Retrospective analysis reveals hormone therapy improves well-being in female-to-male transgender individuals seeking gender-affirming mastectomy, highlighting the need for patient-centered care.
Background and Objectives: There is a worldwide increase in the demand for gender-affirming surgical treatments among transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adults and adolescents. In Poland, transgender people generally lack trust in healthcare providers, which makes it more difficult for them to begin their transition process. This patient population is not well understood by many of the specialists who may potentially be involved in their care, in some way, reinforcing their concerns. The aim of this study is to present the sociodemographic characteristics of a group of female-to-male transgender patients who were admitted to a privately based plastic surgery center to undergo chest wall reconstruction. Materials and Methods: This study comprises a statistical analysis of data retrospectively obtained from the medical records of 100 patients from across the country undergoing female-to-male transition, who were operated on between 2021 and 2025 at a specialized private clinic in Poland. All individuals had already started gender-affirming medical treatment with testosterone at the time of first consultation. Results: The results show a trend toward a decreasing age at the time of the decision to undergo gender-affirming surgery. In the study group, 100% of patients were already undergoing hormone therapy. In our group of transgender individuals, we did not observe a correlation between cultural or social background, religion, and gender dysphoria. It is encouraging that more than half of the patients reported no longer needing psychiatric support, and that those who were still under specialist supervision stated that they experienced a significant improvement in their overall well-being. Conclusions: The rising demand for transgender healthcare highlights the need for studying and analyzing this group of patients in order to provide the best patient-centered care throughout the gender transition process by all specialists involved. Gender-affirming mastectomy, when combined with testosterone therapy, has a positive mental health impact on transgender individuals.
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Libondi et al. (2025) studied this question.
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