Actions

Denver Health to soon offer facial feminization surgery for transgender patients

Posted at 5:16 PM, Jul 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-09 19:16:20-04

DENVER — Transgender women yearning for more female facial features will soon have the chance to discover their options at Denver Health Medical Center.

In about a month, Denver Health will introduce its facial feminization surgery service as part of its LGBT Center of Excellence, which launched in 2017, said Kari Kuka, administrative director for the center.

“We believe firmly in being able to provide patients with access to all of the services that they want and need,” she said. “Expanding gender confirmation surgeries was included in that mission.”

This type of surgery isn’t new to the medical industry, but patients do have limited access to it, Kuka said. Most of the time, they have to travel out of state, or even out of the country, to find a surgeon who can properly contour the facial bones to make them look more feminine.

“Facial feminization is really dependent on each person,” she said. “And that has to do with how young or old they were when they started with their cross-sex hormones.”

Dr. David Khechoyan with Denver Health specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

“Every patient’s needs and desires are different,” he said. “A personalized surgical plan will be developed for each patient with attention to each individual patient’s needs.”

The most common surgeries for facial feminization are forehead contouring, lower jaw contouring and rhinoplasty, among others, he said.

Kuka said those interested in learning more about the surgery can call 303-602-6819.

“These gender confirmation surgeries that include facial feminization are steps into the process of helping these women see themselves as they know themselves to be,” she said. “That include facial feminization surgery, gender reassignment surgery, tracheal shaves (and) breast augmentation — to really have your outer body match your heart, mind and soul.”