 2 incision vs keyhole, when I'm obviously not a candidate for the latter). Appreciate his need to be certain , but a bit worried about how far into the summer I'll be healing if he waits too long. Don't tolerate summer as it is.

So did he show you any photos (you only said you asked)?

Did you ask him how many top surgeries he has done?

Did you ask him where/who trained him in top surgery?

I know you said that he replaced someone. Is he there specifically to do trans surgeries, or he just inherited this role from this last surgeon?

Based on the fact that he doesn't know anything about WPATH and didn't immediately start talking about double incision (your chest is larger than a small B with no droop to your breasts, right?), concerns me.

I'm sure he is a good surgeon. He might be an excellent plastic surgeon. What matters is if he is an excellent (or good) top surgeon. The question is if he had any training in top surgery and how many times he has done it.

I think you live in Michigan? I assume you have Medicare. You can go to the University of Michigan.

http://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions...ender-services

Since Medicare is a federal insurance, you can use it anywhere. Transgender health programs are popping up at all the University hospitals and they take Medicare.

It's true that every surgeon who does top surgery has to start somewhere. The question is if he had any training in it. I have seen too many guys in such distress over their results when using a non-seasoned top surgeon. I know travel is costly, but it might be worth it.

Yet, with all this said, there are many guys who don't care about how "good" it looks and just "want them off". There is nothing wrong with that, either.