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Facial Feminization » FFS Surgeons

Dr. Drew Marano - Experienced Facial Feminization Surgeon in New York City
  • Private Insurance
  • Medicaid (some NJ plans)
  • Medicare

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Dr. Drew Marano

Fellowship-Trained Facial Feminization Surgeon in New York City

Dr. Drew Marano, MD is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon based in New York City, specializing in Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) and comprehensive gender-affirming procedures. Following his plastic surgery residency, Dr. Marano completed advanced fellowship training in gender and microsurgery at Harvard University, becoming the first surgeon to graduate from the program. He later joined Dr. Jonathan Keith at East Coast Advanced Plastic Surgery, where he further honed his skills in facial, robotic, and genital gender-affirming surgery.

In 2025, Dr. Marano and Dr. Keith co-founded GAMMA (Gender Affirming Medical and Microsurgical Associates), a multidisciplinary practice dedicated to providing expert, compassionate surgical care for transgender and nonbinary individuals. Dr. Marano continues to serve patients at GAMMA’s offices in New York City and Livingston, New Jersey, combining technical precision with an artistic eye to achieve results that reflect each patient’s unique goals and identity.

After completing his bachelor’s degree in Music at Brown University, Dr. Marano graduated from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School at the top of his class. He completed a six-year Integrated Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency at the highly regarded Columbia University / Cornell University program in New York City. His training culminated in the Harvard University Complex Gender and Microsurgery Fellowship, where he served as the program’s inaugural fellow and received advanced, specialized instruction in gender-affirming and reconstructive surgical techniques.

Dr. Marano has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed academic papers related to Gender Surgery, including Patients and Procedures of Facial Gender Confirmation Surgery which examined patient demographics, quality-of-life outcomes and risk factors related to gender-affirming facial surgery.

Dr. Marano operates in both New York City and the greater Newark area. In NYC, he is affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital and operates at Lenox Hill Plastic Surgery Center.

Facial Feminization Procedures

While not all patients choose to have FFS, these procedures are medically necessary and life-changing for some people. Dr. Marano is highly skilled at Facial Feminization and offers the following procedures.

  • Hairline Correction: This procedure lowers the hairline and frames the forehead with a more semi-circular shape. It involves an incision along the hairline and pulling the scalp down, then stapling it in place. It can be done at the same time as Forehead Recontouring and/or Rhinoplasty. Hair Grafting is also a good option for further optimizing the hairline or filling in areas that have been affected by hair loss.
  • Forehead Contouring: Forehead Contouring makes the forehead smaller, flatter and more feminine looking. It can be combined with Hairline Correction and/or Rhinoplasty.
  • Brow Lift: This procedure moves the eyebrows higher for a more feminine appearance. This is considered one of the most effective procedures to feminize the upper face.
  • Cheek Augmentation: Cheek implants or injectable fillers can be used to make the cheeks look fuller and rounder.
  • Rhinoplasty: Surgical modification of the bridge, tip and base of the nose is one of the most common and effective FFS procedures. Longer, wider noses can be transformed into a more feminine look through manipulation of the underlying bone and cartilage, removing tissue and raising and/or reducing the tip of the nose.
  • Lip Augmentation and Lip Lift: Lips can be made to look more full with injectable fillers, and can also be lifted to reduce the distance between the top lip and nasal base.
  • Jaw Reduction/Contouring: Reducing the square angle of the jaw and making it more narrow are effective ways to feminize the lower third of the face.
  • Chin Contouring: Surgically altering the shape of the chin via bone contouring and/or chin implants is another way to soften the appearance of the lower third of the face.
  • Tracheal Shave: The thyroid cartilage ("Adam's apple") is shaved down to a more feminine size.

Dr. Marano has devoted his career to gender-affirming surgery, offering the full spectrum of procedures. In addition to FFS, he specializes in robotic-assisted Vaginoplasty and Breast Augmentation, providing personalized, affirming care for every patient.

Surgery Requirements: Dr. Marano is a member of WPATH and follows WPATH guidelines for surgery. You will need a letter from a qualified mental health professional recommending surgery.

Insurance: Dr. Marano is an in-network provider with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and also accepts out-of-area BlueCard members. Some New Jersey Medicaid plans may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. However, FFS is still one of the more difficult gender-affirming procedures to obtain coverage for. The policy for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey states that non-genital, non-breast "aesthetic" procedures are cosmetic even if part of gender-affirming surgery. Credit and debit cards are also accepted.

Consultations: Dr. Marano is available for virtual and in-person consultations. The wait time for a consult is one month. A surgery date can usually be scheduled for 2-3 months after your consultation. Contact his office to find out how you can arrange to see Dr. Marano.

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