Consultation review: no compassion, inexperienced and rushed

This morning I went to see Dr. Chen at Banner Health in Tucson and had a much more thorough, thoughtful and kind examination with a completley different prognosis than Dr. Ostrom. Dr. Ostrom did almost nothing to actually look in my nose and try to figure out the problem but rather made incorrect assumptions and even suggested that the only solution might be a certain surgery in six more months that would entail taking part of my rib to graft into my nasal structure. Dr. Chen informed me that he would definitely not recommend that procedure for me. For one, I'm over 50 which means they would have to use donated rib cartilage. However; a total revision like this is a much bigger procedure than he would recommend. What he did recommend was shaving down a turbinate as well as a bone spur in my left nostril which both seem to be blocking air flow, a much simpler procedure and one that can be done in two moths. The contrast between doctors and ability to asses and work with a patient is absolutely astounding. I would absolutely warn anyone to stay away from Dr. Ostrom for any concerns or needs regarding facial feminization surgery.

I went to see Dr. Ostrom today in regards to a complication from a rhinoplasty that was part of my facial feminization surgery in Argentina this past November with Dr. Torres (Torres is a great surgeon though I do have a complication to be fixed). The complication is that my airflow in my left nostril is greatly obstructed making it very hard to breath through that nostril which, in itself, is torturous. Also, as a result, my nose runs constantly. I have to blow it at least once every waking 5 minutes. I went in desperate for some relief and got none. It was an awful experience with Dr. Ostrom and her office from arrival to departure. Check in was extremely confusing with a tablet computer that kept freezing up and staff acted like it was my fault. I have PTSD and anxiety disorders and was already nervous going in; I hoped to find some compassion at a doctor's office but there was none. Dr. Ostrom claims to have experience in FFS, but I have personally interviewed surgeons all over the world, Oregon, California, Arizona, Thailand and Argentina and had never heard of her as someone who has had even any experience at all in FFS much less any recommendations from other women who have gone through it. She seemed agitated that I haven't gone back to Dr. Torres in Argentina to follow-up and down right dismissive of my concerns. I am in agony with constant nose running and inability to fully breath, yet she had absolutely no recommendations for the running nose or how to get relief. Her only recommendation was a surgery that I would have to wait 6 more months for (so I would be 1 year post op) which would include taking a rib (or part of it? She was very unclear about this) and using it to reconstruct my nose, claiming that the only issue is that my nostril collapses on the in breath and needs to be reinforced with other bone. But even if I hold my breath or breathe out, I can still feel the obstruction exactly where the turbinate comes close to the septum. Hers was the second local opinion I've had about this and was contradictory to the first. Sadly, the first was unable to do anything about what she diagnosed as the issue which is more like what it feels like to me, a turbinate is too close to my septum and blocking air flow and can probably be reduced in size in order to clear an air passage. Dr. Ostrom disagreed with both that diagnosis as well as what I actually said that I physically feel in my own body and was extremely dismissive and uncaring about my agony and concerns. I am mostly astounded that Dr. Ostrom claims to have any experience in FFS. Keep in mind, I've been researching this for years and ended up going to Argentina for the right surgeon after never having heard of Dr. Ostrom who is less than a mile from my house. Please, if you're looking for FFS, do your research and find an experienced and known surgeon.