Preparing for Your Free, Virtual Consultation
Pre-Surgery Consultations with the Gender Confirmation Center (GCC) from a Distance
The first step for many of our patients in getting gender affirming surgery is booking a surgical consultation. Since many of our patients need to travel from out of town to access highly experienced, board-certified plastic surgeons who specialize in transgender care, we offer the option of having a free, virtual consultation with one of our expert surgeons to any interested patient. You can initiate this process by filling out our consultation request form, where you can tell us about yourself, the procedure(s) you are interested in and how you plan on paying for your surgery so we can support you secure insurance coverage and/or connect you with financing resources if necessary.
Once you have filled out the form, someone from our office will reach out to you to request that you send us photos of yourself through our secure patient portal. From there, our patient coordinator will contact you to schedule a phone consultation with GCC surgeons. There is no charge for a virtual consultation. Our usual consultation fee of $150 is waived for all virtual consultation patients. Below you can find more detailed information on the virtual consultation and insurance approval processes:
Beginning the Virtual Consultation Process
Step 1: Uploading Your Photos
GCC surgeons will need to evaluate the physical appearance of the part(s) of your body you would like to get surgically modified. After filling out the consultation request form on our website, we ask that patients upload photos onto Remedly, our secure, patient communication platform. The first step is to create an account through the GCC’s Remedly portal. From there, you can go to “Online New Procedure Consults” to upload your photos. Your photos should be taken in good lighting with a neutral, solid background. We need front and side photos (left and right), as well as 45 degree diagonal photos. If you are interested in top surgery (a chest reconstruction, breast reduction or breast augmentation) and/or body contouring, please consult this guide for taking photos. If you are interested in gender affirming facial surgery, please consult this guide for taking preoperative photos.
Step 2: Patient Information and Clinical History Forms
To get the most out of your virtual consultation with GCC surgeons, we ask that you review and fill-out the “Patient Information” and “Clinical History” forms on Remedly. Once you have submitted photos and completed your patient information and clinical history forms, our office will contact you to schedule a remote consultation. If you need to email, fax or mail any documentation to our offices, please use the following address:
The Gender Confirmation Center
450 Sutter Street, Suite 1010
San Francisco, CA. 94108
Fax: (628) 867-6510
The Consultation and Beyond
The consultation process is about building trust and a good rapport with GCC surgeons as well as having all your questions answered. Being completely informed about the process allows you to make the best possible decisions about your surgery. Virtual consultations can be carried out over the phone or through video conferencing. During your consultation, it is important to be honest about your goals and expectations. You should also come prepared to discuss your medical history.
After your consultation, if GCC surgeons feel that you are a good candidate for surgery, our patient coordinator will contact you with (1) a quote for your procedure or more details about the insurance approval process and (2) further planning details for your procedure, such as travel and accommodation information.
It is important to note that most patients must arrive in the San Francisco area within a day or two of their procedure for a pre-operative visit. Following surgery, patients who have come in from out of town will be asked to stay in the San Francisco Bay Area for at least 7 days post-op to monitor their health–though this period of time varies depending on the procedure. We encourage you to ask your surgeon during your initial consultation how long you should stay in the San Francisco Bay Area for your unique procedure.
Getting the Insurance Approval Process Started
If you are interested in having your insurance cover your gender affirming surgery with the GCC, you can get started on sending us over the necessary information as soon as you have filled out the consultation request form and uploaded your photos, the patient information and clinical history forms to Remedly. For information about insurance coverage, please email our insurance advocacy team at advocate@genderconfirmation.com .
Please send the following information:
1. Full Legal Name
2. Full Preferred Name
3. Preferred Pronouns
4. Date of Birth
5. Procedure(s) you are looking to have covered
6. Scan of your insurance card (both front and back)
7. Therapist/Doctor letters of support for your surgical procedures. These letters should state clearly that you have gender dysphoria related to the area you are interested in changing surgically, and that you meet the WPATH criteria for surgery. We can provide you and/or your provider with specific recommendations for the support letter upon request.
8. Best telephone contact number (please verify if it is okay to leave a message)
Set-Up Your Virtual Consultation With One of Our Expert Surgeons
Are you ready to take the next step? Fill out the consultation request form on our website. If you have any questions about surgical consultations, you can also call our San Francisco office at (415) 780-1515 or (844) 780-1515. You can reach us between 9am and 5:30pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday. We look forward to helping you on your journey!
