Doctors, Doctors…

It seems like that the question that I get asked the most by trans people is where can they find a surgeon. There are more surgeons who do top surgery for the guys but it is still not enough and it is even worst for us women.

Transgender Americans face dearth of sexual reassignment surgeons
Americans seeking sexual reassignment surgery have found that specialists are few and far between
Al Jazeera America
By Lisa Fletcher
August 28, 2015

But little did he [Jayden Thai] know that his journey would mean confronting a medical system ill prepared and often unwilling to embrace transgender patients.

In fact, a Web search reveals just how few American doctors specialize in performing complicated surgeries to change physical and sexual characteristics as part of some people’s gender transitions. TSSurgeryGuide.com lists fewer than 30 physicians who offer sexual reassignment surgery, mostly located on the coasts.

While a few more surgeons might not have been listed, that number is probably in the ballpark, according to medical professionals who told America Tonight that people who are transgender are dangerously underserved by the medical system, especially when it comes to surgical specialties.

They do not list the GCS surgeon here in Connecticut that is doing MtF surgery, nor do they list the surgeon in Boston who I hear is also doing surgery for MtF. And there are a number of surgeons who are doing top surgery for FtM here in Connecticut and western Massachusetts.

Dr. John Taylor is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon based in New Jersey – and one of the few doctors in the US who specializes in sexual reassignment surgery.

“I remember getting a phone call in my office on day from the chief of surgery, who was screaming at me on the other end of the line, saying – and I’ll never forget this – he said, ‘Don’t you even think about bringing those freaks into my hospital!’” Taylor recalled. “So, that’s what I was dealing with when I started this.” 

And that is how many hospitals think about our surgery. That is why Dr. Bowers is no long doing surgery in Trinidad Colorado, the Catholic hospital there decided that after some 40 - 50 years that they did want to do trans surgeries any more. I think with now having insurance coverage for trans healthcare you will see more doctors doing surgery for us.

Talking to trans people it seems like they are still having to fight for insurance coverage, when they call their insurance companies the first answer they get is no. For many trans people they don’t appeal the refusal, we have to learn to advocate for ourselves. In addition, the doctors and healthcare providers have to learn how to properly code the treatment.