Transgender Medicine

The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City offers a multidisciplinary approach to your individual transformation. Our goal is to alleviate gender dysphoria or strong sense of dissatisfaction or unease. This condition may require a variety of services that differ from person to person. We aim to assist people who identify as transgender, transsexual, gender variant, gender nonconforming and gender questioning.

To initiate hormone treatment, our team requires a referral from a mental health professional, as outlined in the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, or WPATH, Standards of Care. We work closely with gender therapists in the region to provide continuity of care. Our physicians and staff can direct you toward other transgender resources as well, including mental health, medical and surgical care and ancillary services, such as electrolysis and speech therapy.

Several of our physicians assist in both male-to-female and female-to-male hormonal transition. We also provide referrals within The University of Kansas Health System for other services you may require to reach your goals.

Our services include:

• Adolescent care
• Dermatology
• Fertility preservation
• Hormone therapy
• Primary care
• Psychology
• Transgender surgery
  • Female-to-male (FTM): hysterectomy, oophorectomy, vaginectomy, chest reconstruction, metoidioplasty and phalloplasty
  • Male-to-female (MTF): tracheal shave, breast augmentation, facial feminization and vaginoplasty
• Voice therapy and vocal surgery

Surgical criteria

Patients should be as physically prepared as they are mentally for gender surgery. Obesity and poor diet negatively impact surgical recovery and increase the risk of complications. Tobacco abuse absolutely prevents proper wound healing. Patients must be non-smokers to be eligible for surgery.

As part of the region's premier academic medical center, we provide the highest level of patient care and education based on the latest research. This approach to care gives you more options to meet your goals. We are ranked as the No. 1 hospital in the state of Kansas by U.S. News & World report. We offer:

• The most advanced, comprehensive program within 500 miles
• The largest multispecialty physician practice in Kansas City
• Board-certified, sub-specialized experts in all disciplines
• A dedicated nurse coordinator

In addition, professionals across our health system provide health, wellness and support to the LGBTQ+ community. We tailor our services to meet your needs, from patient relations and transgender medicine services to support for community awareness events.

We offer several convenient locations in the Kansas City metro area. Depending on your schedule, the purpose of your appointment and the availability of our staff, you may be asked to visit one of our alternate locations.