In their own words: experiences surrounding masculinising chest surgery among transgender and gender-diverse adolescents - a secondary analysis of GENDER-Q data.

OBJECTIVE

Masculinising chest surgery, also known as top surgery, is the most requested gender-affirming procedure among transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adolescents, yet research on patient experiences remains limited. This study explored the experiences of TGD adolescents who were seeking or had undergone masculinising chest surgery.

DESIGN

Qualitative secondary analysis using existing themes framework and data from the GENDER-Q (GQ) and GENDER-Q Youth (GQY) research programmes, which aim to develop comprehensive patient-reported outcome measures for gender-affirming care.

SETTING

Participants were sampled from five high-volume gender-affirming care clinics, three in Canada and two in the United States. Interviews were conducted online.

PARTICIPANTS

35 GQ and GQY participants aged 13-18 years who were assigned female at birth, identified as trans men or non-binary, and were pursuing (n=19) or had undergone (n=16) masculinising chest surgery.

RESULTS

Three major themes emerged: chest appearance, health-related quality of life (HRQL) and gender practices. Most participants expected a flatter chest that aesthetically aligned with their gender identity. Presurgery participants anticipated that surgery would allow them to engage in previously avoided physical activities and would enhance their relationships. Postoperative participants reported increased physical activity, mental resilience, bodily connection and social comfort. Most reported binder use and related reliance or discomfort as motivators for pursuing surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the multidimensional experiences surrounding masculinising chest surgery on TGD adolescents with impacts on chest appearance, HRQL and gender practices. Centering adolescents' perspectives, these findings underscore the importance of accessible, affirming surgical care and provide valuable insights for clinicians, policymakers and future research.