Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42161538›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2026

In their own words: experiences surrounding masculinising chest surgery among transgender and gender-diverse adolescents - a secondary analysis of GENDER-Q data.

Kathleen Armstrong, Ivy Quan, Shelby L Kennedy, Manraj N Kaur, Sylvie D Cornacchi, Charlene Rae, Natasha Johnson, Karine Khatchadourian, Maja Marinkovic, Gina M Sequeira and 4 more

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Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Kathleen ArmstrongWomen's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada k.armstrong@mail.utoronto.ca.
Ivy QuanUniversity of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-6174-3104
Shelby L KennedyDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Manraj N KaurBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1911-0395
Sylvie D CornacchiDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Charlene RaeDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Natasha JohnsonDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Karine KhatchadourianDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Maja MarinkovicUC San Diego Health, San Diego, California, USA.
Gina M SequeiraDivision of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Brenda BradleyChildren's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Kevin CheungChildren's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Shane D MorrisonDivision of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Anne F KlassenDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4720-0096

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveMasculinising chest surgery, also known as top surgery, is the most requested gender-affirming procedure among transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adolescents, yet research on patient experiences remains limited. This study explored the experiences of TGD adolescents who were seeking or had undergone masculinising chest surgery.

designQualitative secondary analysis using existing themes framework and data from the GENDER-Q (GQ) and GENDER-Q Youth (GQY) research programmes, which aim to develop comprehensive patient-reported outcome measures for gender-affirming care.

settingParticipants were sampled from five high-volume gender-affirming care clinics, three in Canada and two in the United States. Interviews were conducted online.

participants35 GQ and GQY participants aged 13-18 years who were assigned female at birth, identified as trans men or non-binary, and were pursuing (n=19) or had undergone (n=16) masculinising chest surgery.

resultsThree major themes emerged: chest appearance, health-related quality of life (HRQL) and gender practices. Most participants expected a flatter chest that aesthetically aligned with their gender identity. Presurgery participants anticipated that surgery would allow them to engage in previously avoided physical activities and would enhance their relationships. Postoperative participants reported increased physical activity, mental resilience, bodily connection and social comfort. Most reported binder use and related reliance or discomfort as motivators for pursuing surgery.

conclusionsThis study highlights the multidimensional experiences surrounding masculinising chest surgery on TGD adolescents with impacts on chest appearance, HRQL and gender practices. Centering adolescents' perspectives, these findings underscore the importance of accessible, affirming surgical care and provide valuable insights for clinicians, policymakers and future research.

Indexed as

Gender-Affirming SurgeryThoracic Surgical ProceduresTransgender PersonsAdolescentBody ImageCanadaFemaleGender IdentityGender-Nonconforming PersonsHumansMaleQualitative ResearchQuality of LifeUnited StatesAdolescentBreast surgeryPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresPLASTIC & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERYSexual and Gender Minorities

Identifiers

PMID42161538
PMCPMC13202103

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.