Buckeye71 wrote: You also need to understand it doesn't take a specialist to inject.
Exactly, because technically speaking, there are no "specialists" because
Phalloplasty isn't a formal medical discipline (unfortunately). There is no "
Phalloplasty residency" in schools and no comprehensive guideline(s) either. If there are any "specialists," they'd be our resident Sponsors and a handful of non-Sponsors, far & few it seems.
Believe it or not, much of the advancements made in
Phalloplasty take place in the very Clinics discussed on this site. No major R&D push by some University or some Shark Tank Investment; instead, these techniques are advanced by the creativity & innovation from the likes of Dr.
Casavantes, Dr.
Carney, Dr.
Oates, and others. This is why I personally hold them in high esteem.
This is why when vetting Sponsors I prefer Cosmetic
Dermatology,
Urology, and Plastic Surgery, as they all have the closest relationship to
Phalloplasty among all fields of study.
Remember, despite the many advancements in
Phalloplasty, it remains a new frontier in aesthetic medicine. I sometimes talk about the "3 E's" -->
Expertise (is he/she trained in a field related to
Phalloplasty?),
Experience (volume of patients and number of years in practice), and
Ethics (deceptive marketing, glossing over complications, and/or silicone-use, are all deal breakers); these should be priority factors in selecting a Clinic/Practitioner, more so than bedside-manner, costs, or locale.
That said, I'm not suggesting to disregard costs altogether! One of the many reasons I continue to vet & invite Sponsors is to not only raise the bar of quality options, but to create competitive pricing for my readers. Even publish seasonal discounts when they are available. Cost is important, but be mindful of what's more important.
