Transgender Top Surgery
Transgender (or ‘trans’) people — whose gender identity doesn’t match the gender they were assigned at birth — can experience gender dysphoria, defined as the psychological distress that results from the conflict between one’s assigned gender and one’s gender identity. The operation that changes the look of a trans person’s chest is oftentimes referred to as ‘top surgery’ and is best performed by an experienced plastic surgeon.
Trans men (people assigned to be female at birth who identify as male), may choose to have their breasts removed or reduced significantly in size, while trans women (assigned male at birth but identifying as female) may choose to have breast augmentation surgery for a fuller figure.
Transmasculine Top Surgery
Transmasculine top surgery is essentially a subcutaneous mastectomy, the procedure often performed to treat breast cancer. In a mastectomy, the breast tissue and any excess skin are removed to make a flatter chest. The doctor might also make changes to the size and placement of the nipple and areola.
Transfeminine Top Surgery
Transfeminine top surgery is similar to breast augmentation or reconstruction after a mastectomy. A plastic surgeon will either insert breast implants under the skin or take fat tissue from other parts of the body and inject it into the breast to create the desired look and feel.
Choosing the Right Implants
The first step to choosing the right implant is to talk to your surgeon about your options. There are a lot of factors that go into making this choice – including your breast anatomy, skin elasticity, body type, and expectations – so it’s best to talk with an expert. Ultimately, discussing what’s best for your body will lead to the safest and healthiest way to give you the results you’ve always wanted.
FDA-approved silicone breast implants are filled with an elastic gel which gives you the feel and movement most similar to natural breasts. These implants are inserted and placed while full. If a leak occurs, the silicone implant will not collapse and the gel may remain within the implant wall or escape into the breast implant pocket.
Considerations
Transfeminine and transmasculine top surgery are major procedures requiring follow-up care and some temporary restrictions on physical activities.
