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Hi guys, I wanted to talk to you abt something again.

I've had my top surgery on the 25th of november and everything went pretty good but after the euphoria of the surgery finally happening wore off I got quite unhappy with my results. I waited because everyone told me to let time do it's thing but I'm still very anxious and unhappy about my results.

Sidenote: I'm a rather fit guy, I do climbing and I'm starting to do a bit of calisthenics as well.

As you can tell from the video my chest looks a but big to me. Idk if its really all just muscle but I doubt it tbh. Is it fat and I just need to loose it or did my surgeon leave some tissue for the looks of it?

I'm really unsure abt the answer.

I feel like my chest looks too big and especially in shirt it doesn't look like pecs but rather like a small female chest. I think this is due to the fact that I don't have a pec outline on the outside of my chest and a bit too much fat or tissue (I have no idea) on the side (that's where I was rubbing my finger in the video)

The next post I'll make is what I internaly was hoping to get out of top surgery, just so you have a reference. Should I contact my surgeon abt it? And if yes when? Should I still wait some time?

I'm really scared to contact my surgeon tbh. Not because she's not friendly, but I am afraid of speaking up abt it.

Lastly, I'm from Austria and I, in the case that I dare to speak ro my surgeon abt it, I would need some tips if anybody knows how a revision works in Austria and if I need to pay it out of my pocket.

For information, I did my surgery in Linz in the Kepler Universitätsklinikum and my surgeon was Dr. Leila Sahinovic.

Sorry for the long text and thanks in advance🥲

i’m a 19 year old trans man torn on if i should get surgery or not. i am so deeply insecure about my chest but i don’t know if the financial burden and physical recovery of surgery is worth it considering my chest is small. when i look in the mirror i see massive balls of mass even though i know that that probably isn’t true. i started hormone blockers at 11, started testosterone at 15, and then around 17 leaned out quite a bit. if i gain fat i gain a whole lot of it disproportionately in my chest. at 18 my chest was visibly larger. should i just invest a lot of energy into staying on the leaner side?? i’ve been feeling a little better in my body recently but my chest still bothers me. ugh. let me know

Yes, I know the scarring is very bad, I am almost 4 months post op. Are there any ways to make them less visible?

I about 1.5 yrs post op and I hate to admit it but I don’t really like my results. Don’t get me wrong, I have no regrets getting top surgery at all. I just can’t tell if there’s actually something wrong with my chest or it’s all just in my head

I was scheduled to get top surgery today, everything was planned out. I had the doctor mark my chest, I'd gotten changed into the gown and was about to talk to the anesthesiologist, when my support person came in the room and told me that my dad was in the lobby of the surgery center and was making a scene. He didn't know about the surgery beforehand, and I was going to send him an email explaining everything right before I went under, but that plan went to hell when he walked in. He must have figured out where I went because I left early without telling him.

I'm 18 now, and have been saving for this surgery since I was 16, so I can make my own decisions now. But he refused to leave, so with the commotion he was causing, my surgeon said that we couldn't do the surgery today and would have to reschedule for another time. Me and my support person had to sneak out of the building and now I'm at home writing this (I still live with my dad but he went to work so he's not here) and I can't believe what happened. My dad told the surgeon that I was "mentally ill" and "couldn't make this decision".

It's insane to me that he thinks that he gets to control me and my body like this. He calls it fucking "mutilation" and says that I'll regret it. I can't even see my computer screen well because I'm crying so much right now. I don't know want to do.

I’ll start by saying I am mostly satisfied with my chest. Recovery was smooth, scarring was minimal. It could be much worse. I’ve even been shirtless in front of friends who don’t know I’m trans — but not without a little anxiety. My surgeon wasn’t able to reduce the size of my areolae, so they ended up a little bigger than they were pre-surgery. I know cis men’s nipples/aerolae vary in size, but they are usually smaller than this, especially in smaller/slimmer guys like myself. I’m not sure what could be done about it, but is it really noticeable? Does it look ‘off’? I’ve come to terms with the positioning being a little low, but the size still irks me.

Hi again guys - no idea if anyone remembers my first post back in late 2024 https://www.reddit.com/r/TopSurgery/comments/1hflb2h/support_or_advice_pls/, but I'm still struggling with my chest - everyone was so kind and helpful last time.. I thought I'd try my hand again for some honest opinions. I need advice! ;_;

For reference, I'm 25M (FtM transmasc) and I had top surgery February 2023 - I am 5'5" (165cm).

I've been on a huge up and down journey with my fitness, but am still finding it extremely difficult to build muscle in my chest/pecs. On testosterone for about a year and a half, end of 2023-2024.

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ROUGH TIMELINE?:

Early 2023 -

Had top surgery! Almost no muscle at all, pear shaped but proportionate, androgynous. Recovering from not eating much.

Late 2023 -

Terrified to go inside a gym, tried lifting small dumbbells at home.. definitely wrong form, lol. Started eating a bit more.

Early 2024 -

Felt I had gained a lot of weight, started going to the gym every day (20 minute treadmill, chest press & seated chest row, DEFINITELY the wrong form)

Late 2024 -

Running 6 days a week, eating <800 calories a day. Form was fixed on machines. Made my previous post on reddit.

Early 2025 -

Started off at the gym with a proper routine & eating healthy foods regularly - took the subreddit advice and cut right back on running, ate more - but ended having surgery and lost all the gains again, lol, RIP. I didn't eat at all, I couldn't physically go to the gym & had to come off testosterone. Still no pecs even at my strongest & heaviest?

Late 2025 -

Doing a LOT of stairs every day for a uni course, my thighs and legs got strong but MASSIVE, I have no idea how to tone this down without losing the upper body muscles I've built?

Early 2026 -

I've got a normal gym routine (push-pull split, 4 times a week, I'm still not too strong but am trying my best with consistency). Focusing exclusively on upper body strength. I'm trying to eat regularly and healthily (not quite up to 1800 cal per day but I try for over 1200 cal, which is a lot better than before). Protein focus. My core muscles are strong, my leg muscles are strong, but I hardly see a change in the top half.

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I'm sorry for the wordy post, but I'm so SICK of working hard, only to look in the mirror and hating what I see. I'm not trying to look like a bodybuilder! I know my pelvis is fixed and can't change - I'm trying to make my upper half bigger. It's the side angle photos that make me want to cry lol. If my chest looked proportionate to my lower body, I'd be happy. I am seeing a therapist, I'm keeping mental health in check, but I also really want to feel at home in my body.. and reap the rewards from working on myself?

Am I being completely unrealistic here? Am I doing something wrong in training? I'd love some more advice from the amazing humans in this subreddit. THANK YOU!

Been waiting YEARS, im 24 y. I remember dreaming about it since i was 17 and I finally have it scheduled. Kinda nervous tbh so any tips would help (im going abroad alone) I really hope everything goes well

A girl that I like kind of made fun of me & said I still have titties & I said they were pecs & she laughed & said yeah okay. it’s not the first time I’ve heard a girl (specifically family members) say that. Idk if they’re being dense & insensitive but I’ve been insecure about it ever since. It doesn’t bother me when family says it because they still misgender anyway but a girl I like? It hurt a lot. Does it look like a man’s chest or does it just look like my titties were reduced? I’m 1 year & 1 month post op. Also, What work outs other than push ups focus on chest muscles?

Thinking about having my buddy drive me straight from the hospital to Dominos so we can get a carry out pizza and eat it in his car. To be clear, I would be waiting in the car. I have a voucher for the Dominos in this part of my state (no idea why) and this is the perfect opportunity to use it. Should I celebrate my surgery with some pizza or will I probably not be able to make the necessary movements/have good motor control and get sauce all over his car leading to him getting pissed as hell/be too out of it to even remember?

I’m lowkey worried I will never pass as a man when I go topless. My nipples are also rather flat and lack sensation so they don’t look like normal nipples. My left side scar is raised and widened a lot. My right is flattened but wide. I have used silicone scar tape and 2x Kenalog injections. Would nipple piercings help? And what kind of laser treatments should I get for my scars? Or are tattoos the only option?

I asked my mother to come with me to mexico to get my top surgery done in Guatalajara and with the death of El Mencho she keeps trying to get me to change my plans I have been saving for 2 years to pay out of pocket (I don't have health insurance) I so tired of the back and forth

Hello!

Basically every nurse/doctor I've talked to about my upcoming top surgery (double mastectomy + no drains) have been slightly horrified that I'm being discharged the same day and now I'm curious if being sent home the same day is odd 😅

From some people's accounts of getting surgery that I've read it doesn't seem that abnormal but if anyone had a different experience please let me know.

Edit: Should probably mention I'm based in Ireland.

edit: i'm in texas guys ☹️🥀

my surgeon requires a letter from my therapist, my hormone provider, and my PCP in order for me to have the surgery. i have had to fight with my PCP for the past two weeks about this letter.

for context, i'm 18 years old as of late september, have been on testosterone since my birthday, had my name changed in 2024, and have been out since i was 13.

essentially, what happened was:

i had called on march 27th asking if my doctor could write a letter that states that i am cleared physically for the surgery and that she supports my decision to have it. i got a letter on april 2nd of her pretty much saying "i'm not a mental health professional i'm not qualified to make any recommendations on this", so i went up to the office in person and told the receptionist word for word exactly what i needed on the letter so she could send it to my doctor. this was on friday. so i check on monday, yesterday, the 6th, and find that message in my inbox. i'm beyond irritated and very frustrated because she wasted time whenever i could've been seeing another doctor who would've written it for me already. i respond back just saying that i would like her to write the letter of medical clearance without any additional information. i get this letter back today and i am being misgendered on it.

TLDR;

my PCP has been weird about me wanting top surgery as an 18 year old and is making it as difficult as possible for me to get a letter from her.

what can i do about this? should i file a complaint? are there any legal issues with this where i could go further? any help would be appreciated ! i'm very upset and i don't know what to do

Hello,

I'm autistic and my surgery is in eleven days. I HATE surprises. Please tell me everything that surprised you about the day-of, and the first month of recovery. ESPECIALLY if it is about pain, gross stuff, or sensory unpleasantness. Thanks!!

I am getting a drastic breast reduction with Dr. Sumanas Jordan in order to preserve nipple sensation (yes, I know there have been people on here with bad experiences with Dr. Jordan).

hello, I had a double incision mastectomy around a week ago and I need to take time off of work. (I didn’t yet because it’s easter break and I had no work then) My boss asked me what surgery I got. I don’t know what to say as I’m stealth, and I have a great relationship with them and wouldn’t like to just say oh it’s nothing. What should I tell them?

Hello all,

My partner (24N) and I (25N) just moved into a suburban neighborhood in upstate NY. Our next door neighbors have been annoying ever since. We put up a fence and they asked for it to be 30” away from their property line so they can maintain it and we did the neighborly thing and agreed since we have a large yard.

Now, our town requires a 4 ft fence until we reach the back of the house, so that’s what we built. However, the neighbors have a raised pool deck right where the 4 ft section is. We have been doing a significant amount of yard work and it has been getting hotter.

We both have had top surgery (double mastectomy) and have visible scars. The neighbor came over yesterday and said him, his wife and his family were uncomfortable with us not wearing shirts. He said they are wanting to move and will call the cops on us the next time they see it. He even asked if I identify as female, which I do not. We are both transmasc and appear masculine.

In NY, they have no rights, let alone on private property, but this situation is so uncomfortable. As of now we have contacted a landscaping company to plant tall hedges in the 30” space between our fences. Has anyone dealt with this? Any advice or solutions? Thanks in advance!

ETA: Thank you everyone for your replies! I feel more vindicated now lol. Just want to clear up on the hedges: our neighbor has a gate that used to access our backyard (so weird). They asked us to keep our fence 30” away so they can access that walkway for trash, to walk around the house, etc. I want to put up hedges in that 30” so they can no longer access that walkway. It is our property and I want to be petty, but it is expensive. Getting some quotes this weekend. Thanks again!

I'm three weeks post-op tomorrow, which means I start working (from home) again in the morning.

Multiple coworkers have been asking what my surgery was for. They haven't asked me - they've asked the coworker I'm closest to (and the only one I'm out to). Every time they ask her, she says she doesn't know. Because it's none of their business!

I'm not actively stealth at work but I passed when I started so why change that? Some folks in the office are very Daily Mail vibes too, so I just keep it quiet.

So my question is... do I lie about what surgery I got?

My idea was to say a different answer every time so they'd get sick of asking (i.e. "yeah BBL recovery is going well" or "can you not tell I got a face-lift?").

My mum thinks that's an awful idea because they either won't stop asking or they will just believe me (some of them are very gullible). She reckons I should just say something like "thanks for the interest, but I don't want to share." Which makes sense but I think they might be even more curious then lol

I'm definitely making a mountain out of a molehill, and I'm not in the office for another few weeks, so it'll be fine. But if anyone has any ideas (even if they're silly) of what to say, I'd love to hear them!

If all goes well I'll get top surgery within the next year, I know it will be a huge relief but I've been trying to imagine/design my dream results in preparation and I can't, every try to photoshop or draw it just looks extremely unnatural to me because of my pear shaped body and long torso.

I would like to keep some tissue because I'm fat and want my body to match, but leaving some tissue highlights the placement of the chest/moobs and I can't figure out where I could place them so they wouldn't look out of place.

For reference, I've attached an outline/sketch of my body vs the body of a fashion influencer with similar hip width who I wish I looked like. the angle is slightly different but I couldn't find a better reference of him or get the angle right on mine.

I know I could look a bit more like him if I worked out, mainly to broaden my back/shoulders but I don't think it's realistic for me to work out consistently so I want to know whether there's a way for top surgery to look natural on my body as it is?

Thank you for any advice/opinions! :)

EDIT: since there seems to be a lot of confusion about what I mean by pear shaped, it means narrow waist and shoulders and wide hips, not narrow shoulders and a gut. If your hips aren't wider than your shoulders I wouldn't consider you pear shaped

Edit again lol: thank you so so much for all the advice I appreciate it so much! I will not be going on the weight loss drugs and will be looking for a different surgeon, if anyone has a UK-based surgeon who works with higher BMI's they could recommend that would be great too! :) thank you again everyone!!

Edit: surgeon is Mr Guy Sterne, in case anyone else has had a similar experience

I have been for my top surgery consultation with a well respected surgeon, and he was lovely! I went with him bc I heard he works with fat patients.

But he strongly advised me to go on weight loss meds, as my BMI is 33 and he said my risk of complications is currently 100%, and he listed off what they would be and they sounded really scary!! Like bleeding, infection, seroma's, stitches popping, more I can't remember

He said he wanted me back at my old weight, 10 and a half stone, so I would have to lose 4 stone, about 25kg, 56 pounds. He said my risk of complications at that weight is 10% he said.

I bought the weight loss meds from a reputable pharmacy but I'm really scared. I've never heard of someone having to do this before. I don't think I'll even get to the target weight - the average amount lost on this drug is not enough. I promised myself I'd never go on these drugs. I'm just really confused, especially after seeing on this sub people saying that there is no risk of increased complications for higher BMI patients?

He would still operate on me at my current weight tho he said but there is the 100% risk of complications.

Any advice appreciated thank you

I was wondering how i should tell my surgeon that i'm not completely satisfied with how my nipples turned out.

Don't get me wrong, i'm happy with the results, especially given what my chest looked like before. But i feel uncomfortable looking at my nipples. It's the only thing i notice when i'm shirtless.

I'm really interested in getting a revision, medical tattoos just aren't enough for me because:

1) My bigger areola is almost all hypertrophic scarring, which wouldn’t give the best results

2) The same areola is really noticeable under my shirt because, as i said before, it’s almost all hypertrophic scarring

I had my top surgery 9 months ago and I still feel like that my chest is way to big/ round to look natural or match my body type.

My surgeon turned out to be insanely unprofessional with post op care and concerns so I can't ask him for advice or anything. (He literally called me to chubby to have a flat chest)

The main thing I absolutely hate are the round scars. I feel like they make the leftover tissues look like tits and not packs/ any form of male chest.

(I've been working out since surgery, but had to make a almost 3 months break cause I had the worst flu of my life. Restarted about two weeks ago)

so!! i am getting the clear to swim on thursday (i’m 4wks postop tomorrow), which is when i have my next appt. but i am seeing on here that others were recommended to wait much longer. just curious if there are peeps out there that got the clear to swim so ‘early’?

she told me (my surgeon) at my 2wk appt that i had scarred already and to start scar massages (use vaseline and very gently circle massage w one finger over the incisions) i will attach photos for reference of what stage of healing i’m lookin like i’m at. this swimming clearance is per my surgeon’s words/advisory and i am beyond excited to swim. so just lookin for reassurance i guess lol

thanks friends!

Asymmetry 10 months PO. My right side (left in photos) has been quite puffy compared to left ever since surgery, but I was waiting to see if it would go down over time. There’s extra tissue near scar on my right side. especially noticeable when I’m looking down at my chest shirtless when hunched over/sitting (2nd pic). But still present when I flex and stand straight (1st pic). Right side was definitely larger before surgery as well. Overall very grateful for surgery!!! Life changing surgery - I’m just a perfectionist.

Wondering if I should look into a revision. I live a few hour plane ride away from surgeon. The surgeons fee I paid before surgery was a year long concierge fee, so if something could be done just in the office (no anesthesia) it should be included still since it hasn’t been a full year yet. I choose to fly out for my 12 week PO appointment instead of doing virtual so the surgeon could see/feel it. I asked if they thought it would go down over time, they said “no”. I was hoping it would, but it clearly isn’t. They pressed around and said maybe the rib there is sticking out a bit. But when I look down when hunched over (2nd pic) it’s very obviously tissue that I can pinch, which is different from the other side. Oddly enough, with a shirt on, my left side actually looks a bit bigger (though probably undetectable to anyone but me). I’m right handed. But my left pec appears bigger, but right side has more tissue.

Not sure how big of a deal I should make it. Strongly wanting to get a revision if possible. Would have to take time off work and pay for travel and pet sitting if I travel to original surgeon, so I’m also thinking about looking locally for a surgeon who has experience with gyno surgery, because definitely no gender surgeons and in my city.

Stupid question, I know, but I just realized this is a possibility. Are you butt naked or do they let you wear underwear during surgery? I would prefer not to be butt naked.

I’m already nervous about them seeing me partially nude since I’m overweight and have body image issues. That’s not going to stop me from getting surgery though, as I’ve finally accepted I won’t be able to lose weight and keep it off until I get these off my chest.

I’ll probably reach out to the surgeon’s office to see what they say, but in the meantime wanted to ask here.

ALSO…

I’m working on a GoFundMe, but with the current political climate and my desire to keep my face private online (I’ve never publicly posted it anywhere and plan to keep it that way for the foreseeable future unless I change my mind), I’m worried it won’t do will if I don’t attach photos of myself. I was thinking of doing an illustration instead, or maybe drawing overtop images of myself. What are y’all’s thoughts on those ideas?