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Surgical Safety

Advances in technology and surgical approaches have made plastic and reconstructive surgery safer than ever before. Despite these advances, all surgical procedures carry some degree of risk and uncertainty. If you’re considering any kind of gender affirming surgery, there are a variety of steps that you should take in advance to minimize these risks.

Credential Check: Always Choose a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

If you’re considering surgery, you should always seek the expertise of a board certified plastic surgeon. Board certified plastic surgeons must complete several years of training within the field of plastic surgery and are bound by the American Board of Plastic Surgery to uphold the highest standards of quality and safety.

If you are unsure of your physician’s credentials, you can check the American Board of Medical Specialties website (abms.org).

Accredited Surgery Centers

All board certified plastic surgeons must perform surgical procedures in accredited surgery centers.  To be accredited, a surgery center must meet strict national standards for equipment, operating room safety, and surgeon credentials. Also, there are standards in accredited centers for fire safety and electrical power back-up.

As a result, accredited facilities have an excellent record of patient safety. By choosing both a board certified plastic surgeon and an accredited surgery center for your surgery, you can ensure:

• An exceptionally low incidence of serious complications (less than half of 1 percent)
• An exceptionally low mortality rate (less than one in 50,000)
• The benefit of lower surgical costs

Accredited surgery centers are certified by Medicare, the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), or the Joint Commission of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Discussing Medical History with Your Surgeon

Choosing the right surgeon isn’t the only essential component to achieving a safe and successful surgery. Ultimately, the success of your procedure is a team effort. You can contribute by discussing  your medical history and your desired outcomes with your surgeon.

Prior to your procedure, you will have a physical exam. During this process, there will be the opportunity to discuss current or past medical conditions, as well as medications or supplements you may be taking. You will also have the chance to discuss your goals at length. If you censor or neglect to mention important information regarding your health, you may increase your risk of complications.

Patient Safety with The Gender Confirmation Center

Ensuring a safe and successful surgery is our number one goal. In addition to years of training and expertise in the fields of plastic and reconstructive surgery, our surgeons are long-standing members of the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

All surgeries are performed with a board-certified anesthesiologist, and our surgeons maintain  privileges at several local San Francisco hospitals and surgery centers:

• Vista Surgery Center
• San Francisco Surgery Center
• California Pacific Medical Center
• Saint Francis Memorial Hospital
• Saint Mary’s Hospital

Providing proper post-operative care is also essential to a healthy recovery. For this reason, our surgeons perform all post-surgical evaluations personally rather than a nurse or other health care provider. This gives them the opportunity to identify and immediately intervene on any issues that may occur after surgery.