Gender Reassignment Surgery

Our appearance is a large part of our identity. A lifetime of identity problems can occur when someone feels they were born in the wrong body. For transsexual patients, Gender Reassignment Surgery can be a significant part of the solution that allows their body to be in line with their gender identity.

Gender reassignment usually follows four phases: a diagnostic phase, hormonal therapy, a period of living publicly as a member of the opposite sex, and, finally, gender reassignment surgery. The Plastic Surgery Group of Rochester has significant experience providing these surgeries.

To learn more about taking the next steps for gender reassignment surgery, call (585) 922-5840 to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced plastic surgeons in Rochester, NY. Sample pre and post-op photos available at consultation.

What is the process prior to surgery?

There are standards of care adopted by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Prior to surgery, there are three phases.


The first step involves meeting with a mental health professional for a diagnosis and psychotherapy. Based on these sessions, the doctor will provide a diagnosis of gender identity disorder or gender dysphoria.

Hormone Therapy

This diagnosis allows the person to begin hormone therapy, if desired, usually with an endocrinologist. The purpose of hormone therapy is to cause the development of all the secondary sex characteristics of the desired sex of the patient. While hormone therapy cannot undo many of the changes produced by the body during puberty, it can help the patient develop breasts (in male to female change), different hair patterns, muscle development and distribution, skin changes, fat changes, even bone/skeletal changes. The most important contribution of hormone therapy, however, is to reduce the dysphoria transgender people have felt most of their lives.

Real-life experience

The next step of the WPATH standards is for the patient to live for as long as one year in their preferred gender role. This involves going to work or school and generally living as their identified gender. Part of this experience may involve changing their first name. This phase is meant to help the patient develop the confidence and reassurance that he or she can successfully live as their identified gender.

What happens during gender reassignment surgery?

Non-transgender people can misunderstand gender reassignment surgery. The goal is not cosmetic, but to create the gender identity that matches the patient’s self-image. By the time someone is having gender reassignment surgery, they’ve been living in their desired gender for at least two years. This is the standard set by WPATH and is the requirement for most insurance companies that offer gender reassignment coverage.

Top Surgery

The Plastic Surgery Group of Rochester has arguably the most experience in Rochester, NY providing gender reassignment top surgery.

Male to Female Breast Augmentation may be desired if hormone therapy does not provide full breast development. Breast Augmentation is performed with either saline or silicone implants to increase size and fullness of the breasts. Recovery after breast augmentation is usually 1 to 2 weeks and some activities may be restricted for up to a month.

For women transitioning to men, hormone therapy will provide more masculine features, but chest reconstruction to shape a male-contoured chest may also be desired. Female to Male Top Surgery can be performed through a number of techniques and is tailored to the individual. The surgeons at The Plastic Surgery Group of Rochester will first evaluate the patient’s breast size, tissue, fat, and shape to determine the best treatment. This procedure will be further complimented by hormone therapy to redistribute the body’s fat and muscle, as well as additional body sculpting procedures.

For those who identify as Agender or gender fluid, breast reshaping or removal surgery often provides an appearance that is more in line with their gender identity.

What is recovery like?

Recovery varies widely between individual patients. Recovery from transgender top surgery usually takes between 2 and 4 weeks. Patients should be able to drive within a week following surgery.

Schedule a Consultation

Scheduling a consultation is the first step. The team at The Plastic Surgery Group of Rochester will walk you through all of the specifics that you can expect from your gender reassignment surgery and your recovery. Contact our office at (585) 922-5840 to schedule your consultation today.

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