Follow-up to Chest Reconstruction or Breast Augmentation If you are in a support role for a loved one, friend or relative who is frustrated and dissatisfied living in the sex and gender identities they were assigned at birth, you will find yourself helping the person you care about to find gender satisfaction. ‘Transgenderism’ it is not currently classified as a diagnostic condition, nor is this term used in the WPATH Standards of Care, but is generally used as a catchall description for having a gender identity different from the one assigned at birth. Other terms, such as ‘transsexualism’, ‘gender diversity’, ‘gender variance’, ‘gender dysphoria’, and ‘gender identity disorder (GID)’ are interchangeably used by …

Friends and Family and a Patient’s Professional Support Group If someone important to you does not identify with the sex and gender they were designated at birth, you can help them get the professional help they need.  The first thing you can do is reassure your loved one that they are not alone and that there are many talented and dedicated professionals ready to help. Action points to get started: Educate yourself on transgender issues and help your loved one to find the information necessary to understand what they are feeling and what can be done to improve it. See: www.transfamily.org Together with your loved one, become familiar with the …

Chest Reconstruction/Breast Augmentation Surgery Satisfaction and Regret The increasing availability of plastic surgery as a part of gender transition occurs at the same time that more enlightened social awareness has resulted in an increase in the incidence of reported gender variances in the general population. At the same time advances in medical diagnosis and treatment methods have resulted in more accurate diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria with psychological counseling, hormone therapy, and surgery offered as treatments. There is no definitive agreement among medical professionals as to what is the best treatment for Gender Dysphoria, nor even agreement on the standards of diagnosis and care. Activists for transgender rights, including many physicians, even object …

Support for Family and Loved Ones of Transgender Surgery Patients Supporting a transgender individual who is determined to seek gender identity satisfaction is a difficult, complicated, and often long-term undertaking. It requires love, understanding and a willingness to look past personal beliefs and traditional social conventions and preconceived moral or social attitudes. There are many resources that can be explored to find information and support for family, friends and partners of transgender patients undergoing a gender transition process. Begin by consulting the websites of national organizations established for the purpose of supporting this segment of the population:  Transgender Network (TNET), an arm of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), a long-established national …

How Will Chest Reconstruction or Breast Augmentation Surgery Affect Quality of Life? If you have a friend, relative or loved one who is dissatisfied living in the sex and gender identities assigned to them at birth, that person may identify as transgender and/or gender non-conforming. What’s in a Term? ‘Transgenderism’ it is not currently classified as a diagnostic condition, nor is this term used in the WPATH Standards of Care, but is generally used as a catchall description for identifying as a sex and/or gender other than those assigned at birth. ‘Transsexualism’, ‘gender diversity’, ‘gender variance’, ‘gender dysphoria’, and ‘gender identity disorder (GID)’ are all terms used by both the medical and …

Alternatives to Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) Dr. Mosser understands that trans and gender non-conforming people are a very diverse group. His expertise and experience extends to more than just surgical skills. He is aware that most transgender patients who come to him are in various stages of transitioning from their birth-assigned sex to living as the gender they feel is their true identity. Some may be very comfortable already living in their chosen gender identity and confident in their readiness to undergo plastic surgery, while others may be still investigating alternatives for finding satisfaction and self confidence in their gender identity. SRS can include MTF breast augmentation, FTM chest reconstruction, and a …