When the presence or absence of your breasts shows people the opposite of your true gender, it can be emotionally frustrating for you and mentally challenging to overcome. Binding or bra stuffing are temporary, not the end solution many transgender individuals really want.
At Longwood Plastic Surgery, our providers are experts in breast reconstructions of all types, including top surgery for trans men and women.
How Does Top Surgery Work?
There are two gender-affirming top surgeries performed at LPS: Male-to-Female (MtF) top surgery and Female-to-Male (FtM) top surgery. MtF top surgery feminizes trans women’s chests with breast implants or sometimes even fat injection. Options about the type, shape, size, and placement of the implants can personalize the procedure. At LPS, you can get a customized feminine breast presentation that matches your aesthetic goals.
FtM top surgery gives trans men a flat, masculine shape to their chest by removing breast tissue, resizing the areolas, and repositioning the nipples. The unique anatomy of each patient determines the techniques in the procedure. Typically, the size of your breasts will decide the incisions that are best to remove them and reshape your chest.
Am I a Good Candidate for Top Surgery?
Trans women are candidates for top surgery after at least 1 year on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT stimulates some natural breast growth, which can impact the best implant size for your figure. Trans men do not need HRT to undergo top surgery, though testosterone’s resulting muscle growth does inform the shape of your masculine chest.
Benefits of Top Surgery
Relieve gender dysphoria
Many trans people are distressed by their bodies. This can present in a preoccupation with primary and secondary sex characteristics, which color how they interact with others. Top surgery affirms gender-specific emotions because the outside has begun to match. Trans patients report a sense of physical and mental rightness that had always been missing before the procedure.
Social expectations match your identity
As a visual society, a person presenting male or female is treated according to culturally accepted gender expression norms. When coworkers, friends, loved ones, or even strangers see the real you, they react in ways that lift your spirits, creating gender euphoria. Top surgery provides the necessary visual cues that allow trans patients and their peers to really embrace who they are, so their mental energy is on relationships instead of appearances.
Reduce rates of depression and suicide
Transgender people are 4 times more likely to experience depression than cisgender individuals, and 52% of transgender youth contemplate suicide. However, researchers at Harvard Medical School, The Fenway Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry have found that trans patients undergoing gender-affirming procedures have a 42% reduction in psychological distress and a 44% reduction in suicidal ideation.
Longwood Plastic Surgery is proud to help our transgender patients achieve not only their physical aesthetic goals but improve their mental health as well. It’s our pleasure to provide the healthcare our trans patients most need to become the greatest version of themselves. We know your journey is a difficult one, and we are with you every step of the way, so you can become your true self and embrace a higher quality of life.
Take the Next Step
Interested in learning about 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.