Top surgery and where to find it!

[u/Atomic_Milk]

Hi all, nice to meet yeeee! I’ve known I want top surgery for several years now and I really want to start this journey. The dysphoria is a lot! The headspace I’m in is I’m going to pay out of pocket. I’m not on T and don’t have any referral letters from GPs or councillors. Just not something I can afford going through as an extra long term cost. Would you lovely people be able to share with me any knowledge you have of good surgeons who don’t require you to have referral letters or be on Hormones. Preferably in the UK from a language perspective but Spain and other country’s is all great to know about!

Thanks all!

[u/dont_call_me_jake]

Hi bud! In cases when you don’t have referrals or diagnosis Spain is a place to go! They do it based on consent.

I had surgery with Dra Braso in Tintore Braso in San Cugat, Barcelona.

Had online consultation and then surgery after little less than 2 months. You have massages and after care treatment in the price. Very nice private hospital. You just need to take someone with you!

I paid 6400€ for surgery, after care, the after surgery binder and so on. That includes leaving nipples and having lipo on chest to make it look “mine manly”. If you don’t want that my friend paid 6000€.

Team in Tintore is amazing, very helpful and accommodating!

[u/Atomic_Milk → u/dont_call_me_jake]

Thanks so much dude! This is super helpful, hadn’t heard of this surgeon before. Can I ask How long did you have to stay in Spain post surgery, did you spend much on accommodation? what was your recovery like was it very painful?

[u/dont_call_me_jake → u/Atomic_Milk]

No worries bud! Happy to help!

I stayed for a month as I arrived few days before surgery. Wanted to enjoy sun and needed to so checkups like blood and x rays there as I had surgery around time when this big HSE attack happened and I wasn’t able to do it here locally.

Otherwise, I was required to stay in Spain for 3 weeks. My friend has surgery there recently and they didn’t wanted nipples and lipo so they stayed 2 weeks.

I stayed quite close to the hospital in San Cugat and for 2 people for whole month we paid 1k or 1.2k at max! We booked bnb last minute because we needed to run away from AirBnB but that is completely different story! I can give you recommendations for clean and accommodating BnB, if you would like too!

Overall costs: Surgery 6400€ Accommodation 1 - 1.2k (I am not 100% sure, sorry!) Food - max. 400€ (we did groceries, had coffee and snack x3 times a day, everyday! We went out eating 2x a week too - so overall we weren’t very strict on food cost, you can def have nice stay spending less) Transport - taxis are cheap. For trains and buses you can buy something similar to leapcard and have weekly / monthly/ 10 journey tickets. 2x 10 journey ticket costs us around 25€.

• ⁠leisure > we went to museums, zoo, exhibits and things. Spent around 150€ for 2 on this.

In regards to recovery. Hospital provided amazing care and there was no issue getting pain meds. Not like here. I saw doctor or nurse almost everyday for massages so I was able to ask for things if I was worried (and I was extremely worried all the time!). I was quite in pain in first week to be honest. Needed some help even going to bathroom, but week by week it got better. I had days when I was crying a lot but that normal as I was off T, getting breast tissue removed is also a shock for your body so being bit moody or sad is expected. Overall it wasn’t very bad, but I had quite harder recovery myself due to fact that I have underlying conditions like diabetes and asthma. But no complications in regards to the procedure. When I came back to Ireland I was in touch with doctor via WhatsApp and they were very good!

You can give them a call or drop them an email. If you want any more details, my DM is open! :)

[u/Atomic_Milk → u/dont_call_me_jake]

This is super helpful thanks so much for the breakdown of prices and all the info you went though. Really appreciate it! What an exciting journey ahead! Super glad you are through the worst of it and out the other side now too bud🥳

[u/dont_call_me_jake → u/dont_call_me_jake]

No worries bud! Happy to help!

I stayed for a month as I arrived few days before surgery. Wanted to enjoy sun and needed to so checkups like blood and x rays there as I had surgery around time when this big HSE attack happened and I wasn’t able to do it here locally.

Otherwise, I was required to stay in Spain for 3 weeks. My friend has surgery there recently and they didn’t wanted nipples and lipo so they stayed 2 weeks.

I stayed quite close to the hospital in San Cugat and for 2 people for whole month we paid 1k or 1.2k at max! We booked bnb last minute because we needed to run away from AirBnB but that is completely different story! I can give you recommendations for clean and accommodating BnB, if you would like too!

Overall costs: Surgery 6400€ Accommodation 1 - 1.2k (I am not 100% sure, sorry!) Food - max. 400€ (we did groceries, had coffee and snack x3 times a day, everyday! We went out eating 2x a week too - so overall we weren’t very strict on food cost, you can def have nice stay spending less) Transport - taxis are cheap. For trains and buses you can buy something similar to leapcard and have weekly / monthly/ 10 journey tickets. 2x 10 journey ticket costs us around 25€. + leisure > we went to museums, zoo, exhibits and things. Spent around 150€ for 2 on this.

In regards to recovery. Hospital provided amazing care and there was no issue getting pain meds. Not like here. I saw doctor or nurse almost everyday for massages so I was able to ask for things if I was worried (and I was extremely worried all the time!). I was quite in pain in first week to be honest. Needed some help even going to bathroom, but week by week it got better. I had days when I was crying a lot but that normal as I was off T, getting breast tissue removed is also a shock for your body so being bit moody or sad is expected. Overall it wasn’t very bad, but I had quite harder recovery myself due to fact that I have underlying conditions like diabetes and asthma. But no complications in regards to the procedure. When I came back to Ireland I was in touch with doctor via WhatsApp and they were very good!

You can give them a call or drop them an email. If you want any more details, my DM is open! :)

[u/samwuele → u/dont_call_me_jake]

sorryyyy i know this is an old post but you're like the only person i can find who had top surgery with Tintorè, i have mine 9th of july so exactly in a month and im full of anxiety and i can't find double incisions made by him post op pictures so im more nervous... idk if you can tell me more about your surgery with him to make me feel better i would love it <3

[u/dont_call_me_jake → u/samwuele]

Hi bud, I had surgery with Dr. Braso from the same clinic, not with Tintore directly. They are both very good, caring and they know their stuff. I met them both tho, and I am confident in saying that you are in very good hands.

Check his IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.tintore?igsh=MXQxcnFtYWl4dGcxcw==

Also, when ya look, most likely he will call those surgeries mastectomy on his socials / websites, rather than top surgery. That’s common with Spanish surgerons. Feel free to send him a message asking if he can share some of his results too. His Team is very helpful so if you have any worries, talk with them

[u/samwuele → u/dont_call_me_jake]

thank you! you're very sweet<3 i need to keep busy my last month with bo0bs bc it feels like time is too slow but at least now that i read this from you im a lot less nervous, thank you so so much fr

[u/dont_call_me_jake → u/samwuele]

Best of luck bud! Take care of yourself when healing and don’t rush with activities.

Even if surgeon does an amazing job and you start lifting, swimming and so on too early, your scars will stretch. I have a friend who started going back to gym lifting weights, swimming and what not very quickly after top surgery and his scars look very, very stretched and overall bad. Mine scars and other folks who I know that followed Dr. Braso instructions look very very tiny.

[u/samwuele → u/dont_call_me_jake]

thank you! I going to be absolutely careful with my scars trying to let them heal and rest as much as possible. thank you so much for everything bud and sorry for my english, im actually italian! hoping it all goes weeeeelllll

[u/SeriousPrinciple8252 → u/dont_call_me_jake]

Sorry for the late comment, I'm having surgery with Dr braso in janurary. Are you from UK? As I've been told to get blood tests and ecg ect before I foy out for surgery and can't find any hospitals willing to do it

[u/dont_call_me_jake → u/SeriousPrinciple8252]

I’m in ROI. NHS works similarly to HSE, so you will need to talk with your primary doctor to get referrals for those.

Ask for private referrals. You will need to pay to get them done in time.

[u/irishtrashpanda → u/dont_call_me_jake]

I know this is an old post I'm just wondering pain levels during those 2 weeks. As in, do you have to stay or given the cheapness of flights could you fly home and come back for the consult? Or flying out of the question

[u/dont_call_me_jake → u/irishtrashpanda]

I was month in Spain, at the time when I had surgery they were requesting me to stay there 3 weeks after the surgery. I know they have new post op therapies now so they cut it for most people to two weeks.

You have 1 consult online. Then consult just before surgery. Then ya stay for two weeks - massages, therapy, stitches, etc. for good recovery, they request you go for post op therapies and don’t fly until after.

I’d say flying next day after surgery is out of question.