You can leave the insurance worries to us. The GCC provides a free insurance concierge service to interested patients. After soliciting any necessary documents from you, our insurance advocacy team will get to work to secure full or partial coverage for your medically necessary, gender affirming procedure(s). Our team has a 90% success rate in securing coverage for insured patients. Learn more about that process here. That said, as of May 2023, there are new insurance restrictions around body contouring procedures: If you have insurance coverage and we are a contracted provider, we are unable to offer you an out-of-pocket price for your medically necessary body contouring (liposuction and/or fat grafting) …

Since several patients of body masculinization surgery (BMS) undergo top surgery as a part of the same procedure we refer them to the top surgery timeline guide. Though specific to top surgery, steps 1-7 that cover how to get surgery–from requesting a consultation, to obtaining insurance approval and completing all other preoperative requirements–are all the same for any type of body contouring procedure.

Dr. Ellie Zara Ley (she/her/they) is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the only transgender woman of color to offer a full-spectrum specialization in gender affirming surgery: top surgery, bottom surgery, facial surgery and body contouring. She also specializes transgender adolescent care. She is highly trained, having completing her general surgery residency at University of Arizona, a fellowship in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Utah, a fellowships in craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City and another in hand surgery and microsurgery at the University of Southern California. Prior to joining our team in 2022, she worked as an assistant clinical instructor …

Dr. Alexander Facque (he/him) is a board-certified plastic surgeon and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Dr. Facque got his start in gender-affirming care as a resident at the Icahn School of Medicine at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, where he first recognized the importance of providing safe and accessible surgeries to trans and non-binary patients. He then spent a year training and expanding his knowledge under Dr. Loren Schechter, one of the world’s foremost gender-affirming surgeons, as a fellow at Weiss Memorial Hospital’s Gender Confirmation Surgery and Practice Leadership in Chicago. Dr. Facque officially joined our team in 2020 and brought with him over 5 years …

We have created a guide specifically for facial surgery patients on how they can prepare for surgery in the days leading up to it. There, you will find information on getting medical clearance to tips on how to improve your recovery process.

Absolutely not. At the GCC we are committed to serving patients of all gender identities. We only require HRT for patients undergoing certain bottom surgery procedures. We take an individualized approach with our patients to design a surgical plan that meets their unique goals. When it comes to facial surgeries, HRT can only alter soft tissue. Most commonly, estrogenic HRT redistributes fat to increase volume of the cheeks and soften the browline; the opposite is true for testosterone HRT. HRT cannot change bone structure, which is why many patients seek out facial surgery to change the overall structure of their face. Though not a requirement, if you are considering or …

Many trans, non-binary and gender expansive patients need to travel to access a board-certified, experienced gender affirming surgeon. At the GCC, we are very accustomed to working with patients from out of town. For recommendations on travel and lodging, click here. We have also compiled a guide on post-operative follow-up protocols for facial surgery patients who do not live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Letters of support or clearance letters from certified, mental health professionals are welcome and valuable, but not a requirement for adults who seek surgery with the GCC. This is because we use the informed consent model, which means that a letter from a therapist is not required unless the patient is seeking insurance approval. Insurance companies always require a letter of support from a mental health professional for approval. If our reconstructive surgeons are outside of your provider network, you will also need a reference letter from your primary care provider to request insurance coverage. For more information, click here.

We have compiled a list of scholarships for gender affirming surgeries alongside trusted, medical credit agencies you can use to help finance your surgery with us. You can also find estimated costs for each procedure we offer if you plan on paying entirely out of pocket. Click here for more.

You can leave the insurance worries to us. The GCC provides a free insurance concierge service to interested patients. After soliciting any necessary documents from you, our insurance advocacy team will get to work to secure full or partial coverage for your medically necessary, gender affirming procedure(s). Our team has a 90% success rate in securing coverage for insured patients. Learn more about those services here.