For many transgender patients, surgery to align the body and gender identity is not just desired but imperative. Gender dysphoria, when the anatomy doesn’t match the identity, causes emotional distress and mental harm. Having gender affirmation procedures like top surgery to correct the mismatch is a genuine medical necessity. Longwood Plastic Surgery is proud to serve Massachusetts’ transgender community with gender affirming procedures to correct body’s misalignment.
How Does Top Surgery Work?
For trans women, MtF top surgery (Male to Female) involves reconstructive chest surgery to enhance the size and shape of the breasts. The best results are achieved when the patient has been on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for at least one year. The breasts grow during this time, increasing the skin’s surface area in such a way that when implants are placed, the change in volume does not unnaturally stretch the skin. MtF top surgery improves a woman’s chest to hip ratio for a more desirable hourglass figure. The changes to your physique with this procedure are proven to alleviate symptoms of gender dysphoria and help you present on the outside as the woman you are on the inside.
For trans men, FtM top surgery (Female to Male) involves the removal of feminizing breast features and excess skin, repositioning and downsizing nipples and areolas, and sculpting a more masculine chest shape. HRT is not typically required for this procedure to be successful, though it does aid in achieving the masculine sculpting that is the hallmark of the male chest. As with top surgery for trans women, FtM top surgery improves physical and mental health for trans men with the affirmation of your true gender and the aligning of your body with your identity.
Will Insurance Cover My Top Surgery?
Massachusetts is widely considered more up-to-date on insurance coverage for transgender patients than other places within the United States, so if you have insurance from a company licensed by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance, your insurance may cover part or all of your gender affirming procedures.
In 2014, Massachusetts reformed health coverage policies to ensure transgender patients receive full access to all medically necessary care, including gender affirming medications and procedures. Participants in Massachusetts’ MassHealth program (the Massachusetts Medicaid program) cannot be discriminated against with denials of insurance coverage for transgender medical care. Private health care providers licensed in Massachusetts are similarly barred from excluding coverage for transgender medical care. For participants in a self-insured plan, where the employer or union assumes the risk of paying healthcare claims, the regulations do not apply. Large employers or unions deciding their own coverage policies are not mandated to cover transgender affirmation medical care, so if you’re unsure if your plan is self-insured or not, check with your HR or union representative for more information.
Aligning your body’s appearance with who you know you are is a complex undertaking with many steps to reach your ultimate goal of living authentically. In most cases, gender affirming procedures performed at Longwood Plastic Surgery are partially or fully covered by Massachusetts insurance providers, giving many of our trans patients the peace of mind needed to become who they were always meant to be.
Am I a Good Candidate?
If you’re grappling with the incongruity of your body appearing as the gender with which you don’t identify mentally, top surgery may be something to consider. Ideal candidates are those who would benefit physically or mentally from top surgery, who don’t smoke, and who enjoy otherwise good health. A comprehensive consultation with Longwood Plastic Surgery physicians is a great place to begin.
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.