Overview
A large part of the transition for transgendered individuals is the physical, which includes addressing the breasts. Transgender breast reconstruction surgery is used for both male-to-female and female-to-male patients to achieve their aesthetic goals and help fulfill their transitional journey. Inland Empire plastic surgeon, Dr. Childers, is one of the most popular and experienced board-certified plastic surgeons for transgender patients. He provides compassionate and experienced care to create the most natural-looking, appropriate breasts for his patients. Dr. Childers uses a number of advanced and safe procedures to accomplish his patient’s goals.
Reviews
Surgical Techniques
Male-to-Female
Transgender breast augmentation is the terminology for a breast enlargement procedure that is performed on a transgender individual, but its roots are in breast augmentation (which is technically termed augmentation mammaplasty). As most people know, breast augmentation is a surgery designed to enhance the breasts with the use of implants. Those implants can be silicone gel, which are slightly cohesive and have a denser texture – or they can be saline, which are filled with sterile saltwater that is encapsulated in a silicone shell. The implants come in a variety of sizes, and even in a variety of shapes. Your specific style of implant will be determined with a number of factors, including your body type and chest size.
An incision can be made under the areola, within the armpit, or near the breast fold. The implant will then be placed either on top of the chest muscle or under it. General anesthesia is used and patients can expect bruising and swelling following the procedure. A compression bra is worn to increase healing.
Female-to-Male
Top surgery is the conversational terminology for a procedure that involves performing breast reduction surgery on female-to-male transgender patients. In short, the surgery is designed to reduce the size of the breasts and create a chest contour that appears masculine. There are three changes that need to be done during top surgery: making the breast smaller, placing the nipple at a more masculine position, and reducing the size of the nipple areola complex. The basic operation is nearly identical to a mastectomy, followed by a nipple grafting technique that places the nipple in its natural location on the male chest and mimics the appearance of a masculine torso.
For patients that are already small breasted as females, going a simpler route – liposuction of the breasts – may be a consideration. However, many patients’ breasts are large enough to require the more advanced mastectomy method of top surgery described above.
Surgery Considerations
For some trans women, they don’t have enough natural skin to cover the implants, so they may require a two-stage procedure that involves the use of a tissue expander. The tissue expander is a device that painlessly stretches the skin so that the area can accommodate and cover implants for a natural look. Therefore, it is important to choose implants that are proportionate to the body in order to ensure proper cover. For some patients, there may also be skin grafting involved, which is also used to create more skin on the chest to accommodate the breast implants. Essentially, the surgeon needs to create more “room.”
Dr. Childers has performed numerous transgender breast augmentation procedures at his Riverside office. While some patients may prefer to undergo transgender breast augmentation in Ontario or elsewhere in the Inland Empire, they must bear in mind that waiting times are longer in these more heavily populated areas. Plus, Dr. Childers is a Harvard-trained plastic surgeon – a qualification that is hard to come by in Southern California.
For trans men, nipples don’t always survive the grafting process, which Dr. Childers will have to address through other techniques. It’s also important to note that nipple sensation can’t be fully restored. Sensual sensation can be completely lost, but some nipple reactivity should be restored as the patient heals. The cost of top surgery is an important consideration for many of our Inland Empire patients, so we offer the nipple grafting as a complimentary service for every patient.
The cost of transgender breast reconstruction surgery is approximately $6,000, according to the national average. In Riverside, transgender breast surgery is somewhat closer to the highest national figures because cosmetic surgery fees tend to be higher in Southern California. At Riverside Plastic Surgery Associates, we strive to make cosmetic surgery fees manageable for every patient with the financing options we make available.
Want to Know More?
Before agreeing to perform transgender breast reconstruction surgery on any patient, there are age, maturity, and informed patient factors that a surgeon must consider. The best way to be sure of your candidacy for the procedure is to meet with Dr. Childers for an initial consultation. Due to Dr. Childers’ kind and compassionate nature, he has a large number of transgender patients. Just like all of his patients, Dr. Childers welcomes his trans patients in for thorough consultations to learn more. If you are considering transgender breast reconstruction surgery, it’s important that you come in and learn all about your options to make your journey safe, complete, and natural-looking. We invite you to call our office to set up a consultation as soon as possible.
