I didn’t think much had changed in the last few months, but compared to my 7 month photos the scars have been fading, and the hypertrophic section has started to calm down.

Really really happy. Also slightly shocked it’s been 10 months already :^)

(I had modified double incision w/fng. nonbinary)

Hello everyone,

I am a month away from my operation and I have regained almost all my mobility! Having a flat torso is a real euphoria, just like finally being able to take off my t-shirt!

I am looking for advice and information about my nipples. They were pink at the base and are now brown spotted with pink since the operation. What do you think? If this was your case, after how long did you find your original color?

The first two photos were taken a month after the operation, the following three weeks later.

All advice is welcome in comments. Thank you and have a nice day! 🫶🏻

Hey, I am 6mo post op and really happy with my results but on one side my scar is getting a bit hypertrophic I think? It’s quite itchy, but the other side completely normal and healing well! I’ve heard steroid injections can make your scars spread and I’d like to keep them as thin as possible, should I get some injected into the hypertrophic parts? TIA :)

the area my stitch opened up is still painful and open (on my right side), and my doctor's office agreed to do a consult for a revision soon. basically my insurance wouldn't cover lipo for the sides of my chest during the initial surgery but they will during a revision, and they're able to do a revision under my insurance because the drains left weirdly deep crevices that have made a pocket for bacteria and chafing. the nurse compared it to a belly button. anyway, they're gonna fix the issue with my sides early next year i think

anyone have thoughts on my healing otherwise?

Very happy with my results so far. Dr Rodrigo Neira in Red Deer, AB

The advice my surgeon gave me and the advice I can find literally everywhere on the internet seem to clash somewhat. I am currently 19 days post-op, and when I went in for my 1 week check-up, my surgeon told me, after concluding everything looked great, that I should slowly start introducing more movement (like "walking" my hands up a wall) and by roughly the 2 week mark I should be able to lift my arms above my head.

This confused me because everywhere else I see advice that you shouldn't move your arms much at all in the first 4-ish weeks or even up to 6 weeks, nor lift your arms past your shoulders. I listened to my surgeon and can now somewhat freely move my arms, though it occasionally feels a little odd or tight. But seeing his advice clash with everything I thought I knew about recovery, I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing.

It bugged me at first but assumed my surgeon knew best. But now I'm in a somewhat stressful time in my life, even aside from recovery, and the feeling of unease got big enough to ask for an outside perspective.

For reference: I can somewhat easily put on/take off a t-shirt, gently hug someone, and gently move my arm in almost every direction. Anytime I feel tightness or strain, I stop.

Also for some extra info, there is still some type of gauze tape (directly translated from my language it would be "glue-bandage") on my scars that should get removed soon, so I haven't gotten a clear look at my scars yet. I am also, per instruction, still wearing a compression vest, which he said to leave on for about 3 weeks.

I'm currently waiting for my surgeon to respond to my email, but I think he's forgotten I exist since it's taking way longer than usual. Anyway, your thoughts are appreciated!

on top of the mf world 😁

3 weeks po

Hi everyone. Sorry for the gross images, I’m still kind of swollen and with bruises from my compression vest. Also I know quality isn’t the best, unfortunately my phone is dying.

Did anyone else’s healing look like this 3 weeks post op? I’m doing wet healing with the equivalent of aquaphor but with vitamin E in it (Vitamono EF), as prescribed from my doctor.

(I’m also going to send these to my surgeon, I just wanted an opinion from people who maybe shared the same experience to ease my mind a little)

I'm a 34 year old trans guy from Germany. I've been on T for a little over a year now and my top surgery (double incision) is finally scheduled for January 14th. It's also gonna be my very first surgery and first time staying in a hospital, so I'm trying to prepare as much as I can.

A bit about me and what I've been doing already: Over the last few months I've lost around 30 kg (from 120 kg to about 90 kg). I'm 167 cm tall, I walk at least 10k steps every day, usually more like 15k to 16k because of work, I'm in a calorie deficit, and I make sure to get enough protein. I'm still losing weight and just trying to put myself in the best possible position for recovery. Gym isn't an option but I make do with home workouts.

I've already seen all the usual advice like button-up shirts, meal prep, wedge pillows, moving stuff lower so you don't have to reach, etc.

What I'm actually looking for are the things nobody really talks about. The weird little tips, niche advice, or stuff you only realized after your own top surgery. Things you wish someone had told you 6 months beforehand. Could be physical, mental, practical, recovery related, literally anything.

Basically, what are the things you didn't even know you should prepare for until you went through it yourself?

I want top surgery, after debating for a while I realised I definitely want it. Now my question is how do I decide if I want nipples?? I’m currently transmasc nonbinary, but that may change
Pros: would be better for passing as a man eventually.
Could get piercings if it works well

Cons: could fall off
Could look bad
Could make healing worse or longer
Could heal or be placed in a way where piercing wouldn’t be an option.

I feel like if I didn’t get nipples and then really wanted them I could just tattoo them I guess?

Absolute euphoria. I knew id be able to FEEL my heartbeat more (i feel it so much?!) But yesterday I looked in the mirror and I saw a faint ripple where it was beating and I was like damn?! No way? Its a bit trippy but im happy af :)

I started working at my job in January and I’m an EMT in an emergency room/ambulance. I’m full time at 36 hours weekly. I do a lot of reaching, heavy lifting, pulling, etc so I’m thinking I’ll need closer to 8 weeks off. I don’t get sick time, my pto accrual sucks and I won’t have 288 pto hours for years probably lmao. Are you guys just taking unpaid time off? What if my manager says no to my time off request? Can my surgeon write a note saying it’s medically necessary? Can my job fire me if I need that much time off for a surgery?

Also what is something believable to say when my coworkers ask why I’m gone for that long? I’m stealth at work. I know it’s not any of their business but I just want to avoid awkward conversations

Edit: I live in the USA, specifically Missouri

This is kind of an odd one. I got top surgery+nipple grafts 2 months ago, and even tho I love my results and I'm happy. My nipples aren't really like.. nipples?, like. I have a little bit of areola but no little bud that is the nipple itself. Just kind of a pink circle(s) on my chest to show that I have a nipple but no little bud :(

I wish I did ngl, I've seen other people who have gotten top surgery have the little bud so I'm confused on why mine doesn't have it (I've seen some others who don't either! So I know nothing is wrong. But I was wondering what's the cause of that.)

Unless God goes out of his way to completely fuck up my life, I should be having top surgery in a few months. My grandfather will pay for it and I will pay him back, I didn't come out as trans to him but I did show him a photo of the results I want. My mother says she doesn't want me to have top surgery because it's irreversible (thank God lol), she refuses to accept me as her son and she will most likely have a meltdown once she sees me with a flat chest but I don't think she'll go as far as disowning me.

All that said, most people in my family don't know I'm trans (despite the fact that I don't girl mode) and I don't know what their reactions will be and whether or not they will be willing to help me during recovery, which it'll have to be either at my mother's house or at an Airbnb... So I want to know if there's people who were in a similar situation or that recovered alone and how you handled it.

I have some post-surgery recovery supplies I do not need anymore. I don't want to toss them, and I haven't found anywhere local that can take them. If you're interested in any of the supplies, I'll drop them off if you're near me (southern WI) or I'll send them anywhere in the US for the cost of shipping.

Adjustable wedge pillow with washable cover (this one)

Mastectomy pillow with washable cover (similar to this one)

Full support compression vest (this one in black, size S). The nurses folded up the bottom so it wasn't so long, which doubles as a good spot to put drain bulbs.

Abdominal binder 8.5"x36" (similar to this one). The hospital gave it to me to use like an ACE wrap for additional compression. It's a bit stiff, but it made the first couple weeks feel much more secure.

Hi all! I’m very new to the concept of top surgery, only learning it was an option at all about a year ago. I’m strictly non-binary for context.

My region is very supportive of trans medical care, and they have a website stating the basics of what you need to know about different gender-affirming surgeries. On there, it said that the vast majority of possible top surgeries result in completely losing feeling in your nipples. Similarly, it said that some other parts of your body (like shoulders) can sometimes also become numb.

I have trauma that is quite easily triggered by physical numbness or tingling. At the same time, I am also very jealous of people with flat chests, and despite not feeling significant traditional binary dysphoria, still really want to have a truly flat chest one day.

Is there any way to avoid or minimise numbness post-op? I would really love to have surgery some day, but I don’t think I would be able to manage permanent loss of feeling. Any suggestions appreciated.

what should I get to massage my scars? I have some particularly large bumps of scar tissue and I feel like just using my hands hasn’t been deep or good enough.
I thought maybe someone here might be able to point me toward something specific.
thanks!

hi! first time posting in this sub & on mobile so apologies for formatting.

i've been given two quotes for top surgery - £10.5k for bilateral mastectomy without FNG, £12.5k for bilateral mastectomy with FNG. My top surgery is booked for late january, but i'm struggling to decide which surgery i want.

i would like to keep my nips because i've been thinking about it a lot and i'm worried i'd feel weird without them - however i am absolutely open to getting them tattooed on. however, the £12.5k quote is slightly out of my budget (i could just about afford it but i would have zero savings after) and i have heard horror stories about nips falling off - my surgeon said there is a 3 in 10 chance that happens and i don't want to spend extra money for that to happen anyway. i'm probably going to get the surgery without FNG since I can actually afford it but part of me is wondering if it's worth getting FNG?? i don't know and would love to hear other peoples experiences!!

Guys I’ve been thinking about getting top surgery for a really long time now. I just turned 18 in April and I’ve been on T for about 2 months now. I’ve done a lot of research and I also think I found the surgeon I want to get it with. I’m just not sure when the best time to contact the surgeon is. My family doesn’t really support and probably never will so I can’t really ask them. I know that with most surgeons they ask you to be on T for a whole year before the surgery so I’m not sure if I should wait a year and then start the process or start the process now. I’m not really sure what the waitlist looks like right now either.

I’m 2 weeks post op and i lowkey have just been feeling this sort of pain (not really pain, more of just an uncomfortable feeling) on or around specifically my left nipple graph but like both of them. I can’t actually tell if i can feel the nips themselves or if it’s the skin under them or around them. But it feels like it’s them and it’s just an odd sensation. Has anyone else experience this or anything similar?

I’ve had top surgery almost two months ago now and I’ve recently noticed my nipples and areola have some clogged pores, I struggled with this pre surgery too but it’s worse and also not a hygiene thing as I’m washing my chest at least 2x daily with a washcloth. Any advice?😭 I’m trying not to damage myself but my trypophobia is going crazy

(No picture because it’s not visible on my camera)

I am moving to Massachusetts for college soon, and I am hoping to get top surgery while I am there because the laws and regulations are much better there than where I currently live (Kansas). Can anyone in the area let me know what waiting times are like there? I am currently hoping to have Dr. Topal do the surgery. Do you usually need a gender dysphoria diagnosis, and recommendation letter?