Who is 'Dr Teetus Deletus'? Florida surgeon uses TikTok to 'deceptively' push teens into sex-change surgeries
MIAMI, FLORIDA: A Florida-based plastic surgeon who calls herself Dr Teetus Deletus, a reference to breast removal surgery, has been accused of using TikTok to push teenagers into sex-change procedures "unfairly and deceptively." The Daily Mail obtained a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stating that Dr Sidhbh Gallagher, who runs Gallagher Plastic Surgery in Miami, is trying to convince teens that the benefits of sex-reassignment surgeries are huge while downplaying the risks.
Gallagher reportedly performs between 400-500 gender-affirmation surgeries a year. The complaint states that she uses catchy videos with pop music backgrounds on social media to try to attract "vulnerable and impressionable" minors to undergo breast removals and even "bottom surgery."
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In a statement, the clinic said it aims to "educate" and "celebrate" a marginalized group. It stated that Gallagher has become a "target of attacks and complaints" because of her work with transgender teens. Drug and surgical transition can be life-saving for some people with gender dysphoria. However, experts say irreversible treatments can be harmful to adolescents.
Who is Dr Teetus Deletus?
Gallagher taught at Indiana University before opening her business in 2020. She has 273,000 followers on her main TikTok account, 7,000 as TheVagicianMD, and several fans on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Her Facebook bio reads, "Plastic Surgeon specializing in gender confirmation surgeries. MTF~FTM~Non-Binary.
Top surgery & Bot."
Her website, gallagherplasticsurgery.com, says, "With her background in academics Dr Gallagher always seeks to combine her artistic flair with the latest cutting-edge techniques, to bring outstanding natural results to her patients. Originally from Ireland, Dr Gallagher earned her medical degree from University College in Dublin, where she graduated in the top three percent of her class. Seeking world-class training, Dr Gallagher came to the United States, where she completed eight more years of intensive surgical training. Dr Gallagher served as an assistant professor at Indiana University from 2015 to 2020 where she researched and developed new techniques such as Masculoplasty. During this time she trained many medical students and plastic surgeons. A leader in the field of gender affirmation surgery, Dr Gallagher has founded both the Eskenazi Health Transgender Health and Wellness Program, as well as the program at Indiana University Health."
Gallagher established her private practice in Miami back in 2020. "When Dr Gallagher meets a new patient she uses her aesthetic sense combined with her surgical experience to evaluate them. Thus, a patient’s treatment is individualized, ensuring the enhancement of the patient’s own natural features. Her patient-centered approach is her secret to avoiding the “operated on” or “cookie cutter” look," the website says. "As an innovative plastic surgeon, Dr Gallagher offers her patients the latest advancements and techniques. She has traveled extensively to learn techniques, which she has brought back to her practice in addition to her own techniques she has developed to better serve patients."
It concludes, "Gallagher Plastic Surgery embodies Dr Gallagher’s world-class standards of care and excellence delivered in a patient-focused, warm and friendly setting. Along with her sister Neasa, Dr Gallagher has designed every detail of this practice with the goal of delivering the best possible patient experience combined with outstanding results."
The complaint against Gallagher says her videos "glamorize, romanticize and valorize medical gender transition." "To induce young followers to use her services, Gallagher's video marketing spots misrepresent the removal of healthy breasts as medically necessary, proven quick, effective, and safe … while omitting their real physical and psychological risks," the document says.
The complaint also condemns slang terms the doctor uses in her videos, by calling herself 'Dr Teetus Deletus' and describing the procedure as 'yeet the teets'. The document says the videos are a "brand marketing scheme" that presents the doctor as an "entertaining celebrity surgeon" to expose "hundreds of thousands of underage social media users" to her services. The complaint was filed by Genspect, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics, Our Duty, the Cardinal Support Network, and International Partners for Ethical Care, Inc. A similar complaint was also lodged with the authorities in Florida.
The clinic said in a statement to the Daily Mail, "As a practice that serves the transgender and non-binary community, it is not uncommon for us to be the target of attacks and complaints." It added, "The mission of our social media is to amplify transgender voices, celebrate transgender lives and most importantly to provide education that empowers our patients to navigate the complex process of surgical transition."