Chest masculinization is beneficial no matter the age of trans masculine individuals who underwent bilateral mastectomy, so that – not surprisingly – younger patients favor earlier surgical timing.
This is according to a study – “Timing and Satisfaction in Chest Masculinization Surgery: A Transgender Quality of Life Questionnaire-Based Analysis of Age-Related Outcomes” by Andrej Wehle, Sabrina Caecilia, Markus Kaiser, Lara Kueenzlen, Shafreena Kühn, Robert Sader, Ulrich Michael Rieger, and Ines Ana Ederer – that was published in LGBT Health.
To study how age at the time of surgery influences patient-reported outcomes, the researchers conducted a retrospective survey from 2021 to 2023 among trans masculine individuals who underwent bilateral mastectomy at a single academic institution, using the Transgender Quality of Life Questionnaire (TRANS-Q).
The researchers found that, across all age cohorts, satisfaction scores were high.
The only significant intergroup variation concerned the ideal age for surgery: younger patients expressed a preference for earlier intervention compared to older cohorts (p < 0.001).
Regression models identified BMI and incision technique as relevant predictors of satisfaction and scar appearance, respectively. Mental health diagnoses were weakly associated with earlier preferred timing.
These findings “affirm the benefit of chest masculinization across age groups, while highlighting that younger patients favor earlier surgical timing,” the researchers noted.
They, therefore, recommended the need for age-sensitive counseling since “personalized timing strategies — rooted in autonomy — may optimize long-term outcomes in gender-affirming care.”
