A world-renowned board-certified plastic surgeon in Seattle may be the very first to make pro bono plastic surgery part of his routine surgical services.
Patients who are experiencing low-income and meet certain other criteria may qualify for what the surgeon calls “life-saving” gender affirming surgery, formerly known as GCS, or “gender confirmation surgery.”
Dr. Javad Sajan, the founder and lead plastic surgeon at Seattle, Washington’s Allure Esthetic announced the addition last month.
Sajan points out that not all health insurance policies make allowances for this surgery, and that many patients don’t have access to the funds required to get the care they need.
He says that according to Consumer Reports, 1 out of every 5 transgender people have reportedly been denied medical care.
Others whose procedures are covered by insurance are restricted in which surgeons they can see.
Dr. Sajan’s pro bono offering bypasses that hurdle for qualifying patients.
“We offer these patients a chance to have the freedom of choosing their provider and undergoing the surgery in a timely manner,” Dr. Sajan says.
Sajan doesn’t just want to change that, he is changing that–with his own hands, and at his own practice.
He’s offering pro bono (that means “free” in regular speak) top surgery to patients who qualify.
And the qualifications shouldn’t be all too difficult to meet for many patients in need.
To qualify, patients must:
- Be below the poverty line (which varies based on the number of people in your household). If you live alone, that means making less than $12,880 per year, though this number changes frequently.
- Provide Allure Esthetic with a “personal statement” about your need for top surgery and how it would change your life.
- Submit a medical history with accompanying photos of your chest area.
For more details on each of these and to determine if they qualify, patients should email Allure or call their office at (206) 209-0988 for a secure application link.
While this sounds like–and is—an exciting opportunity that may or may not last forever, patients should realize before applying that there may be medically important reasons why they may not qualify for surgery.
Meaning, even if some patients paid to have top surgery, any ethical board-certified plastic surgeon would not operate on them at that time, but would instead suggest a later date at which surgery would likely become an option.
As Dr. Sajan says, “Not all people are surgical candidates or may require medical evaluation before undergoing elective surgery.”
