Paliwoda Ethan D, Dema Elma, Hamilton Kiersten, Modi Shivani, Wakeman Melia, Shihadeh Hanaa, Schalet Benjamin J, Kpodzo Dzifa S
Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Albany Medical Center, 50 New Scotland Ave, Albany, NY, 12208, USA.
Union College, Schenectady, NY, 12308, USA.
Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2025 Jul 14. doi: 10.1007/s00266-025-05047-9.
Gender-affirming top surgery is an increasingly requested procedure by individuals to address gender dysphoria. On Instagram and TikTok, "#TopSurgery" is currently the most common gender-affirming surgery hashtag, with most content being shared by patients. This study aims to analyze online posts to elucidate patient perceptions and information dissemination related to gender-affirming top surgery.
Instagram and TikTok were queried under "#TopSurgery." Public patient posts discussing their gender-affirming top surgery experiences were collected. Across 808 posts made after 2020, forty-two subthemes were identified reflecting gender-Q foci and were grouped into five central motifs.
The five central motifs were Psychosocial and Emotional Well-being (31%), Empowerment and Identity Formation (30%), Navigating the Medical Journey (17%), Physical Health and Body Image (16%), and Allies and Stigma (6%). The most common subthemes were Appearance & Body Image (587, 73%), Satisfaction and Relief (576, 71%), Empowerment & Confidence (554, 69%), Positivity & Inspiration (535, 66%), Quality of Life & Mental Health (496, 61%), Self-Esteem & Identity Affirmation (470, 58%), Milestones & Achievements (404, 50%), and Outreach & Health Literacy (306, 38%).
Significant differences existed between social media posts shared on Instagram and TikTok, those made before and after surgery, and by those of different identities. Patients use social media to share experiences with gender-affirming top surgery, including emotional, physical, and lifestyle changes. Themes of these posts vary by platform, surgical stage, and gender identity. These insights can enhance the physician-patient relationship, improving counseling, setting patient expectations, and navigating the pre/postoperative period.
OBSERVATIONAL STUDY: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
性别肯定性胸部手术是越来越多人要求进行的一种手术，用于解决性别焦虑问题。在照片墙（Instagram）和抖音（TikTok）上，“#胸部手术”目前是性别肯定性手术最常见的标签，大多数内容由患者分享。本研究旨在分析网上帖子，以阐明与性别肯定性胸部手术相关的患者认知和信息传播情况。
在“#胸部手术”标签下对照片墙和抖音进行查询。收集公开的患者帖子，这些帖子讨论了他们性别肯定性胸部手术的经历。在2020年之后发布的808篇帖子中，确定了42个反映性别问题焦点的子主题，并将其归为五个核心主题。
五个核心主题分别是心理社会和情感健康（31%）、赋权与身份形成（30%）、经历医疗过程（17%）、身体健康和身体形象（16%）以及支持者与污名（6%）。最常见的子主题是外貌与身体形象（587条，73%）、满意度与解脱感（576条，71%）、赋权与自信（554条，69%）、积极与鼓舞（535条，66%）、生活质量与心理健康（496条，61%）、自尊与身份认同（470条，58%）、里程碑与成就（404条，50%）以及宣传与健康素养（306条，38%）。
在照片墙和抖音上分享的社交媒体帖子之间、手术前后发布的帖子之间以及不同身份患者发布的帖子之间存在显著差异。患者利用社交媒体分享性别肯定性胸部手术的经历，包括情感、身体和生活方式的变化。这些帖子的主题因平台、手术阶段和性别认同而异。这些见解可以加强医患关系，改善咨询服务，设定患者期望，并帮助患者度过术前/术后阶段。
观察性研究：本期刊要求作者为每篇文章指定证据级别。有关这些循证医学评级的完整描述，请参阅目录或在线作者指南www.springer.com/00266 。
