FTM/N Breast Reduction vs. Breast Reconstruction: What’s the Difference?

Female-to-male (FTM/N) chest surgery, commonly referred to as “top” surgery, is a highly adaptable procedure designed to make you feel more comfortable with your body. Most often the goal of FTM/N is to reduce “feminine” characteristics to make your body appear more “masculine” or less gendered.

Both breast reduction and chest reconstruction are elected to remove excess skin, fat and tissue from the chest. The biggest difference between the two procedures is the amount of skin and tissue removed. Breast reduction can be used to minimize, but not completely eliminate the breasts, and as a result the chest isn’t contoured to appear male.

FTM/N chest reconstruction removes nearly all underlying fat and tissue (including milk producing ducts and glands) to give the appearance of a masculine-looking chest. In some cases, chest reconstruction surgery also requires free nipple grafting (nipple removal and relocation) which typically results in a reduction in nipple sensation.

Chest Reconstruction after Breast Reduction

If you decide that breast reduction did not provide you with desired results, it’s possible to have chest reconstruction later. However, this is not usually recommended because it may result in increased scarring.

If you’re having trouble deciding between breast reduction and chest reconstruction surgery, Dr. Mosser can work with you to find the best solution. Viewing our FTM/N chest before and after gallery of prior patients who have both types of l surgery at our San Francisco practice is a great way to form accurate post-surgical expectations.