We have been able to secure insurance coverage from many insurance companies for transition-related procedures. To learn more, read our page on Insurance Approval. In order to have insurance cover your surgery, you will likely need a letter from a licensed mental health professional confirming you meet the WPATH guidelines, given we have a pre-existing agreement with your insurance company. Our office does not require a letter, but insurance companies usually do. Alternatively, there are ways to secure a Letter of Agreement (LOA) if our office does not have a pre-existing agreement with your insurance provider. Refer to this helpful graphic or contact our Insurance Concierge for more support in …

The majority of patients do not regret surgery. Some people regret the type of procedure they undergo or do not have enough information prior to surgery, and thus do not have proper expectations set beforehand. Being well-informed and collaborating with your surgeon can ensure you are pursuing the correct procedure to meet your needs. Complications that can cause long lasting effects can unfortunately cause negative feelings associated with surgical outcomes;, however, the majority of complications can be managed to a positive end overall.

Anytime after your surgery, our office can provide a letter for a legal gender change,

Choosing to combine top surgery with gender-focused body contouring or other procedures (such as a hysterectomy) in the same surgical session can reduce costs related to surgery and ultimately shorten your total recovery time. You are recommended to schedule a consultation with our office to discuss further.

Most patients only require a single surgery to achieve their desired outcome.  A small percentage (<5%) will choose to have a revision, which is typically a minor surgery with a much easier recovery than the original procedure.

Scar formation is a normal part of the healing process, but how your body scars depends on several factors such as age, genetics, location on the body and skin color. There are several options to help minimize scarring: stop smoking 3 weeks before and after surgery; eat a nutritious diet; use silicon sheet or tape; as well as intensive treatments such as steroid injections or laser scar removal.  For many chest reconstruction top surgery patients, it is really important for you to avoid having your arms over your shoulders for as much as 3 weeks after surgery, in order to have the very thinnest, flattest scars you can have. Your …

Keep your scars out of the sun (or wear strong sunscreen) for at least six months. Though you can splash around in the water as soon as 3 weeks after surgery, it is recommended to avoid swimming for exercise (because of the arms-over-shoulders requirement of most swimming strokes) for 3 weeks following surgery.

Any physical activity that may cause you to sweat or your heart rate to increase should be avoided for at least 3 weeks. Heavy lifting and chest exercises should be avoided for at least 5 to 6 weeks.

Time off needed from work depends on your job. A week or two off is generally advised for a desk job, as well as other normal routines to rest and recuperate.  Patients walk around immediately after surgery, and most patients feel up to resuming sedentary work and light physical activity within 8 to 10 days.  You can’t lift more than 5 lbs until three weeks after surgery, so if you have a more active job, you may have to wait three weeks or more until resuming work.

Within 3 to 7 days after surgery at your initial post-op visit, your surgeon will remove the dressings, make sure your chest is healing properly, and give you the go ahead to begin regular showers. Take care to let the water gently run over your chest and avoid any scrubbing until completely healed. Until that time, you can sponge bathe to keep clean.