INFORMATION: CHEST SURGERY
[ general ][ personal tales ][ surgeons ]
Mastectomy, also referred to as chest or top surgery, is my new topic of research. I can finally see that my savings are amounting to something - which means this surgery will really happen! I'm writing this as I find out more about the options available. I would really like to include a section on types of operation available and possibly even comparisons on them, but I am not medically qualified and it will take a good deal of time to get all the information down. So until then, these are links to information I've found online.

General information

DISCLAIMER: surgery is a big deal. It's easier get it right first time than try to correct a bad job later. Anything on this page is my lay opinion only. Don't take it as gospel, do your own research first.
There are different types of surgery. What is available to each individual will depend a good deal on what the surgeon has to work with - ie what your body is like to begin with - and the preferences of the surgeon you deal with. What is appropriate for each individual also varies. A general rule of thumb is the smaller the better, not least in terms of resultant scarring, because smaller chest size usually means a smaller incision can be made. For this reason I have heard that surgeons often advise men to lose weight where possible. This is not being 'size-ist', simply helping you to obtain the best outcome.

It is also important to note that while chest surgery is often refered to as mastectomy (which of course it is), it is not a mastectomy in the usual sense of the word. It is not just a removal of the breasts, but a reshaping of the chest, which involves the removal of a substantial amount of breast tissue, to leave a male chest shape. This means some breast tissue (and therefore the possibility of breat cancer) remains.

Remember this distinction when considering scarring. Most men will be on hormone treatment, and then have the chance to grow hair which will cover these scars. (Note though that note all men develop hairy chests. My dad, for instance, is 66 and still awaiting his first chest hair!) Also, a male chest has natural contours, below the pectoral muscle for example. A scar can be hidden in this natural crease when muscles are well defined, or in the curve where the nipple meets the chest skin.

Other distinctions include the resizing and possible movement of the nipples (mens' are invariably smaller than womens' and generally higher up). This combined with the fact that during some types of surgery nipples are removed and then grafted back on can leave nipples numb or partly numb for a while afterwards (possibly indefinitely). There are also horror stories of nipples dying and 'dropping off', but from what I've heard these are rare and the chance can be minimised by careful maintenance after surgery, and giving up smoking prior to it (smoking restricts blood flow and therefore decreases the chance of a nipple graft being successful).

Personal stories

Tales and photos from men who've had this surgery done.

Surgeons

Information about or from some surgeons who perform this operation.
  • http://www.netgsi.com/~amboyz/articles/Fischer.html

    "Gender Reassignment Surgery: Female to Male Breast Reconstruction" by Beverly A. Fischer, M.D.
    Article by an american surgeon with experience of performing chest surgery. Describes the challenges facing the surgeon, and offers her interpretation of how they may be overcome. Dr. Fischer also has her own website (http://www.beverlyfischer.com) which will provide information about the plastic surgery centre where she works, but has no information specific to ftms.

  • http://www.brownsteinmd.com/

    Michael Browstein is a plastic surgeon based in San Francisco who specialises in ftm chest surgery. He has his own website, with details of the procedure he follows, personal accounts by and photos of some past patients.

  • http://www.grsmontreal.com/submas.htm

    Drs Menard and Brassard specialise in gender reassignment surgery and are based in Montreal. The above is a link to information about their top-surgery procedures, but itself has links to more information about the centre.

  • http://www.tmeltzer.com/ftmchest.htm

    Dr. Metzler is based in Portland, USA and pratices both ftm and mtf gender reassignment surgery. The above link is to his information on the types of surgery he performs and the possible risks and complications.

  • http://home.ici.net/~robbyn/Indigo/Sc/ftm.html

    The Indigo Pages have a list of sugeons working in ftm surgery areas, with information and links where avilable.

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Last modified 26 June 2000