6 Top Surgery FAQ's

Everybody deserves to feel comfortable in their own bodies. For transgender and non-binary individuals, however, sometimes a grander transformation is needed to help dissipate feeling like a stranger in their bodies. When we feel comfortable in our own skin, we are more confident in our abilities, and able to live as our happiest, most authentic selves!

Here at HZ Plastic Surgery, we are dedicated to your success story; our top surgery is one of several surgeries you may be seeking in order to get closer to that “you” feeling. To help you prepare, here’s some of the most commonly asked questions about top surgery.

What Is Top Surgery?

If you’re ready to ditch your binder, top surgery may be the step of your transition journey. Top surgery is a gender-affirming transformation performed to help transgender men and some nonbinary individuals feel more at home in their body. Typically, the surgery itself is a double subcutaneous mastectomy with reconstruction to make the chest appear more masculine.

By removing your body’s mammary tissue and firming up the pectoral area, we can give you a chest that truly matches who you are. In addition to breast tissue removal and firming, we can also reduce the size and visual impact of the areolas to make them less feminine.

We’ve helped many individuals throughout the transgender community become comfortable with the top half of their bodies; for before and after photos, check out our website.

How Much Does Top Surgery Cost?

Since everyone’s journey is so different, it would be impossible for us to list a one-size-fits-all cost for top surgeries. If you’re interested in learning more about our process and your incurred financial responsibility, please fill out our website’s contact form at your earliest convenience.

How Long Does Top Surgery Take?

Again, it ultimately depends on your body! Some surgeries go as quickly as one and a half hours, and others can take up to four hours. We’ll talk more about the time frame as it gets closer to your surgical booking.

What About My Testosterone Medication?

We’ll go over your specific scenario in person during your consultation; however, it is generally not recommended that you stop taking your hormonal medication for at least three weeks before your surgical date. It’s a complicated process to recover from surgery of any kind, but it will be much more difficult emotionally if you are experiencing hormonal mood changes.

For more information about testosterone and top surgery, check out Gender Confirmation’s website.

Does Top Surgery Hurt?

As with any surgical procedure, you should expect a moderate amount of pain at the incision sites (in this case, there will be two). Your surgeon will prescribe sufficient medication to help minimize your pain and swelling. We want your incisions to heal as well as possible - after all, better healing means less scarring. If you want to minimize scarring further, you can look into products that contain silicone; however, you’ll only want to use these ointments and sheets after the surgical site has completely closed.

What Are “Dog Ears?”

With any surgical procedure, the scar tissue is a much different consistency than the surrounding skin. For top surgery, this can lead to an uneven buildup or burning of adipose (fatty) tissue in the chest; this is most common in patients who gain or lose significant weight after surgery. To prevent this, you can attempt to maintain a static weight before surgery; if you develop “dog ears,” we can discuss liposuction and revision.

Finding The Best Top Surgeon

As with any plastic surgery procedure, you’ll want to find a surgeon who is experienced and committed to your success story. This experience and commitment are especially desirable for members of the LGBTQ community. Here at HZ Plastic Surgery we’ve helped people from all walks of life, and we want you to have a similar story! Your journey is important, and you deserve the best, most supportive care during your transition.

In Orlando, HZ Plastic Surgery is your one-stop plastics resource for the right surgery to get the job done. Top surgery is a monumental moment for you as you either start or continue on your journey towards the body within which you feel most at home, and our team is determined to be there for you every step of the way.