Plastic surgery can help patients feel more comfortable in their skin and this is often especially true for transgender individuals. At Hess & Sandeen, our skilled plastic surgeons are experienced with a wide variety of cosmetic procedures. This includes transgender breast augmentation. Getting breast implants is overall very similar for cisgender and transgender women, with a few possible differences.
The basic process of transfeminine breast surgery:
How Hormone Therapy Affects Breast Augmentation
Many transgender women who undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT) experience some degree of breast tissue growth. The size of your breasts after HRT varies based on many factors. Some women are satisfied with their breast size at this point and choose not to pursue breast augmentation. For those who are interested in breast implants, it is generally recommended that you wait at least 12 months after starting hormones. This allows enough time for your breast tissue to develop. This timeline varies and your surgeon will evaluate you to determine whether augmentation surgery is appropriate.
Tissue Expanders for Transgender Breast Augmentation
One part of the breast augmentation process that differs between transgender women and cisgender women is the possible need to use tissue expanders. If you have not developed enough breast tissue to support implants during the HRT process, an initial surgery may be necessary to create enough space for the final implants. In this case, your surgeon will place tissue expanders in front of your pectoral muscles. Every few weeks, they will inject saline to slowly increase the size of the expanders. When your skin has stretched sufficiently, you will be able to undergo surgery to remove the expanders and place the breast implants.
Choosing the Size of Your Breast Implants
During an initial consultation with your plastic surgeon, you will discuss implant size. For both transgender and cisgender women, the goal is to increase breast size while still maintaining a natural appearance. Transgender patients typically have a wider chest wall. As a result, there may be more space between breast implants than is the case for cisgender patients. Sometimes using a larger implant can be beneficial for this reason. Our surgeons will discuss what you can expect your results to look like and will address any concerns you may have.
Breast Augmentation Surgery
There are many different techniques our plastic surgeons may use for your breast augmentation procedure. They will create an incision and place the implant either in front of or behind your chest muscles. We work to minimize scarring and place any scars so they blend in with the natural contours of your body, although some scarring is inevitable for any type of surgery. For transgender patients, areola placement may be adjusted during surgery.
The Recovery Process
All patients, whether they are transgender or cisgender, will be given specific and individualized instructions for aftercare. It is important to strictly follow these for your health and also to ensure the best possible aesthetic results. Breast augmentation recovery generally takes two months, although you may be able to return to different day-to-day activities at various points during this timeline with approval from your doctor.
Transgender Breast Implant Surgery in Tucson, AZ
Our board-certified plastic surgeons can perform breast augmentation surgery for both transgender and cisgender patients.
