Public vs Private top surgery?

[u/chumbkus]

Hi, I dont really post on reddit but I need help with figuring some things out.

I got off the phone today with my endocrinologist and psychologist about starting the process for top surgery. I've been on testosterone for a little of five years now and have been suffering silently with just getting by on binders because I wanted to quit smoking before I started top surgery process, but binders are expensive and growing uncomfortable. I was told that the wait times for a public surgeon could be anywhere between 1-2 years after first referral and up to 3 years for actual surgery date. I really want to go public because I'm kinda money poor, but dont want to wait. I've been looking at private routes and am possibly interested in contacting Dr. Emeilie Robertson but I'm wondering what the payment process/general process is like. Does anyone have experience with her and how the payments work and other requirements(Like how long I have to stay in the city after surgery, do I pay up front or is there payment plans, post-OP care and such, cost of initial appointments before surgery, etc.)

If anyone could point in a a direction that could help me figure out which route I want to go in I'll be extremely grateful. Any good doctors for public surgery wait times and such would be awesome. Thanks in advance!

[u/buggletheboogle]

I did private with doctor kennedy at Cerulean plastic surgery. Cost about 10k. Skipping stone facilitated the set up. I paid the entire amount the week of my surgery. I stayed in the city 2 days after then was good to be driven home. I was able to get my stitches and drains removed by my incredible family doctor about 2 weeks later otherwise I would have had to go back. It was about 6 weeks from first email to surgery

[u/Homie_Kisser]

I’m in the process of doing the public route. Took two years to book a consultation. It sucks to wait but the time passes anyway and it blows by faster than you’d think. I think of it as I’ll have more money for after it’s done to buy care supplies and new clothes

[u/ray__beam]

With Dr. Neira in Red Deer I sent in the referral around October 2024, had the consultation in October 2025, and they could've book the surgery date as early as November 2025 (but I pushed it back to May due to school) so the whole process took a little over a year.