How to know if top surgery is right for me?

[Blu Sky]

I'm a cis asexual girl that's always disliked my chest. I think there are multiple reasons that contribute to this, but the bottom line is that my chest often makes me feel uncomfortable. At the moment I'm looking into getting a binder, but in a few years I would like to have surgery to make my chest completely flat. Surgery is something I've been thinking about for the past 2-3 years, though I've been thinking about it alot more in the last year or so.

 

I'm a bit worried however about regretting that decision. At the moment I feel like I wouldn't regret it at all, however I have a small, nagging worry about regretting it. I've still got to wait at least a year (until I'm 18), so I've got time to think it over. But some advice would be helpful.

 

How do I know if top surgery is right for me?

[alto]

I was considering top surgery for a while.

 

I bought a binder a few years back.  I wore it for a while.  After a while of binding and not and binding again, I realized I had no real chest dysphoria to speak of.  In fact, I realized I sort of liked my chest the way it was.  So I decided not to proceed with surgery.  Really, you just have to bind for a while and sit with it.  Then maybe don't bind for a while and sit with that.  See which you prefer

 

Good luck.

[MoraDollie]

Hey there! I've had breast reduction surgery. It's similar, but not quite the same as complete breast removal. Here is how it happened for me (and when I knew I was "ready" so to speak).

 

I've had pain for awhile in my back prior to the surgery. I read a story of someone having a breast reduction and that's what put the thought in my head. I joined a few Facebook groups, solely out of curiosity at the time (I think my subconscious was trying to yell at me though 'HEY! YOU NEED THIS! looking back in retrospect). It was maybe 6-8 months of me reading stories and seeing what others were experiencing. It was like a switch went off in my brain after said amount of time. I basically just stated "I can not ignore this pain anymore." I let my parents know. My mother (who has always been a smaller cup size so she's never felt the need for a reduction) said 'would wearing better bras work?' and I just flat out told her "No, I'm hurting, a better sports bra isn't going to help this mom".  I made an appointment with my primary care doctor and let them know. They referred me to a plastic surgeon.

 

(below is spoiler because it gets graphic with anatomy and the like)

 

Had my consult with the plastic surgeon. They took a photo of my chest (primarily for a 'before vs after' look as well as to show for proof to insurance if they needed to fight them) and the surgeon said I was a great candidate (long story short because of my other health conditions as well as the fact that I was severely asymmetrical, he thought I was a great candidate for this). If I remember right there was only a handful of appointments, maybe 3 max before my surgery. Basically talking everything through, taking measurements, and making sure all my questions were answered. Doctor asked if I wanted a specific cup size and I told him "just make me proportional to my body". Initially I thought that would make me a B/C cup but it turns out I was around a D cup (I went from DDD to D).

 

 

 

 

Recovery didn't take too long. I used pain meds for a few days after and it took about a week or two for me to feel like "back to my old self". I had a follow up once every 1-2 weeks for the first 2-3 months to make sure everything was healing as it should. I lost sensation in the lower half of my breast for about 6-12 months post operation (BUT IT DID COME BACK!). I have now faint scars around my nipple and faint scars on the underside of my breast. 

 

Scarring completely depends on the person and their lifestyle (for example - smokers tend to have much worse scars, also if you drink alcohol regularly). I'm about 2 years post op and my scars are barely noticable. Overall I'm very happy that I did this and the pain relief was almost immediatly noticed post operation. 

 

For when you'll know? It'll come with time. Your brain (if this is indeed the path it wants to take) will slowly get more used to the idea until it gets to the point (whether consciously or subconsciously) you accept it as something you genuinely want, despite the risk factors involved. I know this sounds like terrible advice, but "you'll know when you'll know". For some people it takes only a few weeks, for others it takes a few months to reach this conclusion. 

 

DO NOT read the "horror stories". For every horror story, there's even more positive stories. Obviously choose a surgeon whose very experience with the type of surgery you want. 

[no-longer-in-use]

I'm going to echo @alto and recommend trying binding before making a decision. I'm a transmasc person in the process of pursuing top surgery and one of the main things that helped me realize it's what I want was binding. As soon as I experienced having a flat chest, I realized how natural and affirming it felt. Trying binding could clear up whether having a flat chest is something you'd actually like, and the great thing is, if you don't like its effects, you can take it off. Unlike top surgery.

 

I wish you the best of luck on your journey and hope you come to the best decision for yourself. ❤️

[Albine]

Not sure if this would help bur agree with trying a binder and if you still want to have surgery maybe go for a reduction, to maybe an A cup or small B  depending on your current size, That may help and you ever decide it was not what you wanted you still have boobs just smaller 

[Nylocke]

I manage to "appear" small enough to where if the shirt is loose then I like half way flat because my mom seems to think I'm flat which is surprising because I'm basically a C cup. If they were any bigger, I'd probably cut them off myself due to dysphoria x_x One upside of exercising for all the years that I have that it shrinks the volume on breast tissue and that with a sports bra is enough to get the desired effect (;