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Follow-Up for Out-of Town Patients After Facial Feminization Surgery

Most patients who travel to our office in San Francisco from their hometowns for facial feminization procedures will be cleared to return home after their first post-op appointment with us, about 7-10 days after surgery. Once you’ve returned home, there are various protocols we have in place to keep monitoring your recovery process, which include: follow-up with local providers (should be set up prior to surgery), virtual post-operative consultations with your surgeon, and what to do in the case of a medical complication.

Out of Town Follow-up: Virtual and with Local Providers

Once you return home, your surgeon will be able to monitor your progress virtually through phone calls, photographs, and/or video appointments at the 3 week, 6 week, and 3 month mark after surgery. If you plan on sending photos for a follow-up appointment, remember these guidelines and check out this facial surgery guide for photos for more details:

• 7 different angles: front facing, full profile on each side, and 45° on each side, along with birds eye view (photo above the nose looking down) and worm’s eye view (photo below the nose that points up the nostrils)
• Hair: pull hair off face and behind ears (use headband to pull bangs back)
• Remove all jewelry, glasses, makeup
• Not too close: no parts of the face should be cut out of the frame 
• Ears, hairline, and neck should all be in frame
• Good lighting, flash on, in focus, and zoomed in
• Solid background

Our surgical team will collaborate with your local primary care physician (PCP) to ensure any necessary follow-up communications are completed on time. It’s important to speak with your PCP in advance to arrange correspondence between our office and theirs.

Facial Feminization Surgery Complications

There is always the rare chance that you’ll experience undesirable risks or complications at some point during your recovery. In these unlikely instances, it’s necessary for you to call us so we can advise you on how to move forward with your medical care and support communications with your local medical team. We will either be able to address your concerns ourselves, suggest you visit your PCP, or recommend you go to a local emergency room.

In the rare event that you experience one of the symptoms listed below, we recommend you visit a local emergency room first and then communicate with your surgeon as soon as possible. You can reach our surgical team either through our patient contact form or by calling (415) 780-1515.

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Excessive bleeding from incision
• Lightheadedness
• Rapid onset swelling in any area of the body 

To learn more about facial feminization surgery or to schedule a consultation with one of our surgeons, contact us here.