Getting top surgery is a big decision if you are going through a transition.If you are considering chest reconstruction surgery, you may want to remove your breasts or reduce their size.If you are considering top surgery, you might want to consider breast augmentation.It is normal to be scared or uncertain about getting top surgery.Before you make a decision, take the time to assess how you really feel about the idea, and work with your medical team to make sure you are prepared.
Step 1: Do you have persistent gender dysphoria?
There is a persistent feeling of distress caused by a mismatch between your gender identity and the sex you were assigned at birth.If you feel an intense desire to alter the appearance of your breasts, it's probably because you don't feel a strong connection between your physical sex characteristics and your true gender identity.If you are transitioning, you may feel a strong desire to hide, bind, or remove your breasts.You can do things to enhance their appearance if you have more prominent breasts, like wearing padded bras.Many surgeons and insurance companies require that you have persistent, well-documented gender dysphoria before they will approve you for any kind of gender reassignment surgery.If you have a therapist, talk to them about how you feel about your body and how long you've felt that way.
Step 2: Do you know how dysphoria affects your quality of life?
It can be difficult to live with gender dysphoria.Is the appearance of your chest causing you stress, anxiety, or depression?If that's the case, you could be a good candidate for top surgery.If other methods of managing your dysphoria, such as using a binder to flatten your chest or taking estrogen to enhance your breast size, aren't working well for you, you should consider top surgery.Write a list of ways in which you think top surgery could improve your quality of life.You could include things like, "My self-esteem would be improved," or "I wouldn't have to deal with pain from my binder anymore."
Step 3: It's important to have a strong support network.
It is important to have supportive people in your life if you are considering having a major surgical procedure.Should you turn to your friends or family for emotional and practical support while you prepare for and recover from your surgery?Reach out to those people and have a conversation about what kind of help they are willing to give.For example, you might ask a family member if they can come with you to the hospital to be an advocate during your surgery and recovery, or find a friend who will be a supportive listener if you are dealing with any anxiety or stress about the procedure.If you don't have any supportive friends or family, ask your doctor or therapist to recommend a support group for people experiencing gender dysphoria.
Step 4: If you have a mental health issue, you should work with a therapist.
It is a deeply personal decision to have top surgery.If you want to discuss your expectations with your doctor, you should talk to a therapist.Doing so will make it easier for you to make informed decisions about your health, and will help you cope with any stress related to the surgery.If you aren't working with a therapist already, ask your doctor to recommend one.If you have gender dysphoria, it doesn't mean you are mentally ill.Due to the unique challenges they face, trans people struggle with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.There are treatment options available to you if you are dealing with one of these conditions.A therapist can help you set realistic goals.They can talk to you about how to deal with stress and what to expect from the surgery and recovery process.
Step 5: You should have plenty of time to establish your gender identity.
A major procedure that will change your body is top surgery.Once you discover that you have gender dysphoria, you should explore your gender expression and find as comfortable of a space as possible.This will help you make the right decisions.Give yourself time to think about whether you really want to do it.If you can endure the dysphoria, do your best to explore your gender identity for a year and see how you feel at the end of that time.Some surgeons and insurance companies won't approve the procedure until you've been living as the gender with which you identify for a full year.There is a surgery on the genitalia.It can be difficult to make a change if you are struggling with gender dysphoria.You may have to work with your counselor, doctor, and friends and family to stay positive during that time.
Step 6: Ask people who have had surgery.
If you know anyone who has had top surgery, they can help you make a decision about your surgery.If you don't know anyone who is trans, you may be able to meet someone through a support group or online community.Ask them if there were any social problems or discrimination issues that you had to deal with after the surgery.
Step 7: You can get an assessment from your mental health provider.
Before you can get insurance approval for top surgery, you need to get a letter from your therapist affirming that you are a good candidate for the procedure.If insurance approval is the route you will take, you should sit down with a therapist to discuss your goals, feelings about the surgery, and any concerns you might have about it.They can help you decide if it is a good time for you to go ahead, and if so, they can write a letter to your surgeon on your behalf.Information about your dysphoria, details about any mental health conditions you have, and how they are being treated are included in the letter.
Step 8: Consider the effects of external factors on your surgery.
It's difficult to decide when to have top surgery because of your feelings of dysphoria or chest pain.Waiting to schedule your surgery until your fees and financing are secured is one of the factors that may need to be taken into account.You need to be able to take time off work so that you can recover.Some of the costs of your procedure may be covered by your insurance provider.
Step 9: Do what feels right to you.
It is up to you to decide if you are ready for top surgery, as you can get advice and support from doctors, mental health professionals, friends, and family.If you feel strongly that it's the right decision, you should move ahead.It is okay for you to change your mind about having surgery.Try not to let others pressure you into doing things you are not comfortable with by giving yourself time to think.
Step 10: Discuss the risks and benefits of surgery with your doctor.
Before you have surgery, talk to your doctor or surgeon about what you can expect.They can give you information about the procedure itself, what the recovery period will be like, and what kind of follow-up care you will need.They can give you an idea of what you can expect.There are a variety of risks associated with top surgery.The risks of chest reconstruction surgery include bleeding, infections, scarring, and the build up of blood or other fluids under the skin at the surgery site.Breast augmentation surgery can come with a lot of the same problems as breast reduction surgery.Ask your doctor to recommend a surgeon who has experience with the kind of surgery you are hoping to have.
Step 11: Discuss the different types of surgery with your doctor.
Your doctor will talk to you about the procedure that is right for you during your consultation.There are a number of factors that will determine which procedure is the best for you, including your existing breast size, levels of firmness or elasticity, and whether you want to maintain nipple sensitivity.Double, keyhole, and periareolar are some of the most common incision types for top surgery.
Step 12: You should get a physical to check your health.
If you are in good health, your surgeon will want to make sure the procedure is safe for you.Allow your doctor to do a physical to check out any issues.If your family has a history of heart disease, blood clot disorders, or breast cancer, you should let your doctor know.If you have a serious medical condition, it is important that you take care of it before your surgery.Since this can affect whether or not you can safely have surgery, you should tell your doctor if you are taking any medications, vitamins, or supplements.
Step 13: Have the lab tests done.
Your doctor may want to do tests to rule out health issues that aren't obvious from an exam.In this day and age, healthy young people don't need blood or other tests prior to surgery.If needed, you should consent to any required or recommended tests.
Step 14: It is possible to quit smoking.
3 weeks before and 6 weeks after top surgery, you should not smoke or use nicotine products.Before you schedule your surgery, talk to your doctor about the best way to stop using tobacco and nicotine products.In the weeks before and after your surgery, you should avoid alcohol and other recreational drugs.Drug use and alcohol use can affect how you react to anesthesia.
Step 15: Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk of surgery.
Being overweight or having a high body mass index can make anesthesia or surgical recovery riskier.It can affect the results of your surgery.Before you have surgery, it's a good idea to set healthy and realistic goals for your weight.Ensure that you have an easier recovery process by eating healthy meals and exercising before your surgery.
Step 16: You should wait until you are old enough to make legal decisions.
You should wait until you are an adult to have top surgery.Before you can have the procedure done, you need to be old enough to legally consent to surgery and have your parents/guardians support you.In the U.S., that usually means waiting until you are 18.Some hospitals may be willing to perform surgery on adolescents with parental consent.