Questions from Someone Who Had Top Surgery...

[ChaoticTribe]

I had top surgery in 2012. The doctor did a peri-areolar incision and also did liposuction from a pencil-eraser sized hole in my armpit.

He said that nearly all of the tissue in my chest had been glands and there was barely anything to lipo-suction out. I remember when getting exams at the birth control clinic they always remarked how it was basically all glands and they would've had trouble feeling anything anyway, because I was a 30C at just 100lb, so I guess my body was adept at growth when exposed to female hormones. The women in my family have no boobs unless they're heavy, so I think this is just a circumstance specific to my body or some random recessive gene.

When the doctor did surgery he cut out basically everything (I remember waking up in the surgery room and seeing two big masses sitting on a surgical tray because he'd removed them each in one solid piece from the tiny little incision along the bottom half of each nipple.

My question to you is, since I have full sensitivity and my nipples are responsive (get hard when it's cold or the tips are touched, and flatten out if warmed) does that mean that some of the nerves are alive and well inside of them? I would guess that the center of the nipple itself which would be the nerves and tips of the milk ducts must be intact since they still 'work', even though what's behind them has been removed.

Also, I have read that gynecomastia in men often recurs if there is a hormonal influence, because some of the tissues and glands are microscopic and it's not possible to remove them all. Obviously under the influence of testosterone that would prevent re-growth of the cells since T suppresses them, but would a lot of estrogen cause them to re-grow?



The reason I am curious about this is because typically full removal of the glands and ducts is only even attempted in three groups:

a. men with gynecomastia (where it sometimes recurs)
b. transmen getting rid of glands from their original puberty (who are typically taking testosterone, estrogen blockers, or have had gonads removed so they don't have estrogen levels to promote this growth)
c. women who had cancer (typically taking estrogen-blockers since estrogen would seriously increase the risk of recurrence)

Considering that these three groups of people typically are blocking their estrogen OR have enough testosterone in their bodies to suppress the growth of breast tissue, it seems likely to me that this tissue could regrow if I do decide to begin taking estrogen and/or progesterone again. Obviously it would not be likely to return to original proportions, but I am very curious about this after reading the reports of many cismen needing repeated gynecomastia surgeries.

[aleon515]

I'd doubt that taking T (and having low levels of estrogen) that you could "regrow" them. Since trans guys *can* have high estrogen levels, I think it's easy to explain how they may have to redo their surgeries (though I have to say, I think their doctors should be watching their hormone levels better). In gynecomastia, my understanding is that the reason for it sometimes is high estrogen. If you took estrogen (or stopped T), they would likely regrow. I don't think this is true of a double incision. So yeah, if you took E, I think it would be possible. I think role of progesterone is debatable.

--Jay

[Kreuzfidel]

I don't think this is true of a double incision.

--Jay

Yep, there's is pretty much zero percent chance of breast tissue "regrowing" after a DI.  But with peri, I'd say it's possible because it's quite close to the procedure for gynecomastia. 

I'd just advise you not to worry about it because the chances are pretty slim overall.  That being said, remember that our situations are a bit different to those of cismales with gynecomastia even though they're similar.

[ChaoticTribe]

@aleon515; Yes, I am planning on taking estrogen to redistribute my fat back to the rear end and off of my belly, and to return my skin to its former state. It turns out that I was actually happier with my body as it used to be and just wearing whatever clothes I wanted and selecting my own name.

@Kruezfidel; Yeah mine was just a peri. They did such minor incisions that no one can tell, even when I go around shirtless. There aren't even any visible scars underneath my nipples and it's only been around a year and a half. Just curious, but how is the gynecomastia of a cismale different? I mean, I know it is different in some ways because they likely deal with the problem for much less time and all that, but I am curious about the specific stuff you meant like what this means for my surgery or how it affects outcomes, stuff like that.

Thank you for answering, both. It's helpful to hear from others, I am just clarifying the situation here.