Gender Confirmation Surgery in San Francisco
Dr. Thomas Satterwhite, MD is a board-certified Plastic and Craniofacial Surgeon in San Francisco who is dedicated to offering the highest level of surgical care to the transgender community. Dr. Satterwhite works exclusively with trans women, trans men and non-binary patients seeking Gender Confirmation procedures such as Vaginoplasty, Facial Feminization, and Top Surgery. At Align Surgical Associates, Dr. Satterwhite has developed a healthcare environment where the focus is appropriate, safe patient care and exquisite surgical results.
Dr. Satterwhite is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree (Human Biology with Honors) and Medical Degree at Stanford University in California. He also completed his Plastic Surgery residency at Stanford Hospital, which is highly regarded for its training program. It was at Stanford that Dr. Satterwhite became interested in Gender Reassignment Surgery, after meeting Dr. Donald Laub, who opened the first sex-reassignment clinic on the West Coast in 1968. Dr. Satterwhite developed expertise in facial surgery through the completion of a craniofacial fellowship in Miami with Dr. S. Anthony Wolfe, a world-renowned craniofacial surgeon.
Dr. Satterwhite maintains active membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and is also a member of the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH). He has extensively published in plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery. Dr. Satterwhite has won multiple awards (including the highly competitive Plastic Surgery Foundation award through the American Society of Plastic Surgeons) for his research in plastic surgery and for his presentations at regional and national conferences. He is a frequent presenter at transgender conferences, including WPATH’s Biennial Symposium, Gender Odyssey, Gender Spectrum, and the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference.
Dr. Satterwhite has co-authored many peer-reviewed academic papers on Gender Surgery. His latest research is focused on improving the safety and outcomes of Vaginoplasty and surgical and non-surgical techniques for Facial Feminization and Masculinization.
For the past two decades, the San Francisco Bay Area has been the home for Dr. Satterwhite and his husband and their son. On being a Gender Surgeon, Dr. Satterwhite, says it feels like the most natural thing in the world. “It’s very natural and easy for me. I understand what it’s like to feel discriminated against. I have a lot of sympathy for what my patients go through.”
Feminization Surgery
Dr. Satterwhite specializes in Facial Feminization Surgery, which can include shaving of the Adam’s apple, contouring the mandible, Rhinoplasty, advancing the hairline and contouring the forehead. During his craniofacial fellowship, he gained a true appreciation and a keen eye for natural facial form, function, and aesthetics, and developed superior skills and artistry in facial surgery. Dr. Satterwhite routinely performs the following FFS procedures:
- Hairline Correction
- Forehead Recontouring
- Brow Lift
- Rhinoplasty
- Cheek Implants (fat transfer)
- Lip Lift
- Chin Recontouring
- Jaw Recontouring
Dr. Satterwhite also performs Breast Augmentation, Buttock Augmentation, Body Feminization, Orchiectomy and Penile-Inversion Vaginoplasty, as well as Vulvoplasty, and has published a number of studies is this area. He offers the full spectrum of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures geared exclusively for trans feminine individuals.
Masculinization Surgery
Dr. Satterwhite performs multiple methods of Top Surgery, including Double Incision, Buttonhole and Keyhole. He also offers Body and Facial Masculinization procedures as well as non-surgical cosmetic procedures for trans men.
- Chest and back
- Abdomen
- Flanks (“love handles”)
- Hips
- Buttocks
- Inner and outer thighs
- Forehead Lengthening & Augmentation
- Cheek Augmentation
- Rhinoplasty
- Chin Recontouring
- Jaw Contouring
- Adam’s Apple Augmentation
Facilities
Dr. Satterwhite is associated with Marin General Hospital. Surgeries take place at Post Street Surgery Center in San Francisco, where Dr. Satterwhite has developed a great team, as well as California Pacific Medical Center and St. Francis. Dr. Satterwhite’s Vaginoplasty patients stay at the surgery center for 24 hrs, then go to a rehabilitation facility for 48 hrs, followed by a stay at a local hotel with hired nurses.
Surgery Requirements
Requirements vary by procedure. For genital surgery, patients are required to supply one or two (depending on procedure) letters of support from mental health therapists, and a letter from your primary care physician or endocrinologist; must have been living in your desired gender for at least a year; must have been taking hormones for a year; and must demonstrate that they have adequate support from family and their work community. A mammogram is required for Top Surgery patients who are 50 years and older. Dr. Satterwhite will operate on minors with parental consent.
Insurance & Medicaid
Dr. Satterwhite accepts insurance and some managed Medi-Cal plans.
Booking a Consultation
Dr. Satterwhite is available for phone and in-person consultations. During your consult, Dr. Satterwhite will go over your options with you in detail, and you’ll learn about what to expect before and after surgery. Contact Dr. Satterwhite’s office to book your consultation. Wait times for surgery dates: 1 year for Vaginoplasty, 3-6 months for other procedures.
