I’m very early on T, and I’m starting to want to do research on top surgery. I’m part of a few Facebook groups where people discuss top surgery so I can get a feel for what I want/don’t want in a surgery and what I can realistically expect, but I’m a little lost in terms of what I should look into. Outside of seeing if they take my insurance, whatelse should I look into? Any general advice? I’m at minimum many months off (I’d like to be 1 year on T), but I just wanna be in the know, ya know?
Thanks for reaching out! Congrats on starting T- what an exciting time!!!!!
With regard to top surgery, my advice would be to set up as many free consultations as possible (even if you aren’t especially interested in the surgeon) to get a feel for the procedure and how various offices operate. Many surgeons offer free consultations in-person, over-the-telephone or online. See my incomplete list below:
Dr. Miguel Delgado in San Franciso, Califronia
Dr. Gehaan D’Souza in Carlsbad, California
Dr. Scott Mosser in San Francisco, California
Dr. Rex Moulton-Barrett in Brentwood, California
Dr. Alexander Sinclair in Beverly Hills, California
Dr. Jamie Schwartz in Beverly Hills, California
Dr. Winfield Hartley in Boulder, Colorado
Dr. Paul Steinwald in Denver, Colorado
Dr. Timothy Alexander in Miami, Florida
Dr. Charles Garramone in Davie, Florida
Dr. Harun Zekirovski in Orlando, Florida
Dr. Brian Aslanian in Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. Troy Austin in Evans, Georgia
Dr. Navin Singh in Chevy Chase, Maryland
Dr. Paul Costas in Concord, Massachusetts
Dr. Kenneth Wolf in West Bloomfield, Michigan
Dr. Carol Ann Aylward in Kansas City, Missouri
Dr. Perry Johnson in Omaha, Nebraska
Dr. Orna Fisher in Las Vegas, Nevada
Dr. Keith Blechman in New York, New York
Dr. Emese Kalnoki in Rochester, New York
Dr. Elliot Jacobs in New York, New York
Dr. Jeffrey Rockmore in Albany, New York
Dr. Douglas Senderoff in New York, New York
Dr. Hope Sherie in Charlotte, North Carolina
Dr. Steven Robinson in Cincinnati, Ohio
Dr. Hugh Mclean in Mississauga, Ontario
Dr. Dustin Reid in Austin, Texas
Dr. Matthew Stanwix in Richmond, Virginia
Dr. Manish Champaneria in Vancouver, Washington
Dr. Megan Dreveskracht in Tukwila, Washington
Dr. Antonio Mangubat in Tukwila, Washington
Dr. Javad Sajan in Seattle, Washington
Consultations are a great way to get yourself educated… and they are a wonderful opportunity to speak one-on-one with a surgeon who will answer all of your questions. Prepare a handy-dandy list of questions, or use my list below:
likelihood of developing a hematoma/ seroma?
skin necrosis- how to recognize dying skin?
other surgical complications?
how long should swelling occur before consulting a medical professional?
can i contact office about complications?
how far in advance should one quit smoking?
how many additional pre-op appointments before procedure?
is blood work/physical needed for surgery?
how does the procedure work?
scar locations/ scarring/ scar treatments?
how long under general anesthesia?
how long is the surgery itself?
post-op recovery questions: medications, showering, driving, post-op visits, drains, dog walking, class, sex.
is total cost including anesthesiologist, facility fee, surgeons fee, consultation/post-op follow-up fees and future revisions?
how many patients require revisions?
are there ways to lower the cost of the surgery?
how much of cost is required upon booking/before surgery?
how far in advance is payment due?
Take notes. Jot down what you like and dislike about the surgeons you consult with an go from there. Be a wise consumer. Don’t go to a surgeon that doesn’t vibe with you and makes you feel uncomfortable.
Be sure to seek clarification about what’s included in the fees. Seek a surgeon who offers free revisions and follow-up appointments (EVEN if you aren’t seeking revisions or follow-up appointments). Steer clear of surgeon’s who tack on additional un-covered “cosmetic” or “contouring” fees in addition to billing your insurance company.
My last bit of advice would be to expect the worse, hope for the best, and prep for all the rest. Anticipate all the bad and gnarly outcomes imaginable, prepare for complications, and expect suboptimal results so anything less than suboptimal feels mind-blowing (because all too often people really go into surgery with unrealistic expectation and that jazz kills). Mentally prep and brace yourself so you’re in a solid head-space and have a decent mindset before the procedure!!!
Finally, if you are planning on utilizing insurance, I’d recommend reaching out to your insurance company to see what they cover and what requirements they have… and, as always, if ya wanna chitchat further, don’t hesitate to give a holler :-)
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