Raising Your Arms After Top Surgery Medically reviewed by Dr. Scott Mosser on July 27, 2024 One of the most frequently asked questions we receive about top surgery is: what are my limitations to arm mobility during recovery? Since certain arm movements can pull on your incision, limiting mobility after top surgery can help minimize scarring. Specifically, we ask most patients to avoid lifting their arms above their shoulders for the first 6 weeks after surgery. That said, some patients may need to prioritize shoulder mobility exercises during recovery for medical reasons or because of their lifestyle. Here we provide recommendations to help you avoid shoulder injuries and/or reduce your …

Having Chest Reconstruction Top Surgery After a Breast Reduction Often, patients ask us about the interaction between a traditional breast reduction and a gender-affirming chest reconstruction top surgery. Specifically, patients ask if having a breast reduction will affect a subsequent top surgery procedure to further flatten the chest, and if having the breast reduction will limit the options available to them if they decide to have top surgery. Here we will describe factors you may take into consideration such as the availability of minimal incision techniques like periareolar or keyhole top surgery, the potential joining of the incisions on the chest, and  the incision location options. If you have undergone …

Animated Chest Reconstruction Top Surgery Videos This page provides educational animated videos to help explain the different gender affirming surgery procedures. Discover how keyhole top surgery, double incision top surgery, periareolar top surgery, buttonhole top surgery, fishmouth top surgery, and nipple reduction are performed. We also provide information on the specific benefits each procedure has to help you decide on the best chest reconstruction top surgery that matches your goals. Lastly, Dr. Mosser explains what dog ears are and provides answers to the most commonly asked questions about them. These videos help explain gender-affirming procedures. To learn more about what surgery options are available for your individual body type, you …

Top Surgery Timeline The process of undergoing chest reconstruction top surgery, formerly known as FTM top surgery, can seem like a daunting task. However, by understanding the steps involved and what to expect, you can feel more prepared and confident throughout the process. This article provides a general timeline of the steps you can follow in your journey toward your gender confirmation surgery. It covers important milestones such as scheduling a consultation, obtaining insurance approval, preoperative visits, and top surgery recovery, including instructions on care and follow-up visits. Once you’ve decided to pursue gender confirming surgery, the following is a general outline of the steps that you will follow in …

Chest Reconstruction Top Surgery Nipple Graft After Care Nipple graft survival is one of the most common concerns after double incision top surgery. Although complete failure of nipple graft is rare in our practice, it is important to take note of the instructions for care after your gender affirming surgery to ensure proper healing and success of your nipple grafts. This article provides instructions on how to take care of your nipple graft based on a general top surgery recovery timeline. What is the healing timeline for nipple grafts? There is some variation to how surgeons prescribe dressing changes and care for the nipple graft after double incision chest reconstruction …

Fishmouth Incision Procedure The fishmouth incision method is a type of chest reconstruction top surgery, formerly referred to as FTM top surgery, which involves removal of chest tissue using a non-traditional incision location across the middle of the chest. This article provides information about the top surgery scar appearance, advantages, risks, effects on nipple sensation, and degree of chest flatness achieved with the fishmouth incision method. Find out if you are a good candidate for this gender confirmation surgery here. The fishmouth procedure combines elements of other surgical procedures. In some ways it is like a double incision surgery and in other ways it is like the inverted-T or buttonhole …

Lollipop Top Surgery The lollipop incision surgery technique is an infrequently used procedure for chest reconstruction top surgery. It is similar to the periaeolar insicion in that it uses the same technique with an additional vertical insicion below the areola to remove excess skin. This procedure can be performed on a narrow subset of patients who have a bit of extra skin tissue, who have no need to lift the position of the nipple, and who might otherwise not be candidates for a periareolar incision. How the Lollipop Incision is Performed In this procedure, many steps are similar to the periareolar incision. The areola is resized and an outer circle …

Buttonhole Top Surgery: Maintaining Sensation with Gender-Affirming Results Understanding Buttonhole Top Surgery Buttonhole top surgery is a newer technique that involves creating an incision around the nipple and at the base of the pectoral muscle to remove chest tissue. The chest is sculpted into a “moundlike” shape. The buttonhole technique has many similarities to the inverted T incision, but it does not include a connecting incision from the areola to the pectoral muscle. Similar to inverted T, it gives patients a higher probability of maintaining heightened sensation in the nipples.  The ideal buttonhole top surgery candidate is someone with a medium to small amount of tissue starting off, who is …