Michel J. Seghers (1932–2014) was a Belgian surgeon who served our community from the late 1960s until his retirement in 2001. He performed an estimated 1,600 feminizing bottom surgeries and a number of masculinizing top surgeries.
Background
Seghers earned his medical degree from Université catholique de Louvain in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium in 1957. He then took an appointment at Lovanium University in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo from 1957 to 1961. Following a 1962 fellowship in Plastic Surgery at Christ Hospital and at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, Segher returned to Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) from 1963 to 1966. He returned to Belgium in the wake of the second Mobutu coup d’état.
Seghers began performing our surgeries in 1967 after reading about surgical complications, including a death, experienced by trans patients of other surgeons.
Seghers retired in April 2001, and remained active in HBIGDA, including serving on the STD and Blood-Borne Infections Committee through 2003.
Patient information (1991)
This file is a transcription of the initial information provided by Dr. Michel Seghers in response to inquiries about SRS or other related surgical procedures. The information here was received in September 1991 and was known to be valid at that time. This information is strictly for review purposes only, it does not constitute an endorsement, and any additional questions or clarifications should be discussed by consulting with him or his staff. Feel free to contact the office of Dr. Seghers for original or current copies of these documents. Only minor punctuation was corrected.
This document was set using WordPerfect 5.1, courier 10 cpi font, and then converted to ASCII for compressing and uploading. The filename was designed specifically to provide for adding subsequent information or comments to be titled serially for reference purposes. Any additional information or experiences are always important and hopefully will be added, but “please consider” using the same basic format of 6 letters and 2 digits NAMEXX.01 filename with just a sequential number if possible.
Transcribed 11-14-92
Docteur Michel Seghers
avenue de Broqueville 60 September 3, 1991
1200 Brussels BELGIUM
tel. 2 / 770 01 08
Dear:
Thank you for your letter of August 18, enquiring about male to female sex reassignment surgery, in my department in Brussels (Belgium).
Candidate-patients have first to submit the following documents:
– a report from their psychiatrist stating the gender problem and the absence of mental illness,
– a report from their endocrinologist,
– a detailed curriculum vitae i.e. social; history written by themselves,
– 2 pictures,
– the result of a blood test being non reactive against aids,
– a statement by themselves that they are in good very good health; if not or if above age 35, this statement should be prepared by their physician and include a cardiac check with an E.C.G. / weight : maximum 200 pounds depending on height.
After studying these documents, I can quickly give my final decision but you have to keep in mind that I have a waiting list of about 4 months.
At the present value of the US dollar, the total amount for all bills at the hospital during 1 week is equal to $4200.00 .
To that amount, you have to add your air fare and a few days in a hotel : 2 or 3 days before entering the hospital and 3 to 5 days when you leave it before flying home.
I can provide information about hotels and about Brussels.
Hormones have to be discontinued 2 weeks prior to surgery.
Please no registered nor express mail through US mail : it can lead to problems in case of absence. If you are in a hurry, no problem however with Federal Express or D.H.L.
Very sincerely yours.
Dr. Michel SEGHERS
References
Wylock P (2005). Dr. Maurice Coelst: the struggle of a Belgian plastic surgeon “before the term existed” Eur J Plast Surg (2005) 28: 131–139 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-005-0726-2
Resources
Archival contact information:
- Address: Av de Broqueville 60, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Phone: 01-1-322-770-0108
Zagria (zagria.blogspot.com)
- Michel Seghers (1932 – 2014) sex-change surgeon https://zagria.blogspot.com/2016/05/michel-seghers-1932-2014-sex-change.html
Dallas Denny (dallasdenny.com)
- Mini-Interview with Dr. Michel Seghers (1993)
- –http://dallasdenny.com/Writing/2013/12/28/mini-interview-with-dr-michel-seghers-1993/
Susan’s Place (susans.org)
- Seghers lecture transcript (1992) http://www.susans.org/reference/medical/segher02.html [archive]
- Post operative care (1992) http://www.susans.org/reference/med5.html [archive]
Catrina Day (geocities.com)
- Surgical account (1999) http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Village/2905/next.html [archive]