While critics of life-altering gender reassignment surgeries have long warned of the potential physical and psychological effects that such procedures can have, proponents continue to advocate such surgeries as an important component of the larger transgender movement.
One of the rising stars in this realm is Dr. Sidhbh Gallagher, who is known for performing procedures such as mastectomies on trans males — including minors. She has built a loyal following on TikTok by sharing details from her controversial practice, though one former patient has begun to chip away at her celebrated persona.
In a recent blog post, a 23-year-old transgender individual identified as Rylan detailed the terrifying aftermath of a Gallagher surgery. The surgery reportedly occurred about four months ago and the complications began shortly thereafter.
A trans person alleges they had life-threatening complications following a bilateral mastectomy performed by Dr. Sidhbh Gallagher, the celebrity surgeon who advertises medical transitioning services on social media platforms popular with children. https://t.co/NZHIS0cgmx
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) December 8, 2022
About three weeks after the procedure, Rylan reportedly required surgery “to remove over half a foot of dead, rotting tissue,” noting that Gallagher “dismissed every concern, including hollow cavities that formed on my ripped-open incision.”
The post included disturbing images of apparently open and infected wounds near the site of the surgery and a TikTok video Rylan shared about the experience has racked up millions of views.
Worse yet, a number of other transgender users have shared their own horror stories about the surgeon’s work, including one who advised that Gallagher “is not to be trusted when it comes to your healthcare.”
As Rylan wrote, Gallagher is “one of the only gender surgeons with no [body mass index] cap,” which made her an attractive option for overweight patients. After traveling from Ohio to Florida to receive the surgery, however, Rylan quickly determined that the surgeon was not the caring expert that her social media presence portrayed.
“I was confused because her TikTok page has videos where she says she’s never had an incision break,” Rylan added.
After sending the surgeon images of the apparently botched procedure, Rylan said Gallagher dismissed it as “bruising” and “minimized everything” during a subsequent examination. Adding insult to injury, the patient claimed that Gallagher referred to one gaping wound as a “blowhole” and joked that the profuse bleeding was related to Rylan’s menstrual cycle.
In the end, Rylan wrote that she nearly died after contracting a dangerous bacterial infection that required emergency surgery that required the removal of about six inches of tissue.
Since Florida law does not require doctors to maintain liability insurance, Rylan explained that she has virtually no recourse through which to obtain financial compensation.
In response to the backlash, Gallagher has reportedly been deleting negative comments and posted one response in which she acknowledged that her “bedside manner” could use some work.
“A lot of you guys have been asking me to comment about the recent patient story that was posted online — it’s one of my patients,” the surgeon added. “And the reason I’ve been so quiet about it is the confidentiality laws here in the United States are very strict and I cannot discuss any medical facts about the case.”
