Editorial Policy: How We Research and Review

This page explains how the content on this site gets written, what it's based on, how often it's checked, and what happens when something is wrong. Most of the information already out there doesn't say where it came from; this page does.

Where the information comes from

Every procedure guide starts from three kinds of source.

Clinical guidelines. The WPATH Standards of Care, version 8, is the baseline for eligibility criteria, the role of hormones before surgery, and what a responsible pre-surgical assessment looks like.

Peer-reviewed literature. For technique descriptions, complication rates, sensation outcomes and revision rates, I rely on published studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, mainly from journals such as Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Journal of Sexual Medicine and Transgender Health. Where the evidence is thin or the studies are small, which is true for a lot of bottom surgery outcomes, I say that rather than presenting a single number as settled.

Surgeon consultation materials. Pre-operative packs, consent forms, aftercare instructions and published price lists from surgeons and clinics. These are the most useful source for what recovery actually involves day to day, and for realistic cost ranges.

Forum posts and social media tell me what questions people have; they aren't used as a source for medical claims.

How pages are written and checked

I write everything on this site myself. Before a page goes live, I check every factual claim against at least one of the sources above and check the eligibility and cost information against the current version of whatever guideline or price list it refers to.

Review and updates

Costs, waiting times and eligibility rules change. Each procedure and cost page carries a last-reviewed date, and I aim to re-check the following on a fixed schedule:

• Cost pages and public-system waiting times: every six months
• Eligibility pages: whenever WPATH, NHS England or a major insurer publishes a change, and at least once a year
• Procedure and recovery pages: once a year, or sooner if new significant research is published
• Surgeon directory entries: once a year, and immediately if a surgeon stops operating or moves

Independence

This is an independent site that I own and run. It is not affiliated with any surgeon, clinic, hospital, device manufacturer or pharmaceutical company.

• No surgeon or clinic pays to be listed in the directory, and no one can pay to be ranked higher, featured or described more favourably.
• No content on this site is sponsored.
• The site may carry advertising and may use affiliate links for non-medical products such as recovery pillows or compression garments. Advertisers have no say in what's written, and I don't run ads from surgeons or clinics.
• I don't accept free or discounted surgery, travel or accommodation in exchange for coverage.

Corrections

If you find something wrong, whether it's a factual error, an outdated price, a surgeon who has retired, or a description that doesn't match your experience, please tell me. I'll check it, correct the page if you're right, and note the correction at the bottom of the page along with the date.

What this site is and isn't

This site provides general information about gender-affirming surgery. It is not medical advice, it is not a substitute for a consultation with a qualified surgeon, and it does not establish any kind of clinical relationship. Eligibility, technique choice and risk are individual and can only be assessed by a clinician who has examined you.

I'm not a doctor. I'm someone who has done a lot of reading, asked a lot of questions, and written down what I found so that you don't have to start from nothing.