Funding outcome

Alberta lacks a local surgical centre that performs gender-affirming surgeries such as vaginoplasty, phalloplasty, and metoidioplasty ('bottom surgeries') for transgender patients. Thus, transgender Albertans must fund their own travel out of province to access these publicly-funded procedures. Although existing research indicates that financial costs and access to supportive physicians pose challenges for transgender patients seeking gender-affirming surgery, there is no literature on how travel amplifies financial or access barriers or how it impacts the surgical experiences and outcomes of Albertan transgender people. To address this gap, this project will survey the transgender patient population of the urogynecology clinic at Edmonton's LGBTQ+ Wellness Centre. A qualitative survey will assess how long-distance travel for assessment, surgery, and post-operative care intersects with financial and social barriers. Patients will be interviewed and the data assembled for publication with the long-term goal of contributing to the development of an Albertan surgical program for transgender care.