Dr. Seth's FFS & FMS Overview
Overview
Dr. Seth is a leader and authority in gender-affirming facial surgery. Trusted by patients and highly regarded by fellow gender-affirming surgeons, he is well recognized for his high-quality results and outcomes. He has written and published extensively to advance and support the care of trans and gender diverse persons. He is credited for inventing and developing key procedures in gender-affirming surgery. Most importantly, Dr. Seth is dedicated to his patients to make sure they are comfortable and obtain the desired results.
Although a master surgeon in facial feminization surgery and facial masculinization surgery, Dr. Seth carries a wide skill set of the entire field of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, from major reconstructive surgery to craniofacial trauma to rejuvenating cosmetic surgery. With this wide skill set and being in practice (after all training) over 10 years, he brings the ideal skillset and experience to patients seeking gender-affirming facial surgery. For more information and his philosophy, please read his full bio.
His patients trust that he will give them the personalized, natural, and highest caliber surgery that gives them the best result. He performs all gender-spectrum facial surgery, including both facial feminization and masculinization surgery. Dr. Seth uses a comprehensive approach to the face, as his goal is to harmonize all facial features while aligning with gender identity. As each patient is different, the perfect combination of procedures is required from his protocol, as seen in the image. During your consultation, you will work with Dr. Seth to choose the right procedures for you.
For more information, details, and before-after photos, please visit Facial Feminization Surgery, Facial Masculinization Surgery, and Scarless Tracheal Shave.
Advocating for Patients
Dr. Seth and his team at Golden State Plastic Surgery understand and believe in the medical necessity of gender-affirming facial surgery. For this reason, our team will do our best to work with you and your insurance company to obtain coverage for your surgery. We work with all insurance providers, but this is a complicated process. For this reason, our gender-affirming team will work with you throughout this process.
It’s important to understand that although patients can obtain coverage through insurance, some are not able to due to factors that are related to the specific insurance plan. Some insurances may only provide coverage for surgery with certain in-state or in-network surgeons while others may be willing to make exceptions because Dr. Seth performs certain unique procedures that others do not. We understand the importance of obtaining insurance coverage, and we do our best to guide our patients through this process.
” A person’s facial features combine to create one’s unique self-identity to form the essence of the individual. Every person has their own perception of self-image and an ideal outlook for themselves. As a facial plastic surgeon, I aim to create harmony within a patient’s unique features and their desired gender-affirming goals. A positive transformation can have a very meaningful effect on any person. My objective is to be your personal ambassador and advocate who provides you that positive and natural transformation.”
Dr. Rahul Seth.
Personalized Consultation & Surgery
During your consultation visit with Dr. Seth, he will listen to your preferences regarding your facial transformation. Using your photographs and 3D photography, he will show you potential results and will work with you to create a face that matches your personalized goals.
Dr. Seth does perform video telehealth consults for patients.
Should you decide to pursue surgery, a date is selected and we begin the process of working with your insurance company. When going through insurance, we do not require a deposit for reserving your surgical date. Self-pay options are also available and our office accepts Care Credit for patients who wish to finance their surgery.
Prior to surgery, you will have at least one additional visit with Dr. Seth and/or his physician assistant, Katelyn. During a pre-operative visit, you are provided with postoperative instructions and all your questions are answered regarding the surgery and the recovery process.
Dr. Seth performs surgeries at top hospitals and surgery centers throughout the Bay Area. Depending on the amount of surgery performed, you may require an overnight stay. Follow-up appointments after surgery also depend on the surgery performed and your travel distance, but typically are at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the surgery.
Advancing Care for Trans and Gender Diverse Patients
Dr. Seth is an established and recognized leader in gender-affirming facial surgery. He gives lectures on the topic across the country. His recognition comes because of his major contributions to advancing the field, along with his excellence in outcomes. Dr. Seth has published a large number of articles and scientific publications on gender-affirming facial surgery – 15 to date (see the complete list below). He has a particular passion in developing and advancing surgical techniques that can improve outcomes for patients, such as his innovation of the transoral chondrolaryngoplasty (scarless tracheal shave) that utilizes the same incision as the jaw reduction surgery.
In 2022, Dr. Seth was the lead senior author on a publication that used a 3D facial analysis to prove the differences between masculine and feminine faces. These results provided supportive evidence for many gender-affirming facial surgeries. This was the most read article of 2022 in the official facial plastic surgery journal, Facial Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Medicine. Access the research article and a news story describing the findings. The research team included world-experts of facial analysis.
Recently, Dr. Seth and Dr. Knott, were the lead editors of an entire issue of a medical journal dedicated to gender-affirming facial surgery (Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, Issue Title: Gender-Affirming Facial Surgery, 2023).
As trustable authorities in this surgery, master surgeons Dr. Seth and Dr. Knott have an upcoming textbook that will be soon published by Nature-Springer, “Gender-Affirming Surgery of the Face and Neck”. As the first and only textbook dedicated to this topic, the comprehensive book aims to provide surgeons with a foundational knowledge base so that surgeons can provide state-of-the-art treatment to their patients.
Before & After
Facial Feminization Surgery
Facial Masculinization Surgery
Full List of Scientific Publications on Gender-Affirming Facial Surgery
- Juszczak HM, Fridirici Z, Knott PD, Park AM, Seth R. An update in facial gender confirming surgery. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019 Aug; 27(4):243-252. PMID: 31145138
- Gadkaree SK, DeVore EK, Richburg K, Lee LN, Derakhshan A, McCarty JC, Seth R, Shaye DA. National Variation of Insurance Coverage for Gender-Affirming Facial Feminization Surgery. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2020 Aug 29. PMID: 32865436
- Knott PD and Seth R. ENT Today. “Transgender Care: Otolaryngologists Can Help Fill an Unmet Need for This Patient Population” Sept 11, 2020
- Buhalog B, Peebles JK, Mansh M, Kim EA, Knott PD, Hoffman W, Seth R, Alcon A, Arron ST. Trainee Exposure and Education for Minimally Invasive Gender-Affirming Procedures. Dermatol Clin. 2020 Apr;38(2):277-283. PMID: 32115138
- Salesky M, Zebolsky AL, Benjamin T, Wulu JA, Park AM, Knott PD, Seth R. Gender-Affirming Facial Surgery: Experiences and Outcomes at an Academic Center. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2021 Sep 27. PMID: 34569822
- Bannister JJ, Juszczak H, Aponte JD, Katz DC, Knott PD, Weinberg SM, Hallgrímsson B, Forkert ND, Seth R. Sex Differences in Adult Facial Three-Dimensional Morphology: Application to Gender-Affirming Facial Surgery. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2022 Mar 29. PMID: 35357226
- David AP, Knott PD, Rosen CA, Young VN, Park AM, Seth R. Clinical Feasibility and Efficacy of the Externally Scarless Transoral Chondrolaryngoplasty. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2022 May 02. PMID: 35506892
- David AP, Knott PD, Seth R. Mentalis Muscle Imbrication Mentoplasty for Chin Cleft Reduction and Chin Narrowing. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2022 Nov-Dec; 24(S2):S38-S40. PMID: 36169483
- David AP, House AE, Targ S, Park AM, Seth R, Knott PD. Objective Outcomes of Trichophytic Brow Lift and Hairline Advancement in Facial Feminization Surgery. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2022 Dec 29. PMID: 36580551
- Gulati A, Knott PD, Seth R. Sex-Related Characteristics of the Face. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2022 Jun 21. PMID: 35750525
- Gulati A, Zebolsky AL, Patel N, Pardo S, Deutsch MB, Park AM, Knott PD, Seth R. Satisfaction and Quality of Life Following Gender-Affirming Facial Surgery. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2023 Jan 13. PMID: 36638255
- Zebolsky AL, Gulati A, Badiee RK, Pardo ST, Deutsch MB, Knott PD, Park AM, Pomerantz JH, Hoffman WY, Seth R. Patient-Reported Outcomes in Gender-Affirming Facial Surgery: Recommendations from a Multidisciplinary Gender Health Panel. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2023 Feb 16. PMID: 36795977
- Benjamin, T, Knott PD, Seth R. Gender-affirming facial surgery: Anatomy and fundamentals of care. Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2023, Volume 34, Issue 1, 3 – 13.
- Young VN, Seth R, Knott PD, Rosen CA. Chondrolaryngoplasty. Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2023, Volume 34, Issue 1, 57 – 62.
- Patel NN, Gulati A, Knott PD, Seth R. Facial masculinization surgery. Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2023, Volume 34, Issue 1, 69 – 73.
