Dr. Christopher Salgado
Highly Experienced Gender Surgeon in Florida
Dr. Christopher Salgado, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has more than a decade of experience performing female-to-male surgery in Florida. Dr. Salgado has focused his career on providing trans surgical care and more than 75% of his patients are transgender. After many years in academic practice, Dr. Salgado opened his private practice in Miami in 2019. All the staff at Constructive Surgery has completed comprehensive training in transgender health care and follow WPATH guidelines for patient care.
Dr. Salgado performs both Top and Bottom Surgery, giving patients the opportunity to experience a continuity of care throughout their surgical transition.
Top Surgery in Miami
Dr. Salgado offers Double Incision, Keyhole, Inverted-T and Buttonhole methods of Top Surgery. His Double Incision technique utilizes drains, as well as lengthened incisions that extend under the arms to help avoid Dog Ears. Patients stay in the hospital for one night after Top Surgery and wear a compression binder for up to 6-8 weeks to prevent the build-up of fluid and allow the chest to settle into its new shape. Patients can return to work after approximately 3-4 weeks.
Metoidioplasty in Miami
Metoidioplasty involves releasing the clitoral chordee and ligaments, to straighten and lengthen the testosterone-enlarged clitoris. Dr. Salgado also uses labial tissue to further increase the size. Vaginectomy and Urethral Lengthening are both optional, however when Urethral Lengthening is performed without Vaginectomy there is a higher risk of fistula. The vaginal canal will also be smaller as tissue from the canal is used in Urethral Lengthening.
Phalloplasty in Miami
Dr. Salgado performs RFF, ALT, and MLD Phalloplasty. He uses urethral prelamination, which is a unique offering in the United States. The first stage involves Hysterectomy (if required) and Vaginectomy. Vaginal lining (or tissue from the mouth or uterus) is harvested and used to form the penile urethra, which is tubularized around a catheter and placed in the donor site and left there for three months.
Stage 2 involves creation of the phallus from the donor site tissue and urethral hookup. Dr. Salgado incorporates a gracilis muscle flap to support the urethral connection. If desired, he can also use the gracilis to augment the scrotum instead of using testicular implants. To provide sensation in RFF and ALT Phalloplasty, Dr. Salgado connects the donor site nerves to the ilioinguinal or genitofemoral nerve and one of the dorsal clitoral nerves. With MLD, he connects the donor site nerve to the ilioinguional nerve. Glansplasty is also done in this stage, using the Norfolk technique which incorporates either a skin graft or labial graft. Patients stay in hospital for 2-3 weeks after Stage 2. The use of Integra to improve the appearance of the donor site is optional (and adds an additional surgery.) To provide rigidity for sexual intercourse, Dr. Salgado implants either an erectile device or in some cases, as section of bone from the forearm.
Dr. Salgado is affiliated with Palmetto General Hospital and Coral Gables Hospital, in Miami, Florida. Top Surgery and outpatient procedures take place at Sky Surgery Center in Miami.
Education, Training and Experience:
- Bachelors in Anatomy and Physiology, Boston University
- Medical Degree and General Surgery training, Georgetown University in Washington D.C.
- Plastic Surgery residency, University of Rochester
- Fellowship in Microsurgery, I-Shou University, Taiwan
- Served as a reconstructive surgeon in the U.S. Army for 4 years
- Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey, 2005-2007.
- Assistant Professor of Surgery in Department of Plastic Surgery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, 2008-2010.
- Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Miami, 2010-2013.
- Professor of Surgery and Interim Chief of Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Miami, 2013-2019.
- Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Surgery Costs
Dr. Salgado is committed to getting insurance coverage for his patients. He accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield, Florida Blue, United Healthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Molina, AvMed and Medicare. If you don't have insurance your costs will include the facility fee, anesthesiologist fee, and surgeon fee. Dr. Salgado also accepts medical financing (CareCredit) which can help bridge costs if you're paying out-of-pocket. Exact pricing can only be determined following a consultation.
Surgery Requirements
- One support letter from a qualified mental health professional for Top Surgery; Two letters for Bottom Surgery procedures.
- Medical clearance if there are significant co-morbidities.
- Because Dr. Salgado works in a large hospital, he is able to accept patients with high BMI and co-morbidities.
Booking a Consultation
Dr. Salgado offers virtual and in-person consultations for a fee of $200. The wait time for a consult is 2 months, with surgery dates booked 4-8 months after consultation. To book your consult, please contact Dr. Salgado here. Se habla español. Falando português.
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