Top Surgery Doctors in Georgia

[ShyKidAnomaly]

Hi I'm looking for a Top Surgery doctor in Georgia that accepts insurance and practices informed consent, does anyone know of any? Also has anyone had surgery done by Eric A. Odessey, Nour Abboushi, or James Parker?

[MoraDollie]

Every single surgeon practices with "informed consent" because it's required by law. You should be able to call or go onto your insurance's website and look up surgeons that are "in network" for your insurance (every insurance is different). ALSO DOUBLE CHECK that your insurance will actually cover your surgery, prior to getting the ball rolling with doctors appointments (if you don't know where you can read your policy, you should be able to call your insurance and ask specifically "Is top surgery for transgender individuals covered?" and they'll tell you yes or no). 

[Mezzo Forte]

I don't know much about Georgia's surgeons or policies, but you can often call or email the different offices with those questions if you want to make sure.

 

In regards to insurance: when I used insurance to cover top surgery, I had to submit a therapist letter directly to the insurance company in order to get pre-clearance for my procedure. My surgeon also required a therapist letter, and only so many surgeons operate on informed consent, especially in states with less sanctions/protections for trans people.

 

With any surgeon you consider, I advise directly asking to see the surgeon's past results so you can gauge whether you feel that surgeon is right for you. (If you check Transbucket, there's a small handful of results for Odessey and Parker that might help you if you're looking at double incision.)

[Mezzo Forte]

Oh, and there's also a Dr. Nahai in Atlanta who apparently puts the DI scars above the nipple, go figure:

Spoiler

 

 

[ShyKidAnomaly]

The problem is I'm not transgender, I have dysphoria about my breasts and I want a completely flat chest.

[ShyKidAnomaly]

And Mezzo that's really interesting I haven't seen that before, but I actually don't want to keep my nipples.

[Mezzo Forte]

32 minutes ago, shyknit said:

The problem is I'm not transgender, I have dysphoria about my breasts and I want a completely flat chest.

Gender dysphoria is the only diagnosis you need to justify the surgery. So long as you can find a therapist willing to back you, all they need to say in their letter is that this is a medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria. You may need to go to a trans specialist to get someone qualified to write that letter, but I can't say I know much who would be more willing to help you or not. (I imagine that if you find a therapist who's non-binary friendly, they would be most likely to help you.)

 

I know that people have been able to get pretty sizable reductions covered under insurance with complaints of back pain, but full on top surgery is not quite as simple to get clearance for, unfortunately.

[ShyKidAnomaly]

Thanks Mezzo, I went on transbucket and I like the results of James Parker (who practices informed consent), and it looks like he accepts my insurance.

[ShyKidAnomaly]

Also regarding what you said about trying to find a therapist to sign off, I found this (it's from about 5 years ago) if anyone else is also interested: http://butchinthesouth.tumblr.com/post/15313152104/resources-for-faab-non-male-identified-people-who

[Chimeric]

I would strongly recommend avoiding therapists willing to "sign off" on surgery without doing their due diligence in diagnosis of gender/body dysphoria, first (ie, telephone diagnoses); it screams borderline malpractice, to me.

 

Surgery is nothing to shake a stick at, and there's no guarantee it will lessen your dysphoria. It sucks in the meantime, but it's important to do this the right way.

[ShyKidAnomaly]

I think that's my fault for using the wrong statement, what I meant to say is that she is willing to hear you out and listen even if you are not trans or non binary in regards to what Mezzo was saying.

[:)(:]

20 hours ago, Mezzo Forte said:

DI scars above the nipple, go figure:

Is that bad?

[:)(:]

 .

[ShyKidAnomaly]

I don't think Mezzo was saying putting it above the nipples is bad it's just not done super often (as far as I've seen). And if I say it's cosmetic it won't be covered by insurance, I don't have the money to pay for out of pocket (~ $6400) and it does affect my life in many ways so I don't think if it as just cosmetic.

[ShyKidAnomaly]

And Chimeric, I'm thinking of trying my college's counseling and psychological services.

[Mezzo Forte]

9 minutes ago, :)(: said:

Is that bad?

Nah, just very rare. Most surgeons put the DI scars in line with the pectoral muscles. That way, those who develop their chest muscles end up obscuring their scars  because they fall under the shadow of the pecs.

 

That said, I wonder if this scar placement does a better job of preventing dog ears from forming after surgery. It's a touch too rare now to know, but something about the placement and length of the scars gives me a feeling that might be the case.

[ShyKidAnomaly]

I'm also thinking that would be something for people with smaller breasts who want to insure they reserve nipple sensation.

[Mezzo Forte]

4 hours ago, shyknit said:

I'm also thinking that would be something for people with smaller breasts who want to insure they reserve nipple sensation.

Not really. DI involves free nipple grafts regardless of where the scars are. They remove the nipples from the stalk before grafting it back, so full sensation won't come back after a procedure like that. The only DI procedure that retains nipple sensation is T-anchor surgery.

 

People with smaller chests have the option to do keyhole or periareolar top surgery, and those surgeries preserve nipple sensation. Way less scarring too. (I had peri)

[ChillaKilla]

14 hours ago, Chimeric said:

 

I would strongly recommend avoiding therapists willing to "sign off" on surgery without doing their due diligence in diagnosis of gender/body dysphoria, first (ie, telephone diagnoses); it screams borderline malpractice, to me.

 

Then how is it not malpractice for cis people to get major breast or butt augmentations?

[ShyKidAnomaly]

I just got contacted back by Dr. Parker's office and they don't accept insurance for the procedure, but I've also contacted Dr. Abboushi who I haven't been able to find out that much about.

[Chimeric]

5 hours ago, ChillaKilla said:

Then how is it not malpractice for cis people to get major breast or butt augmentations?

I'm talking about the therapist, not the surgeon. 

 

I don't think a therapist can do their job appropriately over the phone in any situation (unless hella rapport has already been established), but especially in one where the therapist's signature gives the okay for surgery, the concept of offering (advertising, even)  telemedical consults sounds like malpractice to me. 

 

The surgery itself being a treatment option for dysphoria, I wouldn't consider that malpractice any more than I would consider reconstructive surgery malpractice. 

 

Plastic surgery such as you described falls under the classification of "vanity surgery," and while it isn't malpractice (body autonomy and all), paying for those surgeries using taxpayer (UK and Canada) or insurance (US) money is ethically questionable... Which is why those practices typically require someone to foot the bill, themselves. 

[Chimeric]

18 hours ago, shyknit said:

I'm also thinking that would be something for people with smaller breasts who want to insure they reserve nipple sensation.

I hope you find this helpful while you figure out your surgery stuff!

 

Edit - oh jeez, I quoted the wrong post.   I'm on mobile, it won't let me correct. I meant to hope your school counselor helps. 

[ShyKidAnomaly]

Thanks Chimeric :-) I'm going to try to go tomorrow or Thursday, also I found out that even if my insurances was accepted somewhere the deductible would still be too much so I'm looking into crowdfunding, possibly this site called Youcaring, I have no problem asking for help.