Why Crane?

The biggest question (aside from whether or not to have a phalloplasty) is which surgeon to go with. In the last few years the options in the U.S. seem to have exploded and I find this incredibly exciting! The more surgeons out there, the more options we have to choose from, the greater the likelihood we can find someone geographically closer, and the shorter the wait times for surgery.

The key factors in my decision-making were the following, ranked in order of importance:

1. Takes insurance.
2. Skill of the surgeon and surgical team - assessed by # of surgeries, prominence in field, and post-op results.
3. Location - preferably within a drive from Northeast US and in an area that would not be too costly for the month stay.
4. Openness to doing a phalloplasty without vaginectomy - I wasn't sure at first whether I wanted this or not and wanted it to remain an option.

I relied on several forums, websites, blogs, and personal testimonials from acquaintances and friends for information and kept coming back to the top people for me being Drs Crane and Chen. With Crane's move to Austin, TX it became a no-brainer for me. Here are the blogs that were most detailed and helpful in making my decision:

Phallo Blogs - a list of Phallo Blogs, Vlogs, and Groups

My Phalloplasty - Personal blog about RFF Phallo w/Crane

Forearm Phalloplasty - Personal blog about RFF Phallo w/Crane

Cayden Carter Tumblr - Personal blog about RFF Phallo

NotYourQueerTheoryPosterChild

Since having my consult and setting my surgery date (December 1, 2016), I've learned about the great work being done by Dr. Ting at Mt. Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine in New York City and Drs Berli and Dugi the OHSU Transgender Health Program in Oregon. Had I known about these surgeons, I would have definitely gotten a consult with each of them earlier in my process. I've heard very inconsistent feedback from folks who had surgery with Dr. Loren Schecter in Chicago, IL.