Yearly Archives: 2024

Surgery is a major life decision for your loved one, and being a supportive partner, friend, or parent can make all the difference in their journey leading up to and recovery after surgery. One of the best things you can do to support your loved one is to help them prepare and make any arrangements …

By: Dr. Paul Mittermiller, craniofacial plastic surgeon specializing in gender-affirming facial surgery at Align Surgical Associates What is facial feminization surgery?  Facial feminization surgery (FFS) encompasses a range of procedures designed to soften and feminize the facial features of transgender women and nonbinary and gender-diverse individuals. The goal is to enable patients to live as …

By:  Dr. Breanna Jedrzejewski, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Everyone has the right to live as their most authentic selves. For transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse patients who desire it, we offer both feminizing and masculinizing procedures for the body. We will work with you on a personalized surgical plan to tailor your surgery to your …

Dr. Satterwhite and Dr. Safir recently co-hosted an Instagram Live to discuss traditional and robotic vaginoplasty, the right candidate for each approach, and things to know about each procedure. Check out the on-demand recording below to learn more! https://youtu.be/uSrYIwgGynQ For more information about each procedural approach, visit our vaginoplasty and robotic vaginoplasty pages. Dr. Satterwhite: …

By Dr. Michael Safir, reconstructive urologist, Los Angeles office What is microvascular phalloplasty, and how does it differ from other genital reconstructive surgeries? Microvascular phalloplasty is a surgical technique used to construct a neophallus, or new penis, using tissue from the patient's body, such as the forearm, thigh, or abdomen. This approach is distinguished by: …

For transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive patients, choosing a gender-affirming can be one of the most important health decisions they will ever make. But how do you know the surgeon you choose is the right one for your embodiment goals? Below is a list of tips to help guide you in the decision-making process and find …

Align Surgical Associates’ active research program is unique among private surgical practices. We sat down recently with Align’s first research director, Dr. Arya Akhavan, to find out more: 1. Introduce yourself and tell me about your role. I’m a plastic surgeon who took a break from my residency training to dive fully into research. I …

What is single-scar phalloplasty? Phalloplasty is a complex gender-affirming procedure that creates or reconstructs a penis for transgender men. This type of surgery has a lot of parts to it, and it may come with complications, which makes it a challenging procedure to do well in medicine. Phalloplasties have traditionally required patients to accept a …

By Dr. John Henry Pang, plastic and reconstructive surgeon and Dr. Thomas Satterwhite, plastic surgeon We are excited to begin offering a new option in genital (bottom) surgery: robotic peritoneal pull-through – or “PPT” – in 2024. We know that this procedure is generating a lot of buzz right now, which means there is also …

Recently, Dr. Jedrzejewski and Dr. Safir hopped on Instagram Live to discuss the prevalence of post-surgical regret. In this conversation, Dr. Jedrzejewski shares details about a recent study she co-authored about surgical regret in gender-affirming surgery, and both doctors discuss common misconceptions. Check out the Instagram Live video below to learn more! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1q5V7teGfg Dr. Safir: …