This content was created by Xtra’s branded content team alongside GraceMed, separate from Xtra’s editorial staff.
Making a meaningful difference in people’s lives is a driving force behind the surgical and non-surgical aesthetic gender-affirming care provided at GraceMed Mississauga.
For Dr. Kathleen Armstrong, an award-winning plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, and her medical team at GraceMed Mississauga, there is a high level of satisfaction and instant gratification to help patients achieve their most authentic self. “As the leading provider of gender-affirming care in Ontario, it’s always been our mission to provide the best holistic care for the transgender community in a safe, non-judgemental, welcoming and inclusive space,” she said.
Originally founded in the late 1980s as the McLean Clinic, GraceMed Mississauga has a longstanding reputation within the transgender community for providing innovative gender-affirming care. That recognition began with Dr. Hugh McLean who pioneered top surgery for transgender patients in Canada.
Today, GraceMed Mississauga also provides a number of non-surgical aesthetic services geared to the transgender patient including facial masculinization and feminization using Botox and facial fillers; laser hair removal, acne treatments, scar therapies and liposuction contouring for masculinizing and feminizing.
Dr. Armstrong, who was mentored by Dr. McLean, said that while top surgery is the most common procedure the clinic performs, patients appreciate the non-surgical aesthetic procedures GraceMed Mississauga offers as part of the journey to becoming the person they envision.
“GraceMed Mississauga offers care and support at all stages of a patient’s journey, beginning with a consultation,” said Dr. Armstrong. “From there, patients are presented with a number of surgical and non-surgical options to help them achieve their most authentic self.”
Dr. Armstrong, who also practices medicine at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, says patients appreciate the continuity of care that GraceMed Mississauga provides throughout their journey. “There’s a comfort for patients in knowing their medical team and a confidence that comes with working with a team that understands their needs, their individual journey and what options will work for them to help them achieve their goals.”
“Our patients are a very well-educated population before they come to us, but they also benefit from having access to several of our resources to help them understand what the procedure might look like for themselves,” said Dr. Armstrong.
“With a solid reputation in the surgical world we are expanding into the non-surgical realm,” she said. “That is where we are looking to grow.”
Dr. Armstrong says that as a full-service aesthetic provider to members of the transgender community, additional treatments like facial injectables, laser hair removal, skin rejuvenation or resurfacing and treatments for skin quality that help to control conditions like acne that can be common with hormone therapy are done with an understanding of the specific needs and goals each patient wants to achieve.
“They really have a number of services that hit all the bases for trans people going through their second puberty,” said Torin Ong. The 29-year-old had their top surgery at GraceMed Mississauga. They were so pleased with the experience that when Torin decided to have dermal fillers to strengthen their jawline, they had it performed at the clinic too.
“When I went in, the medical staff who did the procedure explained it all to me,” said Torin, who had an idea of the look they wanted but wasn’t sure how to achieve it with non-surgical options. “I didn’t know what my face shape was, and they explained my face shape and what we would do to masculinize it, how we would refine the jawline.”
“It helps to have familiarity with trans and gender diverse individuals. Understanding that their aesthetic desires are very individualized, you really have to be quite good at listening to your patients’ goals and objectives to make sure you are able to meet those expectations,” said Dr. Armstrong. “You can’t just go in with your own pre-existing idea of what someone would typically want, because that may not always match what your patient wants.”
That understanding also extends to many of the barriers to care faced by the transgender community—including the cost of treatment, knowing what surgical and non-surgical options exist, and accessing those procedures in a safe, non-judgemental, welcoming and inclusive space.
“We have decades of experience with this,” said Dr. Armstrong. “We can help inform patients about treatment options that they may not be aware of, what might or might not be covered by their insurance, or what would be the most cost-effective treatment for them. They can talk to our team about their goals and expectations and how we can help to achieve them.”
For its commitment to serving the transgender community, GraceMed Mississauga has achieved Rainbow Accreditation from Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce. It means the clinic has met a stringent set of standards to ensure its patients feel safe, welcomed and accepted.
“We just want to help our patients to be able to live their best life, however that person imagines it,” said Dr. Armstrong. “It’s about providing newfound confidence to improve their quality of life.”
To learn more about the gender-affirming services offered by GraceMed Mississauga, or to book a consultation, visit topsurgery.ca
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