Your Guide To Top surgery
Top surgery is a phrase referring to a variety of gender affirming surgeries that can be done on the chest or breasts.The focus of top surgery is to address the body changes (or lack of body changes) that come during puberty and exposure to pubertal hormones, specifically to the chest region.
The chest region is one of the primary ways in which society marks individuals as masculine or feminine, and can be one of the most common causes of mis-gendering due to how ingrained the gender binary is in our society today.
Addressing the chest region not only has the effect of making you feel more congruous with your gender, but also has social effects of lower rates of misgendering events. While some people in the trans and non-binary community consider this surgery an important step in their gender affirming journey, others choose to forgo it. As with all surgeries, it is a personal decision.
Here at Catalyst Surgical, top surgery falls into three categories, as detailed below.
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is a removal of the breasts, most commonly associated with masculinizing or de-feminizing the chest.
Masculine or non-feminine chests tend to be flatter than feminine ones. Removal of the breast tissue and excess skin of the chest produces a chest that is aesthetically more masculine-appearing.
The final result of a mastectomy can be with or without nipples and/or areolae. The technique used to remove the breast tissue and the subsequent scar appearance is often dictated by your pre-existing breast size and shape. We will review your scar options with you.
Our closure technique means that 95% of our patients do not need drains after surgery.
Breast or Chest Augmentation
A Breast or Chest Augmentation involves augmenting the breast or chest shape. It is most commonly associated with feminizing or de-masculinizing the chest.
Even with hormone therapy, breast growth in response to estrogen can be insufficient to produce feelings of gender euphoria.
Breast augmentation involves placing an implant behind the breast tissue that you already have to create a more feminine chest contour and breast shape.
Not-flat top Surgery
Breast reduction, or not-flat top surgery, involves reducing the size of the breasts, most commonly associated with de-feminizing the chest.
Not all identities conform to a gender binary, and not all expressions of gender (even if they do conform to a gender binary) need to conform to a binary expression.
Not-flat top surgery is an option for those folks who feel that a full mastectomy, producing a flat chest is also not how they see themselves, but that at their current breast size, have feelings of chest dysphoria.
If you’re interested in Top Surgery at Catalyst Surgical, we invite you to book a consultation with our surgeon. This will help clarify any questions or doubts you may have.
Complementary Body Procedures
In addition to the above, some folks find additional procedures helpful in realizing their expression of their identity. These procedures include:
- Chest Contouring
- De-feminizing Body Contouring and Liposuction
- Abdominoplasty
- Monsplasty or Contouring
- Brazilian Butt Lift
Our team is able to provide each of these procedures informed by our years of experience and specialized training. We ensure personalized results specific to each individual’s unique anatomy and concerns.
We invite you to book a consultation with our surgeon. This consultation will help clarify any questions or doubts you may have.