High Self-Reported Satisfaction After Top Surgery in Gender-Affirming Surgery: A Single-Center Study

Area of Science:

• Gender-affirming surgery
• Transgender health
• Surgical outcomes

Background:

• Top surgery (chest masculinization) is a primary gender-affirming procedure for transgender men.
• Increased access to care has led to a higher demand for top surgery.
• Understanding patient satisfaction is crucial for improving surgical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient satisfaction with the results of top surgery in transgender men.
• To investigate satisfaction levels regarding overall experience and specific aesthetic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 90 transgender men who underwent top surgery between 2013 and 2018.
• Patients were surveyed 5 to 62 months post-operation.
• Data included complications and a patient satisfaction questionnaire (84 responses, 93.3% response rate).

Main Results:

• 90.5% of patients reported satisfaction with the overall surgical experience and results.
• High satisfaction was noted for clothed appearance (89.3%), but lower for nonclothed appearance (44.1%).
• Satisfaction with scar appearance (47.6%) and nipple reconstruction (48.8%) was moderate; only two patients regretted the surgery.

Conclusions:

• Top surgery generally yields positive satisfaction outcomes for transgender men.
• Satisfaction is particularly high regarding clothed appearance, self-confidence, and self-acceptance.
• Further improvements may focus on enhancing satisfaction with nonclothed appearance and surgical results like scarring and nipple reconstruction.