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The McLean Clinic is one of the leading surgical centres offering patients gender affirming procedures to diminish feelings of gender/breast dysphoria.
Ready to achieve your desired physical aesthetic?
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Plastic Surgery experience
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Top Surgery
Experience
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Gender Affirming
Surgeries Performed
There are a variety of surgical procedures available to patients who wish to align their body with their gender identity. At McLean Clinic, we offer our patients top surgery as well as body contouring surgery in order to achieve a more masculine physical aesthetic. Gender affirming care goes well beyond altering the body’s appearance. Studies have shown numerous positive physical and mental health benefits associated with gender affirmation surgery, including a reduction in suicidal thoughts, depression, gender dysphoria, psychological distress, and even smoking. It’s for these reasons that our team understands how important making this life-changing decision is for our patients.
By aligning your physical appearance with your gender identity, it’s undeniable that your overall quality of life is greatly improved. And the team at McLean Clinic is here to help you on your surgical gender affirmation journey.
When you’re transgender or non-binary, you are faced with a wide range of options regarding how to express your gender identity. While every person’s experience with gender is unique, one of the most notable options is gender affirmation surgery. For some, making this decision is easy—especially when struggling with gender/body dysphoria that impacts the ability to function on a daily basis.
While you don’t have to be in perfect health, able-bodied, or highly fit to be a viable candidate for gender affirming surgery, you should ideally:
• Maintain a relatively healthy lifestyle to make your procedure safer and recovery time faster.
• Be in a good place mentally and emotionally to manage this life-changing procedure.
Undergoing gender affirmation surgery is a major decision that takes a lot of preparation, both physically and mentally. During your surgical consultations at The McLean Clinic, you will be provided with comprehensive instructions on how to prepare for your procedure.
In order to prepare your body for gender affirmation surgery, make sure to eat healthy, exercise, and quit smoking a month prior to surgery to promote faster healing. It is also recommended to limit your caffeine and alcohol consumption.Additionally, there are some medications that must be stopped prior to your surgery. Ask your doctor for specifics on what you can and cannot take.
It’s natural to feel a little anxious before any surgical procedure, especially one as life-changing as top surgery. To reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, you may wish to schedule a session with your therapist or connect with friends/family for emotional support. If you have concerns or questions about your upcoming procedure, how to prepare, and what to expect after the surgery, talk to your surgeon. It will help ease your mind.
Every patient who undergoes gender affirming surgery is different, and so is their recovery time. Depending on what procedure you have scheduled, it may be necessary to take extended time off of work. Most patients are able to return to desk roles one week post-surgery.
Talk to your insurance provider to see if they cover gender affirmation surgery. If they do, ask what documents you need to submit. You must also request a physical examination and laboratory test from your primary physician. Present a copy of the results to the clinic prior to your pre-operative appointment.
Buy any doctor-prescribed medication in advance of your procedure. Make sure you place toiletries and other essentials at a lower level so you won’t have to reach too much to get them.
Body contouring and top surgery are outpatient procedures, you will be sent home a couple of hours after you wake up from the anesthesia. It will take a few weeks to recover after gender affirmation surgery. For a faster recovery period, make sure to:
Since you won’t be able to drive following your gender affirmation surgery, arrange for someone to pick you up from the clinic. You should also arrange for someone who can perform everyday tasks for you such as doing the laundry, preparing meals, etc. for the first few days while you recover. At McLean Clinic, we use advanced surgical techniques that do not require the use of post-surgical drains or tubes for DIM.
Following your procedure, you will be instructed to wear a compression binder for up to six weeks. A chest binder can provide many benefits after top surgery, including:
• Preventing fluid
• dischargeMinimizing
• scarringLessening discomfort
• Keeping the sutured skin together and stopping it from stretching
When it comes to recovery time, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. People heal at different rates and some may recover faster than others.If you work in an office and sit at a desk all day, you may be able to return to your job after a week or less. You might be able to do some light walking as well. Be sure to pace yourself carefully. For up to six weeks, avoid heavy lifting and other strenuous activities as much as possible, as they can cause bleeding.
Gender affirmation surgery is generally safe. However, like other surgical procedures, it comes with risks and possible complications including bleeding, infection, poor healing of incisions, anesthetic side effects, and dog ears. It’s important to follow your surgeon’s advice on how to prepare before your surgery and what instructions to follow afterwards to prevent these complications.
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Gender affirming surgery is a life-changing procedure. Unfortunately, transgender discrimination exists even in healthcare and being verbally harassed or misgendered can lead to a reluctance to seek routine or even urgent care.
McLean Clinic is reputed to be one of the most accepting clinics for the LGBTQAI+ community, not just in Canada but all over the world. Our years of experience have given us insight into how important gender affirming surgical procedures are to our patients and just how much it changes lives. Combined with the expertise of our surgeons, we have provided happy outcomes for thousands of patients. And with a kind and caring staff to take care of you, you’re assured of the safest and most comfortable surgical experience possible.
