Patient-reported and Clinical Outcomes following Gender-affirming Chest Surgery: A Comparison of Binary and Nonbinary Transmasculine Individuals.

Abstract

Background: Nonbinary individuals assigned female at birth are increasingly presenting for gender-affirming chest surgery (GCS). However, little is known about psychosocial outcomes in this group. We compare patient-reported and clinical outcomes after GCS between nonbinary and binary transmasculine individuals who underwent GCS.

Methods: We performed an institutional retrospective chart review. Demographic information, medical comorbidities, history of gender-affirming medical care, operative details, and complications were collected and compared between nonbinary and binary patients. Two validated patient-reported outcomes measures, the Gender Congruence and Life Satisfaction (GCLS) scale and the chest dysphoria measure were administered postoperatively.

Results: A total of 281 patients were included, of which 40.6% (114) identified as nonbinary and 59.4% (167) identified as binary transgender men. Fewer nonbinary patients used testosterone (P < 0.001). Nonbinary patients underwent a wider variety of masculinizing chest operations than binary patients, with fewer nonbinary patients electing for free nipple-areolar complex grafts (P < 0.001) and more nonbinary patients undergoing breast reduction (P = 0.001). A total of 137 (48.7%) patients responded to postoperative surveys. Nonbinary and binary respondents had comparable scores on the overall GCLS (P = 0.86), GCLS chest subscale (P = 0.38), and chest dysphoria measure (P = 0.40). The absence of nipple-areolar complex grafts was associated with higher GCLS chest scores (P = 0.004).

Conclusions: Nonbinary individuals have similarly positive outcomes following GCS compared with binary individuals. Surgeons should be aware of greater medical and surgical heterogeneity in this population and seek to understand individual patients' goals and priorities.