Hello! I’m nonbinary and want either a radical reduction or full top surgery. Does anyone have any insight on how they got insurance to cover their surgery even if they’re not on T, not binary trans, etc? I’m in MA and have UnitedHealthcare
(Nonbinary lesbian, wanted "typical" masculine nipple placement but an areola size closer to what I started with pre-op.)
So pleased with my results after my second check-up today! Dr Farmer confirmed I'll keep both my nipples and they're healing well. I only had drains in for a day post-op, so I had to get a seroma drained on either side today but it was completely fine as I'm still pretty numb.
I thought I'd get scabbing sooner based on other post-op pics here, but Dr Farmer said it'll likely happen in the next few weeks.
Once my seromas are no longer draining, I should be able to take off my compression binder at 4 weeks instead of the planned 6. We'll see!
Feeling so thankful and euphoric. The medical team has been wonderful.
Hey y'all! Here's my experience with Top surgery in the NL, Jan van Goyen and Drs. E. Hadjer.
Before surgery:
In Augustus 2025, I went in for my first consultation. Hadjer was extremely nice, professional, direct, and definitely knew what he was saying and doing.
After that, it took 2–3 months until the final talk. Then another 1 month for the papers to be sent (the 2 people in charge of my files were either sick or too busy), and then around the beginning of December 2025, I got the call to plan the surgery. The first date was around February 21th 2026. Then I got called again 2 days later and was told my surgery had to be moved to March 27th 2026... I was so sad... They planned too many surgeries on February 21st, so I got moved. But! I got first “dibs” if someone canceled their surgery. And someone did! February 5th 2026 became my new date.
The actual surgery:
I got there on time, quickly a nurse came out and went over some things. Extremely professional (kind of cold and to the point), but kind nonetheless. I was moved to a hall where I got my own little area with a bed, walled off by curtains. About 20 minutes after entering, I was in the surgery room. The anesthesiologists were really nice. Dr. Hadjer came by beforehand to draw on me a little, and that was that.
4 hours later, I woke up fully, feeling pretty okay but tired. Sadly, as I was waking up, a nurse checked my drains and a huge stream of blood came out of one of them. I had a hematoma, so I went under again. I lost about 1-2 liters of blood and likely had more pain because of it. Also, my parents weren’t contacted about my hematoma by any of the nurses, which was their protocol at the time, but it left a lot to be desired in terms of communication. Dr. Hadjer has since apologized for it.
I stayed there the night. I wasn’t allowed to have guests due to it being a surgery hall, very clean and neat. I was able to pee, the night nurses were really nice, and they had AH meals for dinner.
The day afterwards, my drains were taken out. The nurse was direct and quick. As my drains were being taken out, my nurse noticed my left drain, the side where I had the hematoma, was closed... so that’s a pretty big and worrisome oversight. Luckily, not a lot came out, and it turned out fine.
I was sent home with a surgery binder, a second binder (a big band that goes around you), and medicine.
The recovery:
Week 1
I stayed with my parents for around the clock care. I couldn't lean, move or use my arms at all. I was a t-rex. I slept slightly upright. My girlfriend helped me a ton too. I was high on medicine most of the time. But after week 1 I didn't need the heavy stuff anymore. Also the surgery binder is horrid, but not that bad.
Week 1 tips
- Comfy pillows
- Tasty food to encourage eating
- Family/friends to help
- Clothes that are comfy and don't have to go over your head!
Week 2
Still with my parents, girlfriend as support. And just waiting for time to pass by.
My nipple patches were removed and I was allowed to air out twice a day for an hour. It was heaven!! Stupid surgery binder. The removal was done by 2 helpful ladies back at Jan van Goyen. They were the nicest nurses I've had so far! And they reassured me, answered my questions and listened to my mum complain about the hematoma and the lack of communication at the time.
Week 2 tips
- Find things to pass the time
- Gaming, even with a controller, hurt, so watch series!
- Walk walk walk, go on walks. Keep yourself moving.
Week 2-4
More waiting. I went home. Was allowed to do things around the house a little. I chilled with my girlfriend at home and took it easy. I was quite tired a lot still too.
I had one more check up, and was told to remove the top band, from my binding set up. I was only wearing a simple zip up surgery binder from this point onwards.
Week 4-8
I could walk, talk and move. Had my check in with work, and decided I needed longer since I couldn't lift anything heavy around week 8 yet.
My nipple scabs came off fully around this point, after crumbling off slowly.
Month 3
Final check with Drs. E. Hajder. He was proud of my results, gave me the option for a revision in 1 year time due to my right side stretching, and some final words of encouragement. I was able to use my arms fully, my scars felt tight but good, and I could go back to work slowly. I could wear shirts I liked and walking around shirtless was heaven too.
Month 6
Normal, I am in heaven. I can work out fully again, train my chest to my heart's content and walk around shirtless!!! Best decision I've ever made.
Tldr/important info:
1 year wait from first consultation till surgery date (already had previous gender therapy and another clinic I was getting helped at)
Messy but quick surgery experience. I worked out before (2-4 times a week, chest focussed) and after healing fully. Not on testosterone before or after surgery.
See pics for progress, what I looked like before, and the current look I'm sporting 😎
Hi everyone,
I'm wondering if people who has top surgery recently could share their timelines because the wait time is so long I'm considering going private (with Dr Laungani in Mtl or going to Mississauga). I'm also open to any other insight or advice you have about the pre-op process (anything before surgery day basically), tell me all the things!
Here's what my timeline has looked like so far:
I don't remember when I called to first connect with hem and have an account on Monarch, but it was late 2024 or early 2025.
Summer 2025: I did a lot of paperwork and reading the initial documents
September 2025: got my letter form a therapist saying I'm a good candidate for the surgery (saying I have dysphoria and I understand what the surgery entails. I also went to my family doctor to fill out the questionnaire about my health saying I'm healthy enough to be able to go under anesthesia. that was the last piece of paperwork that I needed to submit
November 2025: I get word that my paperwork is complete, they need to take about a year to review it
February 2026: I see the news about the wait times getting longer. I message GrS on Monarch to ask how it impacts me
April 2026: I get a message back saying that since my paperwork was officially completed in November, my delay for paperwork will still be 1 year (aka next November), I'm (thankfully) not affected by the longer paperwork wait times that were announced in February.
Spring-Summer of 2026: I start to feel the urgency to solve the dysphoria, binding doesn't to enough, I'm still very uncomfortable, I start thinking about going private. I find out that Dr Laungani (formerly of GrS) does top surgery privately/out of pocket. I can also go to Grs and pay out of pocket. I asked GrS if paying out of pocket would make my wait time shorter and they said that they still need to wait a year before approving my paperwork, even if I pay for it myself. It seems that after November 2026 I could get a surgery date pretty quick with them
Last note: I'm more inclined to go with Dr Laungani because even though the staff I spoke with didn't necessarily have the answers to all my questions, they were nicer and kinder in the way they spoke than the GrS staff and GrS has a bad reputation for post-op things
EDIT: I'm from Quebec/covered by RAMQ if I dont pay out of pocket
I wanted to share my breast reduction journey because I know a lot of people are wondering how the Aetna process works and how long everything takes.
I started by going to my primary care doctor and telling them that I was uncomfortable and that my breasts were basically unbearable for me. My doctor gave me a referral to a plastic surgeon.
Step 1: Plastic surgeon consultation 🩺
I got in with the plastic surgeon within about a month of getting my referral.
At my consultation, I basically explained how uncomfortable and unbearable my breasts were and how much I wanted/needed a reduction.
I also told them that I had done physical therapy before. I didn’t actually have proof/documentation of the physical therapy, so I’m honestly not sure what happened with that part or whether it was even used in my authorization.
Step 2: The surgeon submitted everything to Aetna 📋
My surgeon submitted the request to Aetna for my breast reduction.
Then came the part I was NOT expecting…
Step 3: Aetna initially denied me 😩
Aetna uses the Schnur scale when determining whether a breast reduction meets their medical-necessity requirements.
The problem with my first submission was that my surgeon was a few grams short of what Aetna required based on the Schnur scale for my body measurements.
Aetna basically determined that the amount my surgeon originally planned to remove wasn’t enough to meet their requirements/wasn’t enough to be considered medically necessary to relieve my symptoms.
I was so upset because I thought that was going to be the end of it.
Step 4: My surgeon appealed 💪🏽
Instead of giving up, my surgeon appealed the denial.
He adjusted the estimated amount of tissue that would be removed to the amount that was actually needed to meet the requirements and demonstrate medical necessity.
The appeal was successful…
🎉 STEP 5: I GOT APPROVED!!!
Aetna approved my breast reduction!
And the crazy part is that this entire process — from getting my referral to getting my approval — took about 3 months total.
🥹 And now I’m at the pre-op stage!
I literally just got the call this morning telling me to go take my nicotine/cotinine test for my surgery!
So now I’m officially at the point where I’m completing my pre-op requirements and getting closer to actually having the surgery. 😭❤️
My timeline was basically:
Primary care appointment → referral → plastic surgeon consultation within a month → insurance submission → Aetna denial → surgeon appeal → amount to be removed adjusted to meet the Schnur scale → Aetna approval → nicotine test → surgery scheduling
Honestly, I wanted to post this because I know insurance approvals can be SO stressful, especially when you get that first denial.
My biggest advice is don’t automatically assume a denial means it’s over. In my case, my surgeon appealed it, corrected what needed to be corrected, and I ended up getting approved.
And now I’m just sitting here like… I’M ACTUALLY GETTING MY REDUCTION 😭😭😭🎉
Hopefully this helps somebody else who is currently fighting with Aetna! ❤️
I finally feel confident in low cut tops :)))
Hi Peeps,
I’m growing frustrated with my encounters since top surgery. I feel so comfortable in my new body and the decision I have made, but the unusual actions of others sometimes make me feel like I need a prosthetic chest for public encounters. I am a woman and feminine in behavior and on and off aesthetic. At first glance, you wouldn’t think a thing. But, often, people do a physical scan of my body almost looking for the “missing piece” that socially defines womanhood. Once they notice others run away as if my top surgery is contagious. I didn’t really think too much about the social response people would have to me post top surgery versus pre. It’s been a discouraging seeing how judgemental and one minded people have been. Im curious how other women or fem presenting folk have dealt with these experiences and any advice on not taking it personal.
Thanks Much for Reading
(SOLD, taking orders! !!!!) Been carrying this guy around for a while thought someone here might want him! Just $25+$5 shipping just want him to go to a loving home!!! Apparently everyone has nipples cause he’s my last top surgery piece left!! 🥲 follow my insta and dm me! it’s on the second pic!
Mañana hará 4 semanas desde que operé. ¿Creen que se me va a caer el pezón o que el injerto va a fallar? No he visto a nadie con una evolución como la mía y estoy muy preocupado.
I'm curious, is double-incision the only form of top surgery in which they briefly (or permanently) remove the nipples? I want to have a flat chest, but for comfort's sake I'd like to keep our nipples where they are--though I suppose they would have to remove them at some point, right?
What a year it has been… so many firsts! First time shirts fit properly, first time jogging freely, first time topless gardening, swimming, lounging, running my hands down my chest and feeling pure euphoric bliss !! First time really choosing myself, not just in the present, but my future self too. What a gift! Big love to everyone on this journey 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I can't find anything online that says this, but my primary said that he thought NJ Medicaid requires you to be on HRT for a year before surgery. I called member services and the lady didn't really seem to know or bother, but said it wasn't really medically necessary (?) and that I needed prior authorization before finding out if I needed to be on hormones for a year. Which didn't really help or make sense. Have any of you used NJ Medicaid? I'm on Horizon
We (system, no-T genderfluid host here) have a 28C cup size. I'm weighing the options between top surgery or breast reduction; I found our a reduction can't take away everything, but I'm worried about dog ears with top surgery--and the surgery process overall.
Theoretically, what would a surgeon be able to take a C cup down to if I were to choose the breast reduction option for us? (I'd ask a surgeon but I don't want to set up any consultation appointment just yet.)
Had my bandages off today and saw my chest for the first time! So stoked about my results. It feels like me 🥰
The entire medical team have been amazing and I can’t recommend them enough.
Hi everyone!
I’m currently researching FTM top surgery and would really appreciate hearing from people who have actually had the surgery.
I’m mainly looking at Thailand, but I’m open to recommendations from other countries as well if you had a great experience.
If you’ve had top surgery, I’d love to know:
- Which surgeon and hospital/clinic did you choose?
Would you recommend them? Why or why not?
- How was your experience from consultation through recovery?
- Were there any hidden or unexpected costs (BMI fees, nipple grafts, liposuction, extra hospital nights, etc.)?
- If you’re comfortable sharing, would you be willing to show your healed results (especially 6–12 months or more after surgery)? I’m trying to get a realistic idea of chest contour, nipple placement, symmetry and scars.
One thing that’s making my search difficult is that I can’t access testosterone in my country , so I’m specifically looking for surgeons or hospitals that don’t require hormone therapy before top surgery.
If you don’t recommend Thailand, where did you have your surgery (or where would you recommend instead)? I’m
looking for somewhere with:
- Great, natural-looking results
- Good aftercare
- Fair pricing
- Experience with FTM top surgery
- No mandatory testosterone requirement (if possible)
Any recommendations, experiences, or advice would mean a lot. Feel free to comment or DM me if you’d rather share privately.
Thank you so much! ❤️
Okay, so im 15 and have been out for 7 years now, and my mom is against me medically transitioning. although, i have had some health issues come up from binding (like my rib is suplexed and sticking out of my skin causing chronic nerve pain) and lots of back and shoulder pain from my chest being so large (dd) and me having a relatively small frame (5'5, 140 lbs). So my mom has agreed to let me get a reduction, because i quite frankly don't think i can keep living this. obviously, with my chest being so large i naturally have some really bad dysphoria about it, but my rib has gotten much worse recently and i have barely been able to bind. i haven't gone out in public without a binder since before i hit puberty so maybe like 2019 and it's something i feel so uncomfortable doing. I cannot comprehend having to deal with my chest being this large for longer than i already have . But i am worried that if i get a reduction i wont be able to get my chest small enough, and than im also worried that the scars will be in a femmine placing as well as a lot of other things. i Do plan on getting full top surgery when i am of age, if i get a reduction now will it impede with my results in the future? and what are the results like with the radical reduction and the t anchor? i'm considering the radical reduction because its the best i can get to what i would like while still leaving my mother happy. any information helps, thanks all have a good night!