Male to Female (MTF) Top Surgery - What To Expect

This article is general information only and is not medical advice. Experiences vary from person to person, and decisions about hormones or surgery are personal. Talk to a qualified clinician about your own situation.

Once you decide to transition, it is natural to wonder about the various procedures and surgeries that one can undergo to mitigate the gender dysphoria they have been experiencing for most of their lives.

There is a substantial amount of information pertaining to HRT and bottom surgery, while breast augmentation is largely underexplored or explained very briefly.

In particular, the process of transitioning from a male body to that of a female via breast augmentation during transitioning is something that is not often discussed. So, let us look at the procedure more elaborately in this article. 

 

HRT

While HRT and breast augmentation are different procedures, going on estrogen during Hormone Replacement Therapy does lead to the growth of breasts, even if the changes are not always phenomenal.

This change can actually be attributed to the use of both testosterone blockers and estrogen.

The procedure is sometimes compared to a second puberty. Changes vary by person, and can be modest for some people.

 

MTF Breast Augmentation Surgery

Many transgender women undergo breast augmentation surgery after they have been on HRT for a while.

Depending on your goals and preferences, the surgery could augment your breasts by a specific amount. In some places, surgery may be covered through a public health system, but coverage and waiting times vary.

However, as goals and preferences vary, many people do not undergo this procedure since they are happy with the breast tissues created by HRT. 

 

As a transgender person, when you undergo breast augmentation surgery, you may notice an increase in the size of your breasts, which could require some adjustment, including new clothes and undergarments that can accommodate this increase in size, depending on how drastic the change is.

If your breasts were quite small before the procedure, it is likely that your skin could stretch significantly, although that is not always painful. But, understandably, they may not look natural for many at first, as much of the added volume comes from the implant.

Compared to those assigned female at birth who get the same procedure, breast augmentation may look less natural on transgender women at first for some people. 

So, for the first period after surgery, be prepared for breasts that may look slightly unnatural. Swelling often decreases over time, and appearance may gradually look more natural, though results vary.   

 

One more fact that is not often addressed on the internet is that, when a transgender woman undergoes breast augmentation surgery, the nipples may need to be repositioned so they are more center aligned.

This is because in men, the development of the chest area will move the nipples towards another direction.

As a result, repositioning the nipple area may be part of surgery for some people. This also sometimes holds true for cisgendered women, where breast augmentation surgery requires their nipples to be moved slightly to the center.

Obviously, the area where the nipples are placed is a very sensitive area, and following the surgery you would want to retain that. Sensation may change after surgery, and some loss of sensation is possible. Recovery and sensation vary by person. 

 

For many people, this is a great trade-off- breast augmentation for a slight loss of sensation in the nipple area. However, what you choose to do depends on your goals and needs.

Finally, it is worth noting that it is, after all, a surgery. As a result, it can involve pain during recovery, and healing can take time.

However, many transgender women have reported that they have felt more connected to their identity and womanhood after they underwent breast augmentation surgery.

So, it is definitely worth considering. Regardless of what you decide, undergoing a surgery or not doing so will not change your identity in any manner- you are a woman and you don’t need to undergo a surgery to prove that, if that isn’t your cup of tea.

If you do choose to go ahead with a surgery, good luck!!  

 

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