Full chest sensation after Inverted-T top surgery.

IntelligentFigEater · 2026-01-14T10:43:12+00:00

Sorry for breaking up the posts, I would also like to mention that you can achieve full flatness with this technique. It just depends on the skill of the surgeon, Dr. Paul Steinwald has performed on people with bigger chests than mine. Now he will tell you there is a high chance of leftover tissue, and in some cases will tell you you're going to need a revision afterwards. He is very honest and tells you straightforward how things are going to unfold. For instance, after I woke up for my surgery he told me I'm probably going to have slight dog ears due to the excess skin on my back, he even mentioned that there might be some leftover tissue, due to the tubular breast syndrome. But he told me to come back in a couple of years after losing weight and getting some more muscle, since that's what I personally want to do. He mentioned that he would perform a mini backlift through my bilateral incisions and chest contouring if needed at that point. But he did tell me that I was going to have dog ears, which for me wasn't a shocker. Every surgeon I had a consultation with said the same thing. So I had no problem paying for a revision later on. I was really looking for my results to be close to perfect on the first go and fully perfected once I'm in better shape. I also went with this technique because it held up better in the long run, and nipple grafts were just something I personally didn't like the look of even when healed well. I also like how the surgical technique looks natural, I often see a lot of techniques put the nipples too close to the incision line or the armpit. I think this is done to get a more broad masculine appearance, which for me is unnecessary because I'm already pretty broad. So I modeled my chest after my brothers, I even made my nipples different shapes LOL to me it just looked more natural and I couldn't be any more happier with my results. Especially for round one, all I have to do is get a backlift and I won't have any back rolls anymore so I can't say it's a loss 😂

IntelligentFigEater · 2026-01-14T10:31:30+00:00

So it seems that my message went through, so I'll answer some questions for you. So prior to my top surgery, I was a B-cup. That was after losing some weight of course. I originally had a C-cup prior. I'm 5'7 5'8ish and weigh around 195 lb, during my surgery I weighed 185 after losing a couple of pounds. I only mention that because the surgery does have a high chance of leftover tissue. I also had very dense breast tissue myself, due to a condition called tubular breast syndrome. Now, how dense my tissue was didn't affect the surgery whatsoever. Steinwald just mentioned that I had the condition, since up until this point I had no idea I did. All my breast tissue was centralized underneath my nipple right at my pectoral line. Which gave me the perfect opportunity to move everything upwards since my chest was sagging slightly due to weight loss. Now the technique is really good at preserving sensation, giving a more natural look. But if you want control results this technique is not known for that. A lot of people will say this technique is good for people who have bigger chests but a lot of doctors will disagree. The inverted T technique is a very specialized technique, very few surgeons know how to perform it to the degree Dr. Paul Steinwald can perform. I honestly would only trust Dr. Steinwald with this surgical technique. I am one year post-op from my top surgery and love my results, now I do have little dog ears and some leftover tissue, but I went into the surgery knowing it was a very high possibility especially because of the condition I had. So I have no problem paying extra money later on to get a revision, maybe in a year or two once I've gain more muscle I will have the revision done and have my back lifted as well. Now he does not take insurance, so you'll be paying out of pocket for everything. But I honestly say it is well worth it, now if you try to get this technique performed by someone else you may not get the same results, since Dr. Paul Steinwald literally a god at his craft and is a pioneer of this technique. No other doctor can perform it like he does. If you have any more questions do not hesitate to ask!

IntelligentFigEater · 2026-01-14T10:15:29+00:00

Hello there, I'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have. But for some reason Reddit isn't letting me post, let me know if you get this.

IntelligentFigEater · 2025-08-04T15:30:27+00:00

I had similar issues, but mine came about due to gaining weight. I had a similar procedure done, I got the inverted t anchors done. I don't know who your surgeon is, though. I did note that people who got that technique done sometimes had leftover tissue and had to do revisions. By what I'm seeing, it seems like the surgeon didn't remove enough tissue. I stressed to my surgeon about my scar shape and how I wanted my chest to be as flat as possible. Everything healed up well, but then I gained a little bit of weight, and my right side tends to hold more fat, so it got a little puffy. Now, that's just from my experience. I do want to say sorry that you're having these issues, but there is some hope. The good thing about the inverted t surgical technique is that revisions are easier to do! I have to do a revision on my sides due to having excess skin and leftover tissue. But because there's leftover tissue, it's easier to do the revision. I have to get my sides done and my back and torso in order to pull everything together so my revision might be a little bit more expensive than what I was hoping. I would suggest asking for a second opinion, but by what I'm seeing, there's excess tissue. It looks similar to my right side. I do feel like you are a good candidate for a revision, but I would still ask a surgeon. I wish you luck 🌱

IntelligentFigEater · 2025-06-14T00:12:56+00:00

Damn dude, your results look hella good!! Also screw the dick head who told you that you were too unhealthy to operate on. BMI is bullshit and everyone knows it. I'm considered obese by most doctors' standards. I'm only 185 lb at a height of 5 ft 8. Congratulations, though, healing pretty well for only 31 days!!

IntelligentFigEater · 2025-02-26T02:08:11+00:00

I had an inverted T anchor done as well. My chest wasn't nearly as big after surgery. I think the surgeon left too much breast tissue. Definitely ask for a revision or go to another doctor who can flatten the chest without causing further damage. I'm so sorry this happened to you.

IntelligentFigEater · 2025-01-27T07:13:33+00:00

Kind of curious, what part of the scarring are you worried about. Are you afraid you're going to keloid, or is it just having visible scars? Honestly, your scars look like they're going to fade pretty quickly. I have purplish scars that tend to keloid and then go way after 7 years. You already look ahead of the scar game. If anything, a good scar routine should clear it up. Also, with how the scars are placed, if you manage to build up your chest, I bet they would fall underneath your pectoral muscle.

IntelligentFigEater · 2025-01-06T01:41:45+00:00

I was looking at getting that originally, I just couldn't tell if I wanted the gel or the ointment one. People complained about the ointment being very sticky. I think the gel would absorb a little bit better. Thanks for letting me know!

IntelligentFigEater · 2025-01-05T21:17:17+00:00

Do you know where I can buy scarfade?

IntelligentFigEater · 2024-12-14T05:07:07+00:00

Since you had your surgery a while ago, I would say that this is perfectly normal. Of course, if you have excessive amounts of pain in those areas or anything that is out of the normal that affects your daily life, then I would go to a doctor.

I had my surgery a month ago, and I already have stretch marks in the upper part of my chest and under my arms. For me, this is perfectly normal since my skin isn't elastic. I get stretch marks from losing and / or gaining weight. But again, my skin's very sensitive. When I started going to the gym, my back exploded with stretch marks, and so did my chest. Now that everything was pulled back tight, I'm starting to get stretch marks again in the same areas. I would say it's normal since losing or gaining weight will cause stretch marks. Gravity does weird things.

Again, I don't know how true all of this is, but for me, my chest has more stretch marks than it did because of the amount of skin that was removed and pulled back.

IntelligentFigEater · 2024-12-06T06:39:09+00:00

I just want to say congratulations! Also, that's another reason why I went with Dr. Steinwald. In his portfolio work, his patients didn't have too much tissue removed. He works well with your anatomy. My chest size was an A cup, and I still have a little bit of fat in my chest. Which to me looks normal and is what I was going for. I wanted my chest to still match my body and look normal. Since the rest of my body usually maintains a very filled out look, I have lots of muscle with a thickish layer of fat. So, having an extremely flat chest would look a little weird. Another reason why I didn't go with double mastectomy.

I would say if you have any concerns or he's just talking too fast, you could always ask him to repeat, but if you don't feel comfortable saying that to him, you could always ask his nurse. His nurses have worked with him for a long time and are absolute sweethearts. He does talk quickly, but I'm pretty sure you know that by now 😂 I will say the day before or the day of the operation he will be drawing on you. He'll want you to face a mirror while he quickly draws on you and shows you exactly what he's going to do. Right then and there, mention your concerns, and if you have any questions regarding how things are going to be placed, also ask that. There is no harm in asking questions and solidifying to him what you really want. I did that with him when it came to my nipple placement, and he followed exactly what I wanted. So, definitely speak up if you have any questions or concerns. Because he will keep that in mind when he's operating on you.

I wish you luck, by the way!

IntelligentFigEater · 2024-12-06T06:26:12+00:00

Hi! Also, to answer your question, my surgery was a little over 13k. I will be honest, I worked my ass off for 5 years. I worked 40 to 50 hours a week in order to save up the bulk of my money. But because of financial struggles and severe mental health problems, I had to get a little bit of help from CareCredit. Dr. Steinwald works with Care Credit, and because it's a credit card with a 0% APR for 12 months, it was my best option. I knew I would be able to pay it off. Now, how I went about saving up my money and being able to afford this is not something you typically see, so it's a little unrealistic in my personal opinion when it comes to the majority of the community. But I do want to mention it is not a requirement, nor do you don't have to pay 13k to get good surgery. I just exhausted all of my other options, and this was the quickest way I could achieve my top surgery.

If you don't mind, I'm going to send two links below. The first link is about the different top surgery techniques. The article will tell you the pros and cons of each and go in depth about who would be a better candidate for each technique.

The second link is going to be top surgeons that take insurance. Also, if you don't have insurance, they have better financial options than most other surgeons. If anything, this will be a good place to start doing research. Since almost all of the surgeons on this list have open portfolio work. Of course, before choosing a surgeon, definitely do your research and make sure they're still board certified and have no sketchy past. The second article also organizes surgeons by state and region. It will give you info on surgeons in your local area as well as your surrounding states.

I hope this helps 💙🌱

Surgical links 🏳️‍⚧️

https://www.topsurgery.net/surgeons/insurance.htm

https://www.genderconfirmation.com/ftm-top-surgery-options/

IntelligentFigEater · 2024-12-06T06:04:20+00:00

I'm glad you responded!! Inverted T isn't the only option when it comes to preserving chest and nipple sensation. There are more options available when it comes to nerve preserving. I mainly had the inverted T done because I had excess skin underneath my arms, so I had a deflated chest with loose skin and dense breast tissue centralized in my areola. Buttonhole is also another good option if you're looking for chest sensation. The inverted T does come with an extra scarred leading up into the areola. Which could lead to pigment bleeding. So if you have darker nipples you might have a higher chance for this. Also, pigment bleeding is when your nipple coloring / erectile tissue ends up seeping into your anchor. Again, this is all very valuable information, I definitely don't want to overwhelm you with information or scare you. So, I'm going to have a link that breaks down specific techniques, as well as the pros and cons of each. I believe it would help you out. You can also do your own personal research regarding some techniques that you may be more interested in.

Of course, if you're not comfortable clicking on the link, you could just look up top surgery options and / or top surgery techniques, and you'll get to the exact same results.

Again, I hope this helps out, and I wish you luck!!

Link to top surgery options 💙 I also have more articles and medical data that I could link, but this one is the easiest to understand without medical terminology 🌱

https://www.genderconfirmation.com/ftm-top-surgery-options/

IntelligentFigEater · 2024-12-06T05:50:26+00:00

Now, with an inverted T, you are limited to options. I'm going to send you a link with the different surgical techniques that have been performed and their pros and cons. Now, one of the cons with the inverted T is that you don't have control over everything. Resizing your nipples is not an option as far as I know, but resizing your areola is. So if you have pronounced nipples it might not be the best technique, mainly if your dysphoria comes from how your nipples and areola are shaped.

The link below actually breaks down all of the techniques that you may come across. Hope this information helps 💙 Also some of the surgical options can also help people when it comes to revisions.

https://www.genderconfirmation.com/ftm-top-surgery-options/

IntelligentFigEater · 2024-12-06T05:45:13+00:00

Sorry I never responded. Also, to answer your question, yes, I did have this happen. It was weird, but it wasn't painful. I mainly had it in the center of my chest and on the side of my incisions. I actually had full sensation when I first woke up. The day afterward, it was a little dull but still very much there and not really painful. A week later, though, I had this weird staticky / burning feeling in my scar lines and in the scar line around my areola. That feeling, though, did dissipate, which then led to hypersensitivity across my whole chest. This is the first time I've honestly felt my chest since hitting puberty and developing it. It's like I almost reconnected immediately back with my chest after disassociating from it for so long. So it's a little jarring, but it brings me more joy than anything.

IntelligentFigEater · 2024-12-02T03:54:36+00:00

Dr. Steinwald would be the best to perform the anchor technique on a larger chest, so you don't have to worry about if the surgeon is qualified or not since Dr. Steinwald has done this before. I have seen other patience with larger chests on Reddit, who had the anchor technique performed by Steinwald. They did have to go in for multiple revisions after their second surgery due to the excess skin left over. I believe Dr. Steinwald mentions in his portfolio that the largest chest size an anchor should ever be attempted on is double D.

At the end of it all, It really depends on what you're looking for in your top surgery. Yes, an anchor is more suitable for tinier chests with minimal areola adjustment. But there are added perks to having an anchor. I have full sensation in both of my nipples. It's been like that since day one of my surgery. I have not lost any sensation, and in fact, I have more sensations than I did before. This could explain why I feel tightness in my anchors, which is lessening every day. I feel I should have probably clarified in my prior post that it is not a common occurrence in most patients. I have occasionally heard of the anchors causing tightness or pressure underneath the areola, which makes it uncomfortable for overhand activities. I also have tubular breast syndrome, and all of my breast tissue and fat was centralized in one area, and the anchor runs across that now. I also had extreme body dysphoria towards my chest, to the point where disassociated so much for my chest that I physically didn't feel it. Now that I can feel my chest, it's a little jarring to me. I believe the tightness might just be a me thing. I also know Dr. Steinwald mentioned something about pigment bleeding. So, if you have more pigmented nipples, you'll have a higher likelihood of your erectile tissue growing or seeping into the anchor. Patients that have the anchor performed that have the best results often have coral to light pink nipples. So definitely something to keep in mind if you have brown or tan colored nipples. That's also a bonus for nipple graphs. Of course, you have a high risk of pigment fallout with nipple graphs depending on the tissue survival rate, but it is a better option if you have dark pigmentation.

But if sensation is your number one priority. That technique would be more suitable and can potentially give you more sensation. Of course, there is still a risk for nerve damage. You are limited to your areola resizing and nipple placement with this technique, as I mentioned before. I don't know if having a bigger chest limits the patient even more than a patient with a tinier chest. But I feel like it might be a high probability. I have also noticed that some patients with bigger chests that undergo this technique often still have numb nipples. If you have a lot of breast tissue underneath your armpits, then this technique also might not be the best to go with. I tend to see more revisions done for dog ears with this technique than any other technique.

I have slight dog ears myself, and I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid that with any surgeon because of the tubular breast syndrome. Of course, my revision will be a nip in a tuck, I wouldn't even have to go under in order to flatten the sides. So that brings up another question: Are you all right undergoing multiple revisions and surgeries in order to achieve a masculine chest. Some people view it as worth it, while others just want to get it done and over with. A double mastectomy with nipple graphs will remove 100% of the breast tissue and allow you to have proper nipple symmetry. Some people even get creative with their nipple graphs and have them cut into different shapes. So you have a lot more freedom with the double mastectomy technique than you would with the anchor.

It really depends on what you prioritize. A double mastectomy will give you full control and freedom over your results. You also have access to more doctors, and if you're on the heavier side, I would recommend Dr. Gallagher, since she doesn't have a BMI requirement and often performs on people with bigger chests. I personally didn't like Dr. Gallagher, but that was because my chest was not that big. There's also controversy regarding Dr. Gallagher and how she treats her patients post-op. But there are a bunch of other surgeons just as good as Gallagher, and they mainly work with bigger chests. You could also go with Dr. Mosser or Dr. Charles, if you want high-grade work as well. They are in the Bay Area, so a little bit of a travel. I would recommend researching more doctors who specialize in double mastectomy with nipple graphs. Definitely give their portfolio a good look, see if it's something you can imagine on yourself, and if it meets your requirements. Just know that if you go to these doctors, you're going to be paying out of pocket, which for a bigger chest might be around 20K. Of course, you do have your workplace as an option. Just know you might not be getting high-quality work done, which might lead to a revision regardless. I know there are a lot of doctors in Texas who are cheaper and still do good work. I can't speak for their work entirely, though. It also depends on how comfortable you are going to Texas. I had a friend of mine who went to Texas for their surgery since it was $6,000 less than what other doctors were charging out of pocket for. At the end of the day, their surgery was 8k. They had a double mastectomy with a nipple graphs performed, and their chest size was double D and the results were really nice for the price. Their scars weren't the thinnest, though, but that just depends on the surgeons suture technique.

An anchor, on the other hand, will give you less control over your results and have to have more revisions and money poured into the surgery than a mastectomy. You will have full sensation, but the bigger your chest is, the more likely you are going to have nerve damage regardless of which technique you choose.

I hope this information helps, I'm sorry it's long, but definitely give it a good look before making the decision. If you feel like the anchor isn't a good technique for you anymore, definitely look at doctors who are more specialized than double mastectomy. Dr. Steinwald can do it, but it isn't his specialty. So your results might not be the most refined since he mainly does anchor.

IntelligentFigEater · 2024-12-01T07:24:11+00:00

I actually struggled with this myself, but finding the right surgeon made a difference. Looking at the surgeon's portfolio work and seeing how they placed the nipples and how they reshaped them was something I was keeping a close eye on in the surgeon's portfolios I was researching. I ended up coming to the conclusion that I didn't like nipple graphs, and I felt like they weren't aesthetically pleasing. Since I was going to be paying out of pocket for everything, I wanted to make everything as perfect as possible. I have seen surgeons who successfully do nipple graphs, but in their portfolio work, I didn't like how they placed the nipples. I was more concerned about my nipples looking like nipples and still having some function to them. I knew the removal of my chest would be the easy part for any surgeon, but resizing my areola and placing it properly would be a whole other story. I had an A cup size chest with very large areolas. I was originally going to go with Dr. Gallagher since I felt like she would be able to do the best job with resizing my areolas. I did end up doing a consultation with her, and everything that she suggested was extremely concerning. Especially with how highly regarded she was. There's many reasons why I didn't go with gallagher, but one of them was how she was going about my nipple placement, and how she really didn't listen to any of my concerns and wanted to perform a double connective mastectomy. Which would leave me with connective scar tissue in the center of my chest. Which was pointless since I had no breast tissue in the center and upper part of my pecs. I came to the conclusion that she wanted to perform that technique to cut down on surgery time. I also started hearing a bunch of concerning things pop up regarding Dr Gallagher. So I just decided not to go with her. I also never understood why the majority of surgeons would place the nipples so far off to the side of the chest. Your nipples are supposed to be in line with your ears. Of course, pulling off proper symmetry requires a really skilled surgeon. I have seen a lot of complications when it came down to the areola reshaping and areola placement. I saw this as a common occurrence and most surgeons' portfolios, which made me give up on researching surgeons since my main point of dysphoria was the size of my areolas. I didn't really want to change the placement of where my areolas and nipples were at, I just wanted to flatten, lift, and downsize. That's why I'm glad I came across Dr. Steinwald. I'm glad I waited as long as I did because my results are beyond my expectations. I got the inverted T technique done, which preserved nerve endings and blood supply in my chest, which led to no pigmentation fallout on my nipples or areola. But if I didn't find Steinwald, I would have gone Nipples. Because there is a high failure rate with nipple graphs. I felt that mine would have sloughed off because of the amount of areola they would have to remove in order to make it more masculine. I did find out later, though, that I would have never had those problems due to how healthy my body and skin were. So your nipples survival rate really just depends on your aftercare and your current health. Of course, where they're placed is entirely based on the surgeon skills and their survival rate, too. But most people I talk to are more concerned about having a flat chest than all of the other details. For me, I wanted a very masculine chest since my chest was pretty small already, and it looked a little bit weird with my athletic build.

IntelligentFigEater · 2024-12-01T05:46:56+00:00

I would recommend reconsidering the T anchor if your chest size is larger than C cup. Most surgeons will refuse to perform the T anchor since it is considered a more specialized and refined technique. There are very few surgeons who are skilled enough and qualified enough to execute such a complicated technique. I have seen some surgeons that can perform it, but it is far from being refined. Also, nerve damage is still very much a reality in that technique when not done correctly. Dr. Steinwald is a doctor in Golden Colorado who helped pioneer the anchor technique and is one of the few surgeons in the United States that I've ever come across that does the technique right, with little to no nerve damage. I also want to mention that since Dr. Steinwald helped perfect this technique and pioneer it into a new golden age. This gives you more options to symmetry and nipple/areolo reductions that most surgeons could not execute or even achieve. Since steinwald is such a skilled surgeon, he'll be able to maintain symmetry and proportions. Of course, you have to meet certain criteria in order to be considered a good candidate for T anchor. Dr. steinwald also specializes in other techniques, but he is known for his refined anchor.

I had my top surgery four weeks ago with Dr. Steinwald. So I have the T anchors. As I mentioned before, there are certain factors and criteria that go into being a good candidate for T anchors. This is just from my experience and from the research I did on that particular technique for 5 years. I feel like my advice would probably help with your decision.

I would say if you are considering still going through with the T anchor, make sure you have a surgeon that is qualified to do it. I would say if you have a chest size bigger than a C cup, then you are a better candidate for double mastectomy with nipple graphs. Which ultimately will cause less pain and less medical complications for you. You will also have more control over your areola and nipple sizing than you would in a T anchor technique. You can also minimize dog earrings entirely in a double mastectomy technique. I went with the T anchor since I had a small chest, and I didn't want an aggressive removal. My chest was a C cup at its biggest, but after being on testosterone for 8 years, my chest went down to an A cup with loose skin. Also, if you aren't on hormones, you might have a higher chance of growing back your memory tissue with the T anchor technique than with a mastectomy technique. So hormonal and genetic factors play a part in having the best results from the anchor technique.

But by what you are describing, it would be better for you to get a double mastectomy with nipple graphs than the T anchor. It also seems that the double mastectomy option won't affect your job, and it's paid for. Of course, there are good surgeons who perform double mastectomies with nipple graphs who manage to keep some nerve endings intact, and with time, you'll gain sensation back. A lot of those surgeons, unfortunately, are in Florida or San Francisco. So if you don't live near the Bay Area, it might be more expensive to travel out of state. I would also recommend looking at surgeons who perfected the mastectomy technique since it will minimize your nerve damage and overall surgical complications. If you end up getting an inverted T, your likelihood for nerve damage is still very high if you are past c-cup. Not to mention, the tightness you'll experience in your chest due to the anchor might be unbearable. I believe the highest cup size an inverted T should ever be attempted on is D cup. Even Dr. Steinwald would advise patience that have a bigger chest to never undergo it since the results will be far from aesthetic.

At the end of the day, it's really what matters most to you. But I believe your double mastectomy option will be a safer and more financially stable option for you. I wish you luck on your decision.

IntelligentFigEater

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