Why the process of gender-affirming care is so complicated<\/p>\n
The conversations that surgeons and medical staff have with patients before doing surgery are important, but surgeons can and should help patients understand why that is, said Loren Schechter<\/a>, a plastic surgeon and director of gender affirmation surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, as well as the president-elect of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThat relationship is a two-way street. The patient has to be comfortable with the surgeon and vice versa,\u201d he said. \u201cWe understand that not all individuals who are gender-diverse or transgender proceed with surgery or necessarily are candidates for surgery.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \u201cPeople often wait for years and years to undergo these procedures and we want to make sure they understand what is a reasonable result, what can someone expect \u2026 following surgery, and what are things that go beyond surgery,\u201d he added.\n<\/p>\n For instance, Schechter said patients may need support from family and friends and other medical providers, or help with the logistics of traveling to surgery or staying to recover afterwards.\n <\/p>\n He said the field has improved in the more than 20 years since he has been practicing in this field of medicine. For instance, his staff has grown to include a social worker, physical therapist and patient navigator to support patients before and after surgery.\n<\/p>\n The study found that one way clinics can make a difference is to have patient navigators in charge of helping patients through the paperwork and insurance processes, especially if the navigators are themselves trans or nonbinary.\n<\/p>\n Strand said she hopes this research could inspire surgeons who provide this kind of care to think about how they can make it a better experience for their patients, and to consider that as a measure of success, in addition to how the surgery turned out.\n<\/p>\n