Under The Knife

Do your homework, but it is not easy to find out about surgeons because there is no database for surgeons or if there is it is not well known.

Trans Collective Demands Regulations for Doctors Performing Genital Surgery
The group has written an open letter calling on WPATH to accredit doctors performing gender-affirming surgeries.
Out
By Rose Dommu
April 21, 2018

Earlier this month, a group of transgender individuals — all of whom have undergone genital surgery — released a letter to the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) to request reform in the way the organization polices its surgical members — mainly, that it do so at all. Surgeons are allowed to be members of the collective without providing any real proof of training when it comes to performing these complicated procedures (besides being licensed plastic surgeons).

"I can't count how many times I've heard groups of trans people say, 'we should start a database on surgeons' because the reality isn't matching the claims they make about their outcomes, and it doesn't feel like anyone besides us cares," says Gaines Blasdel, a trans community advocate who runs the site Healthy Trans and one of the co-authors of the letter.

Blasdel and the other authors of the open letter aim to provide a resource to trans patients who are often left with little to no medical support once they return home from surgery. 

“Go back to your surgeon… I’m fixing her work!”

Many trans people hear that when they have problems with their surgery, local healthcare providers don’t want to touch us if there are after surgery complication. I know of several trans people who that has happened to, one had to be driven half way across country to have her problems fixed by her surgeon.

We are also to blame there are some trans people who don’t want to hear anything bad about their doctor who did their surgery… speak no evil of my surgeon!

So what is being done?

The authors of the letter are demanding that WPATH be required to accredit doctors performing gender-affirming genital surgeries and give patients access to information that surgeons either aren't collecting or are editing in their favor. "Historically they've been more concerned with deciding if the patient is trans enough for surgery — that era is coming to an end, and I think that we'll see an increase in the 'informed consent' philosophy in the next standards of care. But the question is, are they still going to continue let surgeons do a week of observation, pay their membership dues, and just start advertising as WPATH surgeons? Because that is happening."

So what is being done… well WPATH is now starting to teach surgeons.

Mount Sinai / WPATH Live Surgery Training Course for Gender Affirmation ProceduresA WPATH Certified Course
Featuring Didactic & Live Gender Affirmation Procedures
Mount Sinai Stern Auditorium
The Mount Sinai Hospital
1468 Madison Avenue New York, New York

THURSDAY, APRIL 26 | One-Day Didactic Course Only
Ideal for Healthcare Professionals Interested in Gender Affirmation Procedures

THURSDAY, APRIL 26 – SATURDAY, APRIL 28 | Full Program
(Includes One-Day Didactic Course & 1.5 Day Live Surgery Course)
Comprehensive Live Surgery Course for surgeons, surgical residents, surgical fellows, peri- and post- operative care providers.

So last week the course was held in New York where the surgeons could watch a live surgery.

They are also doing training class for therapist where you can get certified.

What’s the drawback to all this training?

Well there is concern that insurance companies will demand a certified therapist to write the letter for hormones and surgery which means we have to hunt around for the one or two therapist who are certified in the state. It can become a new form of “gatekeeping.”