MTF Breast Augmentation vs. Traditional Breast Augmentation

Transgender male to female-MTF breast implants

If you’re considering, or already in the process of gender transition, you’ve probably heard the term breast augmentation before. Breast augmentation, or augmentation mammoplasty, is a cosmetic procedure that uses breast implants to enhance the size and shape of your chest.

Most transfeminine individuals begin hormone therapy and find the resulting body changes to be positive, but many still desire larger breasts. By inserting a saline or silicone implant behind each breast, Dr. Mosser can increase the size and impact of your breasts to enhance your gender expression.

Breast augmentation can be performed at any stage in your transition – it may be your first step, your only step, or you may choose breast augmentation after you’ve undergone other social and physical changes.

Candidates for Breast Augmentation

Male to female (MTF) breast augmentation can enhance your body confidence and self-esteem. You may be a good candidate for surgery if you are physically healthy, and have clear goals and expectations. You should be looking for improvement, not perfection.

The best candidates:

• Are at least 18 years of age
• Are physically and emotionally healthy
• Have completed at least 3 months of counselling
• Have a letter of recommendation from a licensed health professional
• Are fully committed to breast augmentation surgery

The above list is a series of guidelines and the best approach may vary for some patients. Dr. Mosser will be able to determine if surgery is right for you following a personal consultation.

MTF Breast Augmentation vs. Cisgender Breast Augmentation

Many of the techniques used during MTF breast augmentation are the same as traditional breast augmentation. One of the biggest concerns many patients have is whether or not they will have enough skin to cover their desired implant size. In most cases, your skin will stretch naturally to cover your implants. However, this means that the size of your implants should be well-matched to your natural anatomy.

In rare cases where very large implants are desired, you may need to have a two-stage procedure to get to a particular size or to have a tissue expander to gradually stretch out your chest skin enough to accommodate implants.

The Importance of Choosing an Experienced Plastic Surgeon

There are no guarantees when it comes to plastic surgery, however, choosing a board certified plastic surgeon will ensure the highest standards of training, education and safety. To find out if your surgeon is board certified, visit the American Board of Plastic Surgery website abplasticsurgery.org  to search them online.

Some surgeons will perform transgender procedures, while others do not have adequate skills required to do so. For this reason, it’s important to seek out a plastic surgeon whose practice specializes in MTF breast augmentation. You should ask in advance of setting up your consultation to be sure that this is a normal part of your surgeon’s practice.

Additionally, not all board certified plastic surgeons have specialized training in MTF surgery. You should ask questions about your surgeon’s level of experience (e.g., How often to do you perform this surgery?) and request to see before and after patient photos to determine if they are a good fit for your procedure.