Breast removal for trans people. A mastectomy is an individualised path that each person chooses for themselves. The decision to do so is a courageous step that can be associated with many questions and uncertainties.
Be it through the support of experienced doctors and therapists, through dialogue with other trans people or by reading testimonials.
Your health and well-being. In my practice, medical excellence merges with forward-looking healing support. State-of-the-art procedures and therapies are combined with personalised support and human attention.
With the following information, I will be happy to guide you through the individual steps of the operation, from preparation to aftercare. My aim is to give you a better understanding of the procedure and to prepare you optimally for the operation.
Please note: This information is in no way a substitute for personalised advice. If you have any questions or uncertainties, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please note: The healing process after a mastectomy is individual and can vary. It is important to listen to your body and not to overexert yourself. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us or your psychiatrist/psychologist.
After the operation, it is important to give your body time to recover. At the clinic, nursing staff and pain therapists will look after you. The doctor will make rounds and monitor the healing process. The inpatient stay is usually two days.
Drainage tubes are removed before discharge. Further checks are carried out at the doctor's surgery. In the first few weeks after the operation, you should take it easy physically and avoid strenuous activities. However, short walks are ideal to stimulate blood circulation and promote mobility.
After around four to six weeks, most people are able to go about their daily lives again. Sports activities are usually possible again, but prior consultation with a doctor is recommended.
Follow-up care after a mastectomy is important in order to recognise and treat possible complications at an early stage. This includes regular examinations at the doctor's surgery.
In addition to the physical recovery, the psychological processing of the operation also plays an important role.
Below you will find information on the preparations and procedures involved in a mastectomy.
Certainly not all questions are fully answered here. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us and arrange a consultation.
We will discuss all the important details together in an individual consultation. You do not usually need to make any special preparations. Hormone therapy is also not necessary in advance
We will discuss all the important details together in an individual consultation. You do not usually need to make any special preparations. Hormone therapy is also not necessary in advance.
No, this is not necessary for the mastectomy.
The gel has no effect on the procedure. You may continue your testosterone therapy. It is important to emphasise that the method of administration (injections, capsules, depot, cream, gel) is irrelevant.
No, our surgical team shaves and disinfects the respective areas immediately before the procedure.
We work together with two hospitals. The mastectomy is performed either at the Zug Cantonal Hospital in Baar or at the Limmat Clinic in Zurich.
You will either be admitted to the clinic one day before the mastectomy or you will arrive two hours before the operation begins. It is important that you are fasting for the operation.
Please bring a letter of recommendation from your psychiatrist or psychologist with you to our personal consultation. Together with the images that we take in the practice, we will submit an application for the mastectomy to the health insurance company. Swiss health insurance companies normally cover the costs of the procedure. Liposuction, which is always necessary for aesthetic reasons, must be paid for by the patient. The cost for this is CHF 2900.
As a patient from outside Switzerland, it depends on your health insurance whether the costs of the mastectomy are covered. In most cases, however, you will have to bear the costs yourself. I will provide you with a breakdown of the costs in advance of the operation.
The costs of the operation are normally covered by your Swiss health insurance. It is a compulsory benefit of basic insurance. Before the operation, I will write a letter to the health insurance company requesting approval of the costs. If necessary, I will also be happy to write you a reconsideration request.
In order to achieve a perfect aesthetic result, I believe it is necessary to perform a levelling liposuction during this operation. This levelling liposuction is an extra aesthetic service that I provide. I would not perform this procedure without liposuction. You will have to bear the costs yourself, which amount to CHF 2,900 and will be paid before the operation.
For non-Swiss patients
Removal of the breast / mastectomy
The total costs include the entire organisation, the consultations before the operation (email, telephone, in person, etc.), the breast removal with liposuction, anaesthesia and the two-day stay at the Limmat Clinic,
The four-day stay at the Suisse Night Hotel* and the travelling expenses must be paid by the participants themselves.
(one day before and three days after) and the medical care after the operation by me or my assistant as well as the documentation and, if desired, a doctor's letter.
You will receive a specific cost breakdown from me by e-mail.
*The four-day stay at the Suisse Night Hotel and the travelling expenses must be paid by the participants themselves.
Additional interventions
If liposuction is also required in typical areas such as the abdomen, love handles or outer hips, you can also request a cost estimate by e-mail.
The mastectomy is performed under general anaesthetic. The anaesthetist will provide you with comprehensive information before the operation.
The average duration of the operation is between two and a half and three hours. The treatment time essentially depends on the size of the breast and the surgical technique.
A catheter is not required for a mastectomy. Following the procedure, two small drainage tubes are usually placed to facilitate the drainage of wound fluid. The drainage tubes are completely removed after two days.
Yes, the areola is usually reduced to a size of 2.5 cm using a precise template and the nipple is moved to a harmonious, natural-looking position during the operation.
For smaller breasts, the incision is usually periareolar, i.e. around the areola. For larger breasts, a larger incision is made to remove the mammary gland.
Patients can usually leave the clinic after two to three days.
The risk of complications can never be completely ruled out. However, the chances of recovery of the nipples are generally very good. The chances of the nipple/areola surviving are 95 to 100 per cent.
Immediately after the mastectomy, the sensitivity of the breast and nipples may be limited. The sensation often returns within six months. In some patients, it can also take up to two years. A permanent loss of sensation rarely occurs.
Self-dissolving sutures are sometimes used during the mastectomy and do not need to be removed. The non-self-dissolving sutures are removed after seven to ten days.
Yes, the treatment area is protected by a soft dressing immediately after the mastectomy. I also change the dressing during the visit. After two to three days, the dressing is replaced with a special compression garment (waistcoat).
You wear the compression waistcoat day and night for four to six weeks.
The first check-up appointment takes place in my practice 2-5 days after discharge from the clinic. The next check-up usually takes place a week later.
Yes, deodorant is not a problem. Just be careful not to spray it directly onto the surgical wounds.
Early mobilisation can have a positive effect on the healing process. You can therefore take light walks shortly after the mastectomy. However, physically strenuous sport should be avoided for around six weeks.
Direct sunlight or UV radiation (solarium) can cause the surgical scars to darken. It is therefore advisable to protect the treatment area from the sun for as long as the scars are active (i.e. red/pink) and to avoid going to the solarium.
After about two weeks, you can usually start with scar care. To do this, gently massage some body lotion into the respective areas.
