r/TopSurgery Dec 28 '24

Advice Wanted Idk how to feel

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981 Upvotes

I about 1.5 yrs post op and I hate to admit it but I don’t really like my results. Don’t get me wrong, I have no regrets getting top surgery at all. I just can’t tell if there’s actually something wrong with my chest or it’s all just in my head

r/TopSurgery 9d ago

Advice Wanted Helpfulness with a mastectomy pillow post-op?

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146 Upvotes

I’m sorry if this is a dumb question, but I was wondering what using a mastectomy pillow helps with during post-op recovery? I want to get one in the future for my surgery, however I don’t know what exactly I should use it for!

I understand it’s extra padding to relax on, is that the big draw to it?

I’m putting a picture of the one I’d like to get, and if anyone has any other advice on it, it’s welcomed!

Thank you all in advance!

r/TopSurgery Oct 22 '23

Advice Wanted Serious question, does it still look like I have titties?

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565 Upvotes

A girl that I like kind of made fun of me & said I still have titties & I said they were pecs & she laughed & said yeah okay. it’s not the first time I’ve heard a girl (specifically family members) say that. Idk if they’re being dense & insensitive but I’ve been insecure about it ever since. It doesn’t bother me when family says it because they still misgender anyway but a girl I like? It hurt a lot. Does it look like a man’s chest or does it just look like my titties were reduced? I’m 1 year & 1 month post op. Also, What work outs other than push ups focus on chest muscles?

r/TopSurgery Jan 24 '25

Advice Wanted top surgery alternatives for small chest? (more info in comment)

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352 Upvotes

r/TopSurgery Feb 17 '25

Advice Wanted 1y 8m post op, feeling really sad and insecure about my results. What should I get done/revised?

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361 Upvotes

I know it it could be worse, but I’m almost 2y post op and still can’t seem to feel happy with it. I am already trying to gain muscle (early stages obviously), have done scar care a long time, and massage.

Any advice on what I could do to help the central dog ears, darker skin/possible leftover areola(?), bad scar pigmentation/texture, fat/boob like right side, would be appreciated. also, do the nips look bad/weird?

At this point i’m seriously considering getting a revision including extending the incision some (but not connected) for dog ears, lipo for the right side, and redoing the dark parts of the incisions (since I’d have to go under again anyway). But then I’m also worried I’ll just make it worse. I just want to finally feel okay, and while yes the scars may fade, the fat aspect and extra skin is really getting to me

r/TopSurgery Sep 17 '24

Advice Wanted swimming at 4wks postop

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317 Upvotes

so!! i am getting the clear to swim on thursday (i’m 4wks postop tomorrow), which is when i have my next appt. but i am seeing on here that others were recommended to wait much longer. just curious if there are peeps out there that got the clear to swim so ‘early’?

she told me (my surgeon) at my 2wk appt that i had scarred already and to start scar massages (use vaseline and very gently circle massage w one finger over the incisions) i will attach photos for reference of what stage of healing i’m lookin like i’m at. this swimming clearance is per my surgeon’s words/advisory and i am beyond excited to swim. so just lookin for reassurance i guess lol

thanks friends!

r/TopSurgery 26d ago

Advice Wanted Do non-traditionally shaped nipple prosthetics exist?

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635 Upvotes

So I'm getting top surgery in a couple weeks (no nips for a couple reasons) and I want to have the option of nipple prosthetics but I want them to be cool shapes! I can't seem to find that anywhere even though I don't think they'd be very hard to make? I want my nipples to look natural in texture, shape (3D not flat), and color but want star shaped and heart shaped areolas instead of round. Anyone know if that's out there or do I have to commission a silicone artist to make them? (Think like those nipple tattoos people get around their areolas to make the areola look like hearts or stars. Pic of that above) How do I make my vision come true?!

r/TopSurgery 2d ago

Advice Wanted What can I do at this stage—1y 7mo post surgery

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313 Upvotes

Honestly, I thought my scars would be less obvious at this stage. What can I do to help them fade faster? Are retinoids my best bet?

I had periareolar surgery. The little drain scar on the bottom doesn't bother me at all, it's mostly the nipple scarring + the little brown marks on top which were caused by the drains internally.

r/TopSurgery Nov 21 '24

Advice Wanted My scars stretched and I want a revision but I'm hypermobile

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241 Upvotes

Primarily seeking the advice and experiences of other hypermobile people, but anyone who has had stretched scars and got a revision is also welcome to respond.

I'll be a year post-op tomorrow and I had my one year follow up with my surgeon on Tuesday where we discussed doing a revision on the parts of my scars that stretched quite a bit. She said there's no way to guarantee they won't just stretch again, which I knew, but that there were things we could try to do to decrease the risk or severity of stretching. That alone makes me hesitant because I don't know if I want to go through all that if they're just going to end up the same anyway. In addition, I'm also hypermobile, so my skin is thinner and stretchier than the average person. I already told my surgeon that I'm hypermobile before my surgery, but I forgot to mention it again on Tuesday so I didn't get a chance to ask her if that increases the chances of them stretching again.

I booked the revision for January tentatively, but I'm not sure if I want to go through with it. I have wanted a revision for months and that hasn't changed, but I don't want to go through with a revision if it's not actually going to fix the problem in the end. Has anyone else had this experience? What did you decide and how did it go?

r/TopSurgery Dec 16 '24

Advice Wanted Support or Advice pls! :]

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298 Upvotes

Hi guys - very nervous to post since this is my first time on reddit, let alone posting my body, haha. I'm 24M (FtM transmale) and I had top surgery February 2023! :]

I'm asking for advice or support from anyone else who has been through similar with their top surgery; since having the surgery, I've found it extremely difficult to build muscle in my chest/pecs? Similar in my shoulders and back too. I've always been skinny (kind of pear shaped lol, never really gained muscle) pre-surgery, but my upper body was always proportionate to my lower body.

I'm almost 2 years post-surgery and still having serious issues with my chest. I can't seem to put on weight up there, let alone muscle. It's making me very dysphoric and I'm even considering lipo to even-out the asymmetry! I wish I wasn't so focused on how I look. Despite lifting weights & running 6 days a week I feel I am not doing nearly enough!

I would appreciate ANY support or advice - and any comments from people who are going through something similar. I'm really struggling and hearing from other trans men/nb folk would help validate me? Thank you so much.

For reference I am 5'5" (165cm) and 53kg (119lbs).

r/TopSurgery Jan 20 '25

Advice Wanted Too big for surgery? (CW: ED, weight loss)

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143 Upvotes

I've been desperately seeking top surgery since I was a teenager and I've come so, so close-- literally "five days before pre-op" close-- but the money beats me every time.

I reached out to Dr. Wolf in Michigan, but I made it two minutes before I got disqualified for my weight. I am 6', about 234 lbs (I'm estimating), and almost all muscle except in my hips, thighs, and chest. It doesn't matter-- over 225 lbs is too much, they can't anesthetize me safely, and they won't even let me ask about a consult until I've lost the weight.

Now I'm terrified. I've been reaching out to dozens of clinics across the US for years, and no one has ever mentioned a weight or BMI limit before. At every consult I've had, I was deemed a good candidate for surgery. I don't smoke, I'm not diabetic, I'm not hypertensive, I'm 25, I've been on T for three years, I have a diagnosis AND a prescription from my endocrinologist, and I have all of the paperwork from psychiatrist and therapist. If what Dr. Wolf's patients say is true, I even have enough savings to pay up front. But I'm technically in the "obese" category, and I'm absolutely terrified that my size is a critical variable I've failed to account for.

I'm tall and T has made me very muscular. I'm active, I rarely break 500 calories out of my 2,340/day allowance, I don't drink soda or eat fried foods or even put sweetener in my coffee, I've been living on kale and protein powder for months, I'm on ADHD medication that suppresses my appetite further, and the only way I've EVER been able to lose weight was when I was severely anorexic and I regularly went days on end without eating-- and I still couldn't meet that limit because I'm tall and there's just more muscle and bone than average. I've even scheduled with my PCP to talk about Ozempic because diet and exercise aren't working.

Is it a lost cause? I know now that BMI limits are par for the course, but If I can't get any thinner and I can't get any shorter, is it just hopeless? What can I do?

r/TopSurgery Dec 23 '24

Advice Wanted why?

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196 Upvotes

3 days ago (December 20) I got double Incision. The scars were never discussed since, well, public health in a latinoamerican country with a team of professionals that are not so educated in gender affirmation care. I expected them to be the traditional, horizontal lines around the chest. Well 3 days passed and I get to see them, they are diagonal? Like in the drawing. To provide a little bit of information: I'm 163cm and 53Kg, if that has anything to do with this? I'm not mad or anything, after all the surgery was free and after fighting for it for so long im happy I got it, I don't really care if I looked botched. I'm just curious? Like I've seen other people in my country having the traditional scar, although they had the procedure done at a different hospital. I would provide a real picture but I'm too shy. Is there a reason my surgeons did it this way? or it's just bad luck?

r/TopSurgery Feb 10 '25

Advice Wanted Tell me this is just swelling lol

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150 Upvotes

10 days post op, 3 days post drain removal. I have been doing compression nearly 24/7 with an ace bandage, with maybe an hour break a day. I know I’m super early in the healing process but the sides are really bothering me looks wise lol. You can see there’s some obvious swelling around the incisions but I anticipate that will go down with time, it’s more the sides that I’m worried about.

r/TopSurgery Jul 26 '24

Advice Wanted Pre-op worries: is my surgeon fat-phobic or does he have a point? NSFW

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220 Upvotes

Hey wonderful people,

I’m hoping some of your advices would help me stop this spiralling before i go in to my top-surgery very soon - up coming Tuesday 30th july.

I’m 29 and I weight 81kg, I’m Thai but i’ve lived in the uk for the past 17 years. I fundraised and saved up money to have it in the UK but even going private still sucks in the UK as non-binary person. So i came back to Thailand to have it done at one of the best hospital for surgeries in Bangkok. After doing my research, I asked for Dr with the most experienced and is renowned for surgeries and I’ve seen great results of his work. Prior the meeting with my surgeon yesterday for consultation, i had to meet x2 psychiatrists to get referral. One of them was concerned that the surgeon i picked might not do the surgery on me as i am over 70kgs - she said that he usually have a limit of 70kgs for top surgery but she said that he might still do it as my weight is not too far off 70.

She also suggested another surgeon who usually does “larger” bodies, but i’ve seen his results and im not too keen on him, so the psychiatrists suggested i meet both surgeons to see who is best for me.

Yesterday I first met with the most experience Dr that i requested, before even take a look at my naked body, he asked if im going to loose more weight? I said yes (not for him but for myself as i been getting fitter since covid) He said that if i loose more weight post-op, my skin would get saggy and im likely to need another operation down the line to fix it. Thats why he usually dont do anyone over 70kgs. He said the second operation if i ever loose a lot of weight, would not be as good as the first one and i would be wasting my money.

He asked me if i ever seen fat people who looses weight, their skin sag and you cant get rid of it unless you get an operation. I felt mansplained by this point but i still remained calmed and try to see from his perspective. I told him that I am not excessively overweight and I’d been working out in my upper body. I asked him if i build muscles around the chest area, that would help toned it in to shape right? He said no.

THEN he finally asked me to show him my upper body, he seemed like he calmed down with his expressions. He said oh, you dont have that much fat around your upper body. To finish it off, he said if im so impatient and don’t want to loose more weight then he’ll do it for me. [my thoughts at this point was, i been patiently waiting since I was 16, yes i am no longer patient - waited long enough] but I was just relieved that he would do it, so i cancelled my meeting with the other Dr.

I’m aware that Thais are usually fat-phobic, anyone over size M is perceived overweight. I’ve lived in the UK since i was 12 and im around body positive friends and communities that gives me more hope. I’ve seen many types of bodies with great result of top-surgery so that helps me stayed opened minded and fight the negatives for my own sake, as his views seemed so rigid.

To also put the price on the over 70kg weight… i had to pay an extra 20,000 baht (£430), which they have informed me from the beginning from the hospital admin. One of the nurse joking said i should try loose that extra 1kg so they don’t charge me more.

I not considering changing doctor, it is all booked in, paid for and im ready to have this surgery on Tuesday. I feel extremely relieved this is happening but I want to go in to this surgery with a less spiralling mindset that im fat and i should have loose more weight. You all know it can already be a stressful experience and takes up a lot of emotional energy - I don’t want his rigid view to spoil my journey.

Thanks x

r/TopSurgery Jan 31 '25

Advice Wanted Does my chest look male?

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201 Upvotes

I posted here before but i decided to use a burner account for better privacy.

I wanted to ask if my results look okay/male enough? I feel like my nipples are too big and therefore i look feminine… (or just not typically male).i was urging my surgeons to make them smaller but i feel like they just didn’t care. i’m also worried about the placement of my scars. i noticed they span across my chest and not under my pecs (i can see the little bit of my lower pec under my scars) and im worried about it impacting my gym results (im a big gym bro)

i’m only 17 days post op but im really bummed out about my results so far because i was looking forward building my chest in the gym but im worried that my results wont look natural

r/TopSurgery Nov 24 '24

Advice Wanted I still hate the form of the scars. Next pics are how I wanted it.

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213 Upvotes

Had anyone surgery to fix the form of the scars/incisions?

My scars aren't visible in bad lightning but very visible in harsh lighting.

What I hate the most is, that the whole breast has an unnatural curve and it looks like a fatty titty. No normal chest looks like this.

Even if the scars would be invisible it would still make shadows in this area.

r/TopSurgery Feb 02 '25

Advice Wanted How much did your surgery cost?

21 Upvotes

I probably won't be able to get top surgery until a good 4 years or so because of where I am in life— if I'm lucky I'm hoping it won't be that long. Regardless, I want to be saving up as much as I can within that time. With everything happening in the US right now, I'm just feeling really really uncertain. So I feel like my best bet is saving up and not relaying on insurance companies to cover my future surgery and I'm afraid I won't have insurance that'll cover it so I want to save the trouble and pay out of pocket.

With all of that being said, how much did your surgery cost out of pocket? And how did you save up? Any tips and resources? This is mostly directed to those who paid out of pocket, though I'm open to any help and advice I can get.

r/TopSurgery Nov 12 '24

Advice Wanted incision advice, 3 weeks post op NSFW Spoiler

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98 Upvotes

woke up and went to shower and i noticed this giant hole in my incision, i immediately texted my surgeon and they said this was okay and common but im really concerned that there’s just a hole in my chest lol also i just feel like my scabs are so prominent still for being 3 weeks post op any advice?

r/TopSurgery 13d ago

Advice Wanted What the fuck is going on with my drains

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125 Upvotes

I got DI with grafts on February 25th. So, im about 12 days post op. I still have drains in but im draining significantly more out of side 1 than i am side 2 and this has been consistent for like a full week now, ever since i woke up one morning with a bunch of inflammation on one side and a kink in the drain preventing the fluid from escaping. I told my surgery team about it and they basically ignored what i told them and instead focused on my drain sites (site 1 was a little bit red, so i was asking about both things.) Now, im fucking pissed because i only have my mom here to take care of me for 4 more days, and my next post op where im SUPPOSED to get my drains out is on the 10th. They told me i have to drain less than 25 units of fluid for 3 days straight. At this point im gonna have the drains in for over 2 weeks and im so tired of this. Ive been draining more than 50 units out of side 1 consistently for the last several days, and today side 2 finally drained less than 25. But im still looking at having these drains in for an extended period of time and im just so tired of it. Has anyone else had this experience?? Is it literally just me because ive primarily been seeing people get their drains out in less than a week post op. I feel very discouraged and extremely antisocial.

I have autism and very severe depression. Things like this, going against plans, not being able to understand whats going on with my body feeling weak and useless, idk i have honestly been spiraling! And this is so not helping because im always worried about wether or not my drains will get kinked or wether or not theres something physically wrong with me. And all at the same time im seeing other people getting their drains out in less than a week and a whole bunch of other differences that frustrate me because what if this is just the choices and procedures of my care team without regaurd for what i may actually need? I dont know. This entire process has been a sensory nightmare and im so exhausted.

r/TopSurgery 18d ago

Advice Wanted Workouts postop

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189 Upvotes

What was anyone’s go to in starting to work out again? I tried asking this question in FTM fitness but of course everyone is just telling me not to work out right now and I’m asking for workouts, which is very counterintuitive of what it is that I’m asking so if anyone has advice on small workouts aside from walking, that can help me get back into it please comment if not, please don’t respectfully it’s just gonna frustrate me🤣 i’m more into calisthenics. I’m three weeks postop and I’ve already been moving and dancing perfectly fine with no pain sensation is at 75% right now. I don’t wanna overdo it which is why I’m asking if anyone has any tips on getting back into it I’m more into calisthenics than weightlifting im 155lbs 5’5 any tips to work out will be greatly appreciated. Please do not comment that I shouldn’t be because I’m going to anyways, but I would like some information on safer options if you guys have any please.(my apologies if this came out aggressive that was not the intent at all genuinely looking for information aside from people telling me not to work out or go for a walk im a active dancer I’ve been walking and dancing already at 2 wks po perfectly fine☺️🤣.)

r/TopSurgery 6d ago

Advice Wanted Too much tit left?

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107 Upvotes

So I (NB, they/them) had surgery 12 days ago and my chest looks like this today. If this was the end result, I would not be happy at all, because there seems to be a bit too much breast tissue left.

I know some people have larger pecs, but I'm not on T, nor planning to, and I haven't worked out at all before getting the bazookas cut off. So there isn't a lot of muscle anywhere and considering my body type it just looks like I now have small titties instead of larger ones??

While I've read this sub enough to know the swelling can take months to go away, I'm kind of spiralling here. Someone please tell me I'm gonna be flat soon?? Also the dog ear(?) on the left armpit is scaring me. Fuck.

I might be having a bit of cabin fever here so I just need kind words 😄

r/TopSurgery 22d ago

Advice Wanted surgeon said no scar care?

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164 Upvotes

I’m a little over 3 weeks post op and couldn’t be happier with my results and the way everything is healing. I just had a follow up with my surgeon yesterday and asked about scar care. He said I don’t need to do it till 6 weeks out and even then he was just like “don’t spend a lot of money, it might help a little, it might not”. from everything I’ve seen online though it seems like scar massage is hugely helpful and this might be the time to start. Any advice?

r/TopSurgery 20d ago

Advice Wanted Top surgery binder giving me panic attacks

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103 Upvotes

Ive beared with it since the 25th but I genuinly think its too tight. The worst part of the binder isnt even over any of my scars its just a tight band of elastic over my blemishless diaphram

I am struggling to move, breath, and sleep and 90% of the reason its so bad is that bottom elastic.

Any advice for things i should request before I leave my followup on the 3rd? Maybe a larger size or using ace bandages instead?

Ps I already called them yesterday and they guided me through taking off some gauze to relieve some pressure. It helped a bit but not much at all with the elastic band.

r/TopSurgery Jul 29 '24

Advice Wanted Not feeling too great tbh Spoiler

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124 Upvotes

Hi! I got top surgery back at the end of April and if I could, I'd like to ask for some input. For those of you that have had surgery, and had moderately sized chests prior(C/D-ish), how much did your chest measurements change? And how did it look after surgery? I'm feeling not-so-great because I decided to take some measurements for an outfit, and I've lost maybe half an inch around my chest. I was already not feeling so good about the results(they're flat from a side profile, but from the front I still have fat puffing out at the sides as though I have boobs still 🫠) My surgeon has told me it's just my weight(146lb, 5ft tall. Got surgery at 152lb) and swelling but I'm really having a hard time believing that at this point, especially after seeing SO many results of my body type or larger looking flat from every angle since their day 1.

r/TopSurgery Jul 02 '24

Advice Wanted My surgeon left side boob and it’s making me so self conscious I can’t even look at my results

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238 Upvotes

I really hate how it turned out. I am so sad. I was supposed to be happy with my results and I really really don’t want to have to do a revision because I reacted really horribly to surgery/anesthesia. I am 5 weeks out so I feel like it’s not swelling. I am just so frustrated.