Chest reduction & construction

Chest reduction & construction

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To help you understand the chest reduction or construction journey, we’ve broken it down into eight steps. They cover how to access, prepare for and recover from surgery. 

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Considering surgery

What are your options? When is the right time? How much will it cost? Start here if you’re deciding whether to have surgery.
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Understanding the procedure

This section covers the procedures, options and risks associated with chest construction surgery.
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Referral for surgery

In this section, you’ll learn about the process of accessing surgery. The first step is to meet with your primary care provider.
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Meeting with the surgeon

In this section, you’ll learn about how to prepare for and what to expect from your first meeting with the surgeon.
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Preparing for surgery

This section provides ideas on how to prepare your mind and body for surgery. It also lists a number of logistical considerations.
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Day of surgery

From being admitted to being discharged, this section outlines what to expect on the day of your surgery.
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Recovering from surgery

Recovering from surgery is tough, but knowing what to expect helps. This section covers healing, complications, and returning to activity.
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Life after surgery

This section touches on what you need to know about getting support, ongoing health care, surgical revisions and medical tattooing.

Community Voices

Read some unique perspectives, stories, and insights from trans, non-binary, and Two-Spirit community members.
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I went through a lot of emotions after chest surgery: some euphoric, and some really hard due to all that my body was going through the temporary changes in my mobility. Talking to others and understanding that this wasn’t an uncommon experience really helped me.

—A, on their emotions after surgery
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I knew that I didn’t want a completely flat chest, but it was hard at the time to know that was even an option. Once I knew a reduction was an option, that felt right. It wasn’t a really big change to my body — but that’s exactly what I wanted. A more subtle change on the outside, but a big and important change to me on the inside.

—G, on exploring surgical options to make changes that worked for them