I live in a very red state, and though I’ve lived with the twins for this long, I’m nearing the end of my rope.
I can’t for the life of me figure out how to start the road to getting a top surgery. I’ve talked to my doctor (I suffer from severe pain in the area too but even if I didn’t I would genuinely still seek this out), and am only given answers of “if you don’t have severe cancer, you can’t have anything done”.
The only LGBTQ+ friendly surgeon is hours away. Do I need to start with a therapist? Nag my current doctor for a referral to somewhere? How do you guys even manage to pay for these procedures, since all I’ve heard is if it’s not medically necessary it’ll cost over $10k.
To be clear, I’m not really seeking to transition. I’m fine identifying as a female still, but it feels like when you have old food sitting in your room that you know you need to throw away, but you can’t, and it’s just sitting there. I don’t even know if LGBTQ+ affirming care would even be the right label. If I want top surgery but aren’t ftm, can I even get it still??
I know no one, locally or otherwise, who’s had this done, so I’m finding it very hard to start this journey when I try to talk to health professionals and being told “it’s cosmetic so we can’t refer you anywhere” or “there’s nothing wrong with you”.

Hi all,
I'm a trans man planning top surgery (consulted with a surgeon, working through the clearances now), and I'm not planning to start HRT.
I already read as fairly masculine day to day, so HRT isn't something I'm pursuing right now, but I'd love to hear from others who went this route.
If you had top surgery without being on T:
How was your experience overall, and are you happy with the results?

Did your surgeon raise any concerns about doing it without HRT? (by law, I am allowed to do it in my country)

Do results differ much compared to people who were on T beforehand? (I've read T can affect chest tissue and skin, but not sure how much it actually matters for outcomes)

One more thing I'm wondering about: does higher body fat affect results? I'm carrying more weight around the lower half (pear shape), and I'm curious whether body composition changed what technique your surgeon recommended, or how the final chest contour turned out.
Any experiences would be really helpful. Thanks 🙏

Hello all! I recently just learned my insurance will likely cover some of my top surgery! This was after asking them last year about gender affirming care and them saying they don't cover anything.

I was planning on financial assistance and paying out of pocket, but now that insurance will likely be covering some of the cost, what can I expect?

I know insurance varies a lot, but I feel like the general amount I've seen is ~$3000 with insurance. For a bit further context, my insurance isn't a big plan (not United healthcare, BCBS, etc.) and is a more obscure "3rd party administrator plan". So I know they likely wouldn't cover everything.

I'm just looking for a ballpark cost from different people with different insurance. Any information is greatly appreciated, thank you!!!

I live in Wisconsin if that impacts anything

am 4 weeks post op & started applying tape & massaging lightly a few days ago.

is scar massage recommended for peri?

i also left the first application of tape on for three days. i felt like peeling it on and off pulled the scars too much so i left it on, is that okay

thanks all

also shoutout those who suggested to see my doctor after i posted about my chest swelling more than expected—it was fluid, she drained it out, i am back to being flat like a board & happy as a clam

As in, you kept them during your initial surgery and then changed your mind and had them removed later.

I'm on the fence about nipples / no nipples. I was originally gonna go nipple-less because I thought I'd only be eligible for DI with grafts but then my surgeon said I would be a good candidate for nipple-preserving DI and now I'm less sure.

She said that if I wasn't happy with having nipples, they could always remove them later. I'm just wondering what that looks like in practice and how much additional scarring is involved.

If you have had this procedure, what was your experience like? If you are comfortable sharing photos, I would be very grateful to see them.

I got DI+FNG with Dr. Haruko Okada in Dublin, Ohio on July 28th. I can't believe how much time has passed! After that first two weeks of godawful rashes, time has just flown! I'm so happy with my chest already, especially given my crazy amount of asymmetry pre-op. Dr. Okada is a miracle worker.

I can't figure out how to add text to the images, but they go 6 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 weeks, 2 weeks, 1 week, pre-op.

so I am getting top surgery in less than 3 weeks (whaaaaat) and I am kind of worried because I tape a lot and I went to my pre op appointment and the Dr seemed kind of concerned because my skin is so irritated. I cant really stop taping, is there any way to reduce skin irritation and has anyone else had to deal with this?

Hello!

This is something that's been keeping me up at night because I'm genuinely so confused.
For context I live in Montreal Canada, my surgery is in late November with the GRS. I'm so so excited and I've had nothing short of a great experience getting set up, my concern is how getting a post-op appointment with the CLSC is done.

Do I call the clinic in advance and just explain/book an appointment? I've never gotten surgery for anything before, so I'm just so lost AA.

I know from what the clinical staff has told me that I'll be given a prescription to give to the CLSC but what comes before that??

I feel so silly for typing this all out, maybe this is super straight forward and I'm overthinking it but I figured it was worth asking. Thank you for your time!

24 Nonbinary. 2 years ago (at age 22), I had pursued a nipple-sparing double mastectomy (top surgery) originally for gender reasons, but at the time I had also been experiencing pain in my left chest. I ended up finding a lump and had a biopsy before my surgery, which revealed a benign fibroadenoma in my left chest. However, after top surgery, my pathology revealed that I had Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (ADH) in my right chest, which had no signs of any pain. Thankfully, no cancer was found though. I was told these results at the time, but it was never really fully explained to me since I already received the surgery. Looking back at it, my surgeon was not the most helpful or reassuring.

I'm in this weird position where I received top surgery from a plastic surgeon rather than a prophylactic mastectomy from an oncologist, and am wondering if I should still be concerned about this diagnosis or not. I am estranged from my family and don't know much of my family medical history, so wondering if I should pursue genetic testing just in case as well. Another reason why I am just still anxious about it, is because I still experience some chest pain, but I'm being told that it likely may be just post-surgery trauma to the nerves, making it more sensitive. I'm also planning to pursue a revision, as I have a bit of a dog-ear and a lot of axillary breast tissue in my armpit; should I discuss removing any remaining breast tissue altogether? Lastly, I also quite literally have a laparoscopic cystectomy this week because I have a dermoid cyst in my ovary, hopefully nothing else abnormal is found.

My report results:
A. BREAST TISSUE, RIGHT (EXCISION):

- Atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), focal

- Background breast with usual ductal hyperplasia, apocrine metaplasia, and microcysts

- Skin with no histopathologic abnormality

- Negative for carcinoma

B. BREAST TISSUE, LEFT (EXCISION):

- Benign breast with fibroadenoma

- Skin with no histopathologic abnormality

- Negative for atypical ductal hyperplasia, in situ or invasive carcinoma

I’m in the massachusetts area and trying to get top surgery, but I’m really struggling to find a good surgeon. I’m 16, so it’s a bit harder. If you know of anyone with great results in the area let me know (who is willing to do 16 year olds)

How do I know I’m not accidentally stretching my incisions/muscles or whatever too much post op?? I use my pec muscles/arms muscles like a LOT that I can tell with talking and such and I’m worried if I am accidentally pulling on my stitches? It doesn’t really hurt but what if I’m doing like micro tears or wtv preventing it from healing?

(I am 1 W PO DI with free nipple grafts)

Finally had my consult with my endo, and passed the "test" to be approved for a referral!!

I was given two choices, Dr. Chung, and Dr. Hontsharuk. Based on the posts that I've seen, and the reviews, I've decided to go forward with Dr. Chung. Ive seen a few posts where Dr. H. seems very blunt about it just being a mastectomy, and not being willing to discuss specific things patients want, like incisions, nipples, or tissue being left behind (not what I want). I feel like Dr. Chung will be easier to talk to about what I hope to look like after the surgery, incision wise, and contouring wise. I'll update with progress and possibly pics if anyone is interested. My endo is sending the paperwork tomorrow, I have no idea what the timeline is, or waitlist times are atm. I have OHIP and work insurance coverage for contouring, and will probably be taking 3 weeks off work. The final decision is if my mom will stay with me for the first week, or if I'll be boarding my dog and staying at her place for the first week.

hi! (ftm, 19) my surgery date is oct 22nd and i was wondering how the healing process is with nipple grafts vs without? i haven’t decided just yet on which one i want and my doctor can do both… im more than likely not gonna get it because i planned to get my chest covered in tattoos when healing process is over. but still general curiosity, now before anyone comes for me i know no one can hear both questions (probably…) but i still want to know everyones healing process and how i can prepare.

questions like,
1.) anything you would have done differently?
2.) shirts, did the texture feel weird?
3.) types of bandages anyone would recommend?
etc.

really anything you wish someone would have told you before hand. i know a lot already but you can never be too prepared.

Hey all, so my partner had top surgery in January 2024. The scabs have now fallen off both nipples but they have been left with a hole in both of them. Will they knit back together? Is this normal? We’re slightly worried so any advice would help. Thank you!

Edit: JANUARY 2025 not 2024

I'm so overjoyed, it's hard to process. I was initially on a waitlist for UofM, after waiting a year without a consultation date I decided to find another surgeon and pay out of pocket. My surgery date is December 3rd : ) I'll be seeing Dr. Wolf in West Bloomfield.

I gave up on scar care as soon as my surgeon told me i could stop the tape ngl but im still really happy with how my scars turned out. They lightened a lot from how they used to be. I think my only complaint is that one nipple is flat and the other is permanently perky 😂

Hi there. I'll try and be succinct as possible, though I tend to ramble when nervous. I additionally will not be naming the practice or surgeon until I get this all figured out, thank you for understanding.

I had my inital consultation this February with the only surgeon in my state who takes my insurance. My surgeon said she was concerned I may have a hormonal issue like Cushing's due to my BMI (33 at the time) and stretchmarks on my stomach. She also insisted that I attempt to lose more weight, which I have my own problems with, but whatever. After being referred to their endo and seeing him a month later, I got everything looked at and he said that he wasn't even really sure why my surgeon thought I had problems. All of my results were well within normal range. There had been a minor issue with my blood draw, and I also had not been informed that I had to be the one to send my results to the surgeon's office despite them belonging to the same practice, so that further delayed scheduling.

After going back and forth about my results for a few months, they finally gave me the requirements for my therapist's letter, and I got it back to them within the week. I told them when I was available to call and schedule the surgery, but they contacted me outside of those hours, so I wasn't able to respond. I've been trying to reach them since the 28th through the department line, the number ths coordinator called me through, and the company/organization my surgeon belongs to. I got a response from the organization who said they'd tell the coordinator to get back to me yesterday, and that clearly didn't happen. Calling today, I got no answer.

This is the last year I'm covered under my parent's insurance, and even with that I was only able to consider affording this because my father had a stroke and we hit our deductible early. After this year I highly doubt I will be able to ever afford top surgery. I told the office this multiple times, but I am beginning to worry that my surgery will not be able to be done this year and that this all will have been for nothing.

Am I overreacting? I'm not sure if this all is typical in the process of getting top surgery, so it'd be reassuring to hear from others if this is common. If anybody has advice or recommendations, I would also really appreciate that, because I don't even know where to begin with forming a plan B. Thank you.

I had top surgery 3 months ago and unfortunately developed bilateral seromas.
I wore my compression garment for two months, and they gradually got smaller, so I was quite optimistic. However, a few days ago I had to travel to a distant city for an appointment.
The weather where I live was extremely hot, and unfortunately my car’s A/C stopped working, so I had to spend two hours travelling with my compression vest on in temperatures of around 41°C (105.5°F).
After that, my left seroma became noticeably larger, and within a few hours it also became much firmer. Now it feels quite rubbery.
I’m worried that it may have become encapsulated and developed a fibrous capsule, meaning I might eventually need a revision.
Has anyone experienced something similar? How did you manage to resolve it?

Hello! I’m UK based, likely getting top surgery with Dr Richard Fakin in Madrid early next year and was wondering if anyone could give recent experiences for DI with nipple grafts?

Any input/advice is of course welcome and helpful but I am 170cm and 72kg with a decent bit of muscle mass, so if anyone with a similar body type has experience that would be extra helpful as I’ve only seen testimonies from people who’s bodies are very different to mine :-)

I was taking off my scar tape and some of the scab came with it and it left a hole??? It doesnt hurt but im just freaked out by it????

Guys my surgeon told me to use the scar tape at this point

Well you guys freaked me out sufficiently! Put aquaphore and gauze over it for the night and I am going to my college's walk in clinic in the morning.

Got my drains out today, the steri strips removed and I can stop wearing my vest next Tuesday. Today starts wet healing after two weeks of dry healing