Facial Feminization

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Saxon joins Dr. Gopi Shah and Dr. Ashley Agan to discuss the variety of facial feminization surgeries and important considerations for treating transgender patients.

Dr. Saxon defines “facial feminization surgeries” as a group of procedures that are geared towards feminizing the face. She highlights the fact that feminizing a patient’s appearance often aligns with striving for a more youthful appearance. Therefore, feminizing procedures can include facelifts, skin resurfacing, and skin tightening with radiofrequency. Additionally, Dr. Saxon describes her techniques for chondrolaryngoplasty (also known as tracheal shave), mandibular contouring, and type 3 cranioplasty. She also discusses post-operative care with exosome injections at incision sites and steroids.

Throughout this episode, Dr. Saxon offers advice for providers who treat transgender patients. From a pre-operative standpoint, she advises surgeons to ensure that their patients are off of hormone therapy during the two weeks prior to surgery in order to reduce the risk of DVT. She also encourages providers to ask about patients’ preferred pronouns and avoid making assumptions about their patients. Above all, she emphasizes that providers should be open-minded and recognize that patient care is a dynamic learning process throughout their entire careers.