Having top surgery as a transgender patient is about so much more than undergoing a cosmetic procedure to improve a physical feature. It’s about relieving the mental and emotional pressure of presenting as your true self to others. 

For transgender women, this means increasing breast size to achieve a feminine shape. At Longwood Plastic Surgery, we can help you get the naturally beautiful and feminine breasts you should have had all along.

Before & After

subcutaneous mastectomy Boston
subcutaneous mastectomy Boston

How Does MtF Top Surgery Work?

Few aspects of a woman’s anatomy show her femininity quite like her breasts. This is why the gender dysphoria trans women feel has such a heavy focus on the breasts. They’re the body part that most obviously shapes others’ perceptions of us and how we’re expected to behave. MtF top surgery is a cosmetic procedure designed to increase transgender woman’s breast size for that all-important feminine breast-to-hip ratio.

Your LPS surgeon will recommend that you be on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and monitored by an endocrinologist for at least 1 year prior to undergoing MtF top surgery. This is mainly because the breasts will grow naturally for up to 18 months once you begin taking estrogen. Once you have a better idea of how much breast tissue you’ll naturally achieve, you can decide on the best size breast implants for you. In some cases for smaller augmentations, fat may be harvested in some areas from the body and added to the breasts instead of using implants. This breast growth will also give your LPS surgeon a good breast pocket to place the implant underneath, or fat to be injected into. 

Am I a Good Candidate for Top Surgery?

If you’re an adult transgender woman who’s been on estrogen therapy for at least 1 year, you may be an ideal candidate for dysphoria-relieving MtF top surgery. The FDA has approved saline implants for women 18 and over and silicone implants for women 22 and over, so you must meet these age requirements before your top surgery. There are many options in surgical techniques for MtF top surgery, so a comprehensive consultation at LPS is a great place to start.

Transgender Surgery Consultations Available

What is Top Surgery Recovery Like?

The procedure is carried out in the LPS accredited surgical suite on an outpatient basis, so you’ll be able to recover in the comfort of your own home. It’s normal to feel heaviness on your chest from the weight of your new implants. We’ll supply you with a surgical bra to support your new breasts throughout your recovery, and we recommend you wear these supportive garments for as long as you need. 

You can expect to keep your physical activity on the light side for the first 2-3 weeks, but most patients return to work or school after a few days. It may be several months before your breast implants fully settle into their most natural position, and you become accustomed to their feel.

What Results Can I Expect?

The results of MtF top surgery are immediate and profound. You will no longer be missing a part of your body that should have been there all along. Your shirts will fit as intended, and best of all, people will perceive you as the woman you know you are. When your colleagues, friends, and loved ones react to you as they do to women in general, the mental weight lifted can be immense. No more concern about whether or not you pass. No more worry about being clocked or misgendered. You can now focus the emotional energy you’ve long put toward your gender identity on living your life to the fullest. 

Let Longwood Plastic Surgery give you the confidence and courage to live your most authentic life as the woman you’ve always been.

I was recommended to Dr. Morris through my doctor at BID-Needham. Due to prior surgeries, I had some issues and Dr. Morris is the best. He has done a fantastic job with my abdomen core and I feel and look fantastic.

Take the Next Step

Interested in learning about MtF top surgery? Schedule your consultation with Longwood Plastic Surgery today by calling our Brookline office at (617) 383-6250. We serve the Brookline and Greater Boston area with distinction.