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By Johanna Olson-Kennedy MD and Jonathon Warus MD, 2016As transgender visibility has increased over the past decade, growing numbers of transgender youth are presenting at specialized clinics seeking care related to phenotypic gender transition. Despite the fact that the average age of referral is dropping, the developmental stage that most patients are in at the time of entry into medical care necessitates future surgical intervention to change undesired secondary sex characteristics. For those assigned female at birth who identify on the transmasculine spectrum, gender confirmation procedures most commonly include male chest reconstruction. Chest dysphoria, the distress that arises from having a female chest contour, is a common clinical concern for transmasculine adolescents and young adults. While a decent body of literature exists examining the outcomes of transgender related surgeries in patients over the age of majority, no data has been published concerning the outcomes of these procedures among minors. Existing professional guidelines regarding surgical interventions lack clarity, and leave medical providers uncertain about referring minors for chest surgery. This pilot study aimed to quantify the impact of male chest reconstruction on chest dysphoria in this population included the development of a “chest dysphoria” measure.
