Male to Female (MTF) Procedures for Transgender Women

As a transgender woman wanting gender-confirmation surgery, you’ll want to find expert surgical care. At UVA, we have experience and skill in performing MTF surgery and a range of male-to-female procedures.

During your first visit, we’ll aim to address your fears, questions, and concerns. You’ll get the information you need to make the best choice for you. We’ll cover:

  • Your options
  • The pros and cons of each procedure
  • What to expect during recovery

Gender-Confirmation Surgery at UVA

At UVA, our transgender surgeons understand the importance of aligning your physical appearance with your gender identity. Plastic and reconstructive surgeon JT Stranix, MD, and urologist Sean Corbett, MD, discuss the commitment and care offered by UVA's transgender surgery specialists. View transgender surgery transcript.

MTF Surgery at UVA

We offer top surgery, bottom surgery, and facial plastic surgery procedures.

MTF Top Surgery

Top surgery creates larger, more feminine breasts.

We can tailor the procedure to your wishes. This includes choosing the material for your implants. What we use affects the look and feel of the breasts. Your options include:

  • Fat – grafted fat tissue alone or with other materials
  • Silicone gel – popular, due to natural-feeling outcomes
  • Saline implants – an option, but tend to cause visible rippling
  • Autologous breast reconstruction, or DIEP free flap – uses tissue from your lower abdomen

MTF Bottom Surgery

MTF bottom surgery creates female genitalia with function and feeling. This might require several steps or operations. These can include:

  • Penile skin inversion vaginoplasty, with or without scrotal skin grafting
  • Revision vaginoplasty using small bowel or the rectosigmoid colon
  • Secondary genital reconstruction

Facial Feminization Surgery

A female face often feels softer and looks rounder than a masculine one. Surgery can make your jawline thinner. Face and neck lifts can move tissue and muscle to reshape your facial structure. You might also want a tracheal shave, which reduces the size of your Adam’s apple.

We offer services to reshape or change your:

  • Hairline or scalp
  • Facial volume with fat grafting or filler
  • Brow
  • Nose (rhinoplasty)
  • Eyelids (blepharoplasty)
  • Skin, with laser resurfacing
  • Lips
  • Hair, with laser hair removal

Questions? View our transgender surgery FAQs.