Facial Gender Affirming Surgery in Denver, CO

Coverage for facial gender affirming procedures varies by insurance plan and by procedure. Some procedures may be covered when they meet a plan’s medical necessity criteria, while others may be considered cosmetic or may only be partially covered.

Our team will work with you and your insurance provider to help clarify coverage when possible. Patients may still have out-of-pocket costs depending on their plan, deductible, benefits, and the procedures being considered.

Good candidates for facial gender affirming procedures are generally healthy adults who have realistic expectations and clear goals for how they would like their facial appearance to change. Certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or bleeding risks, may require additional planning before surgery.

Facial gender affirming procedures can be an important part of aligning appearance with identity, but they are also part of a broader, personal process. During your consultation, our doctors will discuss your goals, review your medical history, and help determine whether surgical, nonsurgical, staged, or combined treatment options are appropriate.

Several types of orbital tumors affect people at different ages. Some orbital tumors may be more common in children, while the most common type of benign orbital tumor is the “cavernous hemangioma,” which develops in most middle-aged adults.

However, other risk factors may increase one’s chances of developing an orbital tumor. Children born with abnormalities and people with thyroid eye disease, as well as the autoimmune disease called “Graves’ Disease” may be at a higher risk of developing an orbital tumor than the average person.

Fante Eye & Face Center offers many facial gender affirming procedures, but not every procedure listed below is available at our office. Procedures marked with an asterisk are not currently offered at our practice.

The most common gender affirming procedures include:

• Fillers and botulinum toxin to gently reshape the brows, cheeks, and lips
• Waxing and/or laser hair removal
• Laser and light-based treatments to soften and improve the complexion
• Eyebrow lifting or contour-changing surgery
• Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery)
• Fat grafting from the hips or belly to the face
• Lip lift to shorten the distance between the upper lip and the nose and accentuate the lip shape
• Otoplasty to reduce the prominence and/or size of the ears
• Hairline surgery to raise or lower the hairline
• Chin augmentation
• Jawline augmentation (genioplasty)*
• Rhinoplasty surgery (nose job)*
• Reduction of the brow ridge*
• Tracheal shaving to reduce a prominent Adam’s apple*

*These procedures are not available at our office

Yes, in general, multiple areas of the face can be addressed during a single trip to the operating room or an office visit. However, for best results, your doctor may sometimes recommend performing procedures at different times (what we would refer to as a “staged approach”). If this is the case, we will discuss and explain the options thoroughly with you during your evaluation.

Preparation depends on the procedures being performed. You may need lab testing, medical clearance, medication adjustments, or imaging such as a CT scan. If you smoke, stopping before and after surgery is important because smoking can interfere with healing and affect your results.

It is also important that you and your surgeon have a shared understanding of your goals, expectations, and treatment plan. When appropriate, our doctors may coordinate care with your other physicians, mental health providers, or caregivers to support safe and personalized care.

Recovery time varies depending on the procedures you desire. For in-office procedures like botulinum toxin and filler, there is minimal downtime and impact on your daily activities. For surgical procedures that involve a trip to the operating room, recovery time is most typically about 1-2 weeks, but may be longer for more extensive recontouring procedures. Generally, we ask that you lie low for about 7 days and limit heavy lifting or strenuous activities. Depending on exactly what changes you would like to make, your expected recovery time may be shorter or longer, and what to expect after surgery will be discussed in detail at the time of your evaluation.

Yes, you can move forward with facial gender affirming procedures while on many medications, including hormone therapy. In some cases, if you are on estrogen therapy and have other risk factors for developing blood clots, you and your surgeon may discuss the risks and benefits of temporarily stopping your treatment around the time of surgery, although this is not always necessary. Some medications, especially blood thinners (like aspirin, ibuprofen, Coumadin, Plavix, Eliquis, and others) will be stopped for varying amounts of time before your procedure to reduce the risk of bleeding and complications. The same is true of herbal supplements with blood-thinning effects, such as aloe, fish oil, ginkgo, ginger, and turmeric. Some types of blood pressure-lowering or stimulant medications must also be stopped. This will all be thoroughly reviewed, and you will receive specific personalized instructions regarding your medication regimen before surgery.