Dr. Meltzer Or Dr. Mcginn?

[Guest BeckyTG]

Hello Sweet Sisters,

I am contemplating future surgery and wanting some input on Dr. Christine McGinn from her patients.

She seems fairly new at all this and I'm wondering how her patients regard her expertise, manner and, particularly, the aftercare experience.

I would welcome any knowledge that anyone would care to share, as this is a big step and a life-altering decision.

I'm also curious about Dr. Meltzer, who's been at this longer and wanting to know the same things.

Thank you.

Becky

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Our member, Michele, has just had SRS by Dr. McGuinn.

Lizzy

[Guest Donna Jean]

Our member, Michele, has just had SRS by Dr. McGuinn.

Lizzy

I was just about to say that, Lizzy....

You may want to shoot her a PM, Becky....

She's not been on the boards too much and she just went for her first check up....

'Huggs

Donna Jean

[Guest mia 1]

Dr. McGinn is a bravo heroic person a trans women and not only is competent as a surgeon but has a wonderful bed side manner..

A friend went to see her for post op therapy and physical examination and was more than pleased...

mia

xx

[Guest ReginaRenea]

Hello Sweet Sisters,

I am contemplating future surgery and wanting some input on Dr. Christine McGinn from her patients.

She seems fairly new at all this and I'm wondering how her patients regard her expertise, manner and, particularly, the aftercare experience.

I would welcome any knowledge that anyone would care to share, as this is a big step and a life-altering decision.

I'm also curious about Dr. Meltzer, who's been at this longer and wanting to know the same things.

Thank you.

Becky

Hi Becky; I live about a hundred miles from her clinic and all the research I did on her points to- 20 years experience with trans, she is trans herself, and she was flight surgeon for 2 spaceshuttle missions. everyone that I found she worked on or she's still working with really like her. Dr McGinn is more sensitive to our needs as she went through the same thing. What I hear about Dr Meltzer is he's not so sensitive. He's good but personal I think Dr. McGinn is a better choice. Hope this helps you? HUGS Regina Renea

[Guest miss kindheart]

Dr. McGinn was trained by DR Bowers, and from everything I have heard is an excellent choice.

Dr Bowers has a Yahoo group that you can join and get valuable information from:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/trinidadsupport/

Quite often girls get off topic their and talk about other Dr such as Dr McGinn , you can search the past post for information too.

good luck,

vanna

[Guest Chandra]

Hey Becky,

Sounds like your moving along nicely, but what ever happened to Dr. Bowers in Trinidad ?

Love

Lil sis Chandra

[Paula ult]

Becky hon,

Another site i frequent has quite a few that had their surgery by her including her 3rd, there were such good reviews I had a consult with Dr. Mcginn in June, she seems to be a very caring person, has quite strict guidelines she follows and takes lots of time, i was with her for over an hour and another transwoman that met us there and wanted to ask her something and did not have an appointment she took time to accommodate her, the next day i scheduled my date for next year and paid my deposit, i am pleased and am sure i am in good hands. Michelle H had her surgery with her at the end of June, you might try a pm.

As far as Dr. Melzer, i have heard good things about him as well, though he is the most expensive of the srs surgeons.

If you have any one of the top surgeons most are pleased with the results.

Paula

[Drea]

Dr Meltzer has had the most consistant best reputation for over 10 years. I have known several personally who have gone to him and have talked with a couple dozen online through the years. I have never heard a single direct complaint.

The big reason people did not go to Meltzer were two fold. One was cost. He has always been on the more expesive side but far from the most expensive.

Second is that he favored a two step procedure. Vaginoplasty and then some period later labiaplasty. There are very good reasons for this. Essentially fine detail is very hard to maintain if both are attempted at the same time. Other surgeons such as Brassard and Menard in Montreal had been doing a single step procedure but in doing so sacraficed some of the finer detail. For many patients however that was perfectly acceptable. Labiaplasty was never requred with Meltzer, it was an option. Many found the basic vaginoplasty procedure provided satisfying results and did not feel the need for the second surgery. The second procedure as I recall is an outpatient thing so a hospital stay and general anestisa wasn't required. I would not be suprised if Meltzer may offer a single procedure now just because many expect it these days.

I don't have any personal experience with Meltzer and my observatiosn are simply based upon reputation, the several that I know in person who have gone to him and the couple dozen I have met online.

As for McGinn, I think the jury is out on her. She is still new and hasn't developed much of a reputation. In comparison to Meltzer, I know relitivly few (in person or online) who have gone to her. Yet of the few I know of, I have heard of some issues. Complications happen with all surgeons however. She will develop a reputation but at the moment, she gets a good ride from Marci's coat tails since she was trained by Marci.

As for McGinn being trained by Marci, I would point out that Marci is also a newcommer in her own right and received her own training from from Biber who was generally considered to be a fair, but not great surgeon at the time. So to me, the fact that she was trained by Marci doesn't carry a good deal of water. Marci's reputation seems to stem mostly from her television fame.

On a personal level, a friend of mine did go to McGinn and I have met McGinn and have had some dealings with her. In my friend's case, McGinn performed the procedure in a way that a more experience surgeon (Dr Menard) had mentioned is not the best thing to do in a conversation I had with him a couple years earler. It shows in the surgical results in a negative way. To me this was suggestive of inexperience or simply not having had learned from someone with more advanced techniques.

There are certain some things McGinn has going for her regardless. She is lower priced for one. She makes herself available if there are problems. In my friend's case, after a problem developed, she provided her cell phone number so she could directly be reached if the issue got more serious. In my own dealings with her office, they seemed fairly efficient which is a rarity among doctors offices these days. One minor annoyance is that the office did make an error in the gender confirmation surgery letter and my friend got charged a second time to get the corrected notarized copies. Small money, but annoying as it was their error.

So I wouldn't rule out McGinn by any stretch. I only note that she is relitivly new and thus is more of an unknown quantity as far as her skill at performing SRS. As someone else mentioned she isn't new to medical practice.

As an aside, and for purposes of disclosure, my surgeon was Dr Menard. I know the question here was about McGinn and Meltzer, but one also can look to Montreal for reasonable costs and what is generally considered to be the best after care experience by far.