Whether you are a transman or non-binary individual, undergoing gender affirming top surgery is a huge and important step in your journey.
And a very positive one.
At last, the appearance of your chest can be in complete harmony with who you are.
No more binding.
No more embarrassing physical encounters.
No more bulky clothes that you are forced to wear in order to hide your chest.
Good bye anxiety
And, hopefully, good by depression!
Our FTM and FTNB patients are right at the top of our happiest patients.
The results are absolutely life changing.
We make sure that each and every one of our patients is given the opportunity to achieve the best possible outcome. This involves not only the skill, technical issues and “art” involved with top surgery as well as the thorough and attentive postoperative care that we provide our patients but also the importance that we place on wound healing and scar treatment.
The appearance of a superbly created and contoured chest can be marred by thick, widened and elevated scars.
Though not always preventable – for a variety of reasons – we are very proactive and aggressive in their treatment. This starts at the time of surgery where specific techniques are used and sutures employed to help facilitate this.
In the early postoperative period, the incisions are protected in a variety of ways so as to reduce the risk for the development of undesirable scars. Forces on the incisions that have a distracting effect – acting to separate the edges of the incisions – should be avoided or minimized for a period of time. This is typically for around eight to ten weeks after surgery though individual factors will affect the specific duration.
What are some of those activities that should be avoided or minimized?
Reaching high up and putting one’s hands over one’s head frequently. Washing your hair is not included in this.
Sleeping on your stomach should also be avoided for eight weeks.
Working out your chest and upper arms – like your pecs, lats, deltoids, etc. – also are a no no.
Specific sports and activities that do create this distracting force also should be avoided. Examples include swimming, tennis, golf, basketball, baseball, softball, football, rowing and rock climbing.
Surfing is okay provided that it only involves the internet.
And you may want to avoid too much usage of your credit card!
A medical grade silicone scar mitigating gel is started at around three to four weeks and will be continued for around six to nine months. Those who are at a very high risk for developing thick, elevated hypertrophic scars may be advised to use silicone gel sheeting instead as it is more effective than the gel in both preventing the development of these types of scars and treating them if they do develop.
If you are darker complected – such as being Hispanic, Black, Indian, Italian – a skin bleaching agent will also be used concurrently in order to reduce the risk or extent of developing darker scars.
You should also protect the scars from sun exposure (which also includes tanning booths) for around nine months to a year.
Full scar maturation, in order to see what the long term results will be, typically takes around a year. Over time, these scars will become even less conspicuous, so that any tell-tale signs of surgery will be far less apparent.
If at any time that you have any questions regarding your incisions or scars, including their treatment, please feel free to contact our office.
Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona
