#antony fitton

[aintgonnatakethis]

I got top surgery on Wednesday 9th November 2022 and thought I would record the experience here in case it could help anyone. Basically a step by step of the process (with a few problems along the way). I’m happy to answer any questions anyone might have.

The receptionist confirmed who I was, my address, and how to contact my next of kin, then checked I'd had no covid symptoms for the past 30 days and no one in my family had any them in the past 90. We still remain super careful due my grandmother being 91 and my mother being immunocompromised so everything was good.

My ward nurse took me to my private room. I was very pleased about not being on an open ward as I can have odd sleeping patterns. She said my name and then my deadname which after I stiffly corrected her she apologised and pointed to her nametag which said her name was my old one. Ironic and much better than the first thing the medical staff doing being deadnaming me lol

She went through my list of meds with me (quite a few) and gave me a special sponge to use in the shower to disinfect myself and change into a medical gown. Despite the radiator not being on the room was sweltering (in November) so I had to ask them to open my window. Was definitely thankful for the warmth after I got back from surgery as I was very cold then.

A woman with a massive menu came round and asked what I wanted in my post-op sandwich, for dinner that night, and breakfast the next morning, I'm normally an NHS patient (not really sure what the equivalent is in the US, maybe medicare? - but it's basically the underfunded underpaid free healthcare and I was referred to a private hospital because their waiting lists were too long.) With the NHS you get whatever food you get and this place was like a fucking restaurant!

The surgeon then came by to draw lines and dots on my chest, then the anaesthesiologist to go through my meds again. When I told him I had a phobia of needles he said he'd be happy to provide me with laughing gas before he put the canula in. The nurse then fitted me with compression socks, which help prevent blood clots post surgery. They weren't uncomfortable at all, just felt like regular socks but with no toes. I have to wear them for 2 weeks after the surgery.

I waited in my room for two hours so even if you're not staying overnight I'd recommend you bring some form of entertainment. I brought my laptop with some books downloaded onto it and obviously a direct line with home so I could keep them up-to-date.

A new nurse then came in, got me into a dressing gown and took me down to the operating theatre. They didn't undress me until I was unconscious, just rolled down one gown sleeve to put a blood pressure cuff on. The surgeon rubbed a local anaesthetic into the back of my hand and had a bit of trouble finding a vein for the canula (which wasn't unexpected as I have very poor circulation). While he was doing this the nurse held the laughing gas mask over my face, which made me light headed and a bit slurred when I spoke.

There wasn't any slow falling asleep or blur out like on TV when he injected me with the anaesthetic. One moment I had the laughing gas mask on, then I blinked and had an oxygen mask on and was in the recovery room. I didn't realise everything had been done, but my body certainly knew something was up as it almost immediately went into shock.

Would NOT recommend doing that!

Can safely say it was the worst pain I've ever felt, a sharp stabbing sensation across the whole of my chest. The only thing I could think was that if I moved it would be worse so I had to stay as still as possible. It took a dose of Morphine and 3 doses of Fentanyl before the pain lessened. I was too out of it know how long they took between doses but they seemed pretty on it so even though it felt like a long time in that level of pain it probably wasn't. They were insistent on verbal responses from me between doses.

I was wheeled back to my room and have a foggy memory of three nurses clustered around me all quite worried about how blue my fingers were. Things got better from there quickly though, had no nausea or dizziness when a nurse helped me up to go to the bathroom, so had a sandwich and they gave me Tramadol for the residual pain. Ate dinner without a problem (rich peoples' hospitals and their actual food, dude!) and had no constipation from the anaesthetic.

Didn't sleep well but I never do in places that aren't home, and the nurses were coming in every 2-3 hours to check my blood pressure and the drains. In the morning the left drain had a lot more blood coming out than the right so the surgeon decided to keep me in another night. In the end we had 50ml in the right and 300ml in the left and I bled onto the bed quite a bit around the area where the left drain was in. Apparently one side just sometimes bleeds more.

Having the drains out the next day was... an experience. I was still on the Tramadol and the pinch of pain wasn't so bad, but the sliding sensation of a rather long tube coming out of me felt real weird. The background pain dropped a LOT as soon as they were out. Minor leakage around the left wound, but nothing too bad.

Had fresh bandages put on then two nurses wrapped me up in a binder like a burrito. The stiff material of the binder is gonna be right up in your armpits so I'd recommend you do something about any hair you have there before you go. I ran a hair trimmer over both pits.

I can't really offer any advice about if you have a long car ride home. I had a 90 minute drive (as the passenger obvs) and I had black edging into the corners of my vision by the end of it. Standing up before getting into the car was fine, but then not being able to breathe properly plus the movement of the car made me feel very light-headed and nauseous. Went straight to bed when I got home and feel much better since I've woken up. Can do basic movements of putting on a button up shirt, brushing my teeth, etc, but was standing up for twenty minutes to talk to someone and that was enough for me. Have been taking codeine as a painkiller as that's what I take for other issues - have a little burning and aching across my chest (and chafing in my my armpits >.<) but nothing I wouldn't expect from just having had surgery.

[ukftm]

Anyone know if Mr Morris/Fitton have started up top surgeries again?

I’m afraid I haven’t seen anything indicating that they have, but if you’re on their list I’d suggest contacting their office directly to find out more. Their availability might also depend on whether you’re on a private or NHS list so it’s worth specifying whether you’re asking about a private or NHS referral.

Any followers who have heard from the surgeons in Plymouth lately?

~ James

[aintgonnatakethis]

4 months post top surgery

Am happy with the scars and flatness but not happy with the lump under my right arm, the pain I am in on that side, or the dismissal I have received from both the surgeon and the gender clinic over this issue. Further discussion below picture.

10 weeks after surgery I begin to develop the lump under my right arm. I have a scheduled phone app with a Senior Name Professional at the GC, who encourages me to get in contact with my surgeon right away. I do so, and am asked to come in for an app.

The surgeon was rude and dismissive about the problem. I had (on his instruction) been wearing compression tape on the scars 24/7 since the post-op, but still he demanded to know why I hadn't been stretching, specifically telling me I should be raising my arms straight over my head and stretching, which is the 101 of Do Not Do after top surgery. When I said this, he asked me who told me that. I replied with the name of my doctor at the GC and he snapped "She's not a surgeon. Who are you going to listen to?" At the post-op he also said that any of the dissolvable stitches that hung around a further week could just be pulled out. This seemed like a fucking stupid thing to do so I didn't and it was a further 6 weeks before they went away on their own.

He mentioned liposuction in passing and then told me "I think you're exaggerating your symptoms due to your anxiety".

I went to my GP soon after who immediately diagnosed me with muscle splinting, which is where the muscle around a wound locks up to protect the wound and then has trouble relaxing again; apparently very common for invasive surgery of the torso but something the surgeon never mentioned to me. My GP gave me muscles relaxants (2mg Diazepam 3 times a day for 2 weeks).

During my second follow appointment with the surgeon he didn't bother to check my range of movement and said my pain was caused by a damaged tendon that could take up to a year to heal. When I showed him that the pain was only present when the fatty tissue put pressure on the tendon he said he "didn't know why that was".

I speak to my SNP again and they agree I shouldn't be in pain and share my concerns on how I've been treated. They say they'll get me an app with my GC doctor and a 2nd opinion from another top surgeon.

A week later they email to say I'm going to get neither, as the GC doctor has already made up their mind based solely on the surgeon's recommendation. They attach the letter the surgeon sent.

"he is fixed on the appearance" "He seems to claim that this is causing pain" "he appears to be still concerned and dissatisfied with the appearance"

I have made it very clear to all parties involved that I am very happy with how everything looks, and the dismissal (and let's be real, accusation of making my pain up) smacks of misogyny - oh the dumb women couldn't possibly know when she's actually in pain. I feel this is backed up by him telling me "you need to learn to appreciate your new body" and rolling his eyes when I asked if I should change in my diet post-op to ensure the best recovery. Discussed previously here.

"I think he needs to glean support to help his cognitive adjustment to his outcome"

Anyone who can tell me what this means gets a gold star. Also who the fuck talks like this?

After this I make an app with my GP, who also agrees I shouldn't be in pain. They emailed my surgeon before my 2nd follow up but haven't received a response. They said they will email both my surgeon and GC in an attempt to get things sorted.

In the meantime they've prescribed me a second round of muscle relaxants, this time at a stronger dose (5mg Diazepam 3 times a day for 2 weeks) to see if it will fix the problem.

My GP should not have to be providing post-op care and they're the only person involved I don't feel let down by.

[aintgonnatakethis]

7 months post top surgery

I am happy with the healing of the scars, despite the stitch marks (the pock marks you can see along the incisions) still visible. I've just finished using silicone tape 24/7; the stuff is fucking amazing and super cheap off Amazon. With the gel and moisturizer I'd dry out before my next application and everything'd become tight, but the tape keeps the silicone close to the skin throughout. It's even reusable! I've stopped using it now because it's been 7 months and the summer sweats are making the adhesive fall off the same day I apply.

Update on the complications I have suffered. You can see the lump of fatty tissue under my right arm in the picture below. It is still painful and doesn't seem to be getting any better.

We left off with my GP emailing both the surgeon and the Gender Clinic, asking for another app from the former and the promised app with my doctor at the GC plus a second opinion from another top surgeon.

I'd been promised a second opinion and then a week later my Senior Named Professional at the GC emailed me saying I wasn't getting it. Then I found out the NHS do not pay for post-op care, which makes me very suspicious of the surgeon's attitude.

I was the contacted by the SNP who denied ever having offered me an app with either my doctor at the GC or a second opinion, culminating in some gaslighting of “I’m sorry if that’s what you heard.” Then she said she was leaving the GC, who seem to have a very high turnover rate for their employees...

A week after that, I was sent a letter giving me an app with my doctor at the GC, showing what top notch communication the NHS have with both their patients and each other. Unfortunately the phone call went as you'd expect, the doctor being dismissive of my concerns about the surgeon: "“Oh, I’m sure he didn’t mean it as it came across. Being a surgeon is so hard, you know. All that training, so focused, they really just think about their patients as pieces of meat, you know. They’re not the best at communicating.”

I go to a physio app. They agree it's not tendonitis (shocked!) and think it could be a lump of scar tissue. They are very nice and are pissed when I tell them some of the things that've been said to me.

I go to my app with the surgeon. It goes about as poorly as it could go, carrying such gems as:

“So what do you want?” “For the pain to stop.” “Well, I can’t do that.” “Because you don’t know what’s causing it?” “Yes.” “Are you interested in pursuing an explanation?”“ "No.”

“Do you have any idea what’s causing the pain?” “No.” “Do you think a scan would be the next step, to see what’s going on in there?” “No.” “Why not?” “It won’t show anything.” “How do you know?” “The examination didn’t show anything.”

“You don’t seem happy.” “Of course I’m not. I’m in pain. Have you ever met someone in pain who’s happy?” *ensue a 15 motherfucking second silent staring content which I won because fuck you and then he changed the subject*

I am being referred to a pain clinic. Let's see what breathing techniques they recommend me...

[aintgonnatakethis]

10 weeks post top surgery

Numbness under the arms fading and last stitches along the main incision have come free (that's what the 'pock marks' are). Had very minor bleeding from one of them, stopped quickly.

[aintgonnatakethis]

3 weeks post top surgery with Dr Antony Fitton, Plymouth, UK. Am very happy with the results and recovery. Discussion of the post-op appointment and recovery under the cut.

Previous post about operation, hospital stay, and initial recovery

When I first left the hospital not being able to breathe properly with the medical binder on meant the 90 minute car ride home was a rough one. I fixed this for the return trip by reclining the seat, enough so that my weight was spread evenly and I wouldn't be jolted by bumps or corners but obviously not so much that I'd be lying flat. Then I stuck in my trusty ear plugs and had my eyes shut the entire time. Much improved, no car sickness, light-headedness or extra pain.

It was an immediate relief when the binder was off and I could breathe again. The nurse removed the line of steri strips along the incision without problems. There were cushions beneath the plasters over my nipples and some of the scab came away with it on the right nipple, causing a little bleeding. Nothing major. Everything looked good and healthy, nipples had taken well and the surgeon said it looked like I'm not in any danger of getting dog tags.

The nurse gave me a wash as there were a lot of old scabs that had been trapped under the binder, then put a layer of micropore tape along the incision and plasters over the nipples, with instructions to take the plasters off for showering and replace them afterwards and leave the tape on until it gets loose and then put a new layer on. Do that for 2 months and then start using silicone gel and strips; the surgeon said massaging the gel into the scars was important.

It was fantastic to see my chest like that. I'd obviously seen it while in the hospital with the drains, but this was the first time without any bandages and it looked amazing! A fantastic birthday present. :D I'm so happy with the results and how smooth my recovery has been. When dealing with medical stuff it's always best to be boring!

Pain was increased for a couple of days, sore like I'd pulled the muscles across my chest. Worse place was where the ends of the incisions under my arms rubbed against my arms whenever I moved, but it's faded 4 days after and I can finally start writing again. I had big plans to write a ton while I was laid up in bed but hadn't planned for the obvious problems haha

There are spots along the incision where it feels numb to the touch and there are spatters of bruising. While the tape was off for the photos I could definitely feel things pulling more so it clearly provides good support. I'm still needing a lot of sleep (though now I can breathe that's much easier). All in all everything's going as expected.

[ukftm]

I looked up Antony Fitton while researching for top surgery.. I couldn't tell from his list of offered procedures which it would be? Does "chest wall" surgery mean top surgery?

Yes, in this context it will!

~ James

[ukftm]

Hi, I finally heard from Plymouth team (Fitton and Morris today.) They have finally confirmed they've received my referral from the end of April and that I will be triage soon with people who had their surgery cancelled taking priority. They also mentioned hopefully restarting soon possibly September. Hope that helps some people

Thanks for sharing!

~ James

[ukftm]

If it helps anyone I was referred to the Plymouth team with Morris and Fitton in April and have phoned to chase as I didn't hear anything and was told the hospital is still being used for Covid related stuff and will be until at least August. They couldn't even confirm they'd received it over the phone as its all been set up for other stuff.

Thanks for sharing, and I hope you get news soon!

~ James

[ukftm]

Hey do you know how long the waiting list is for DI top surgery on the NHS at Nuffield Brighton and Plymouth? I've heard Plymouth is just 3 months. I have to decide who I want to go with quite suddenly. Is there a general opinion on either of these places in terms of quality of results?

I’ve heard good reviews from people who have been to the surgeons at both Brighton and Plymouth, and their waits seem to be fairly similar. We have updates on NHS waiting times here, but I suspect the Plymouth waiting lists are a little longer now than it says here - certainly Mr Ross’ waiting time at Brighton is accurate as of this month, and had increased by a few months since we last updated that post.

Followers, any thoughts?

~ James

[ukftm]

I know this has been asked before, but I just wondered if anything had changed. Has anyone posted their top surgery results from Mr Fitton?

I’m afraid I can’t find any when I search, though there are several results from Robert Morris, who he works with.

Do any followers know of any results?

~ James

[ukftm]

I have surgery the first week on may, with dr fitton (double incision ) he mentioned the postop binder but will he provide that for me or should i buy one?

He should provide one for you to go home in, but if you want a spare then something like this back support should do the trick.

~ James

[ukftm]

So now that we know some of the deal with Yelland, do any of the mods or anyone else know of anywhere we can find results from either the Brighton or Plymouth surgeons those of us on his nhs waiting list will now be offered? And does anyone know if the one in Brighton uses the same techniques as Mr Yelland? I'd imagine risking picking one of them is still going to be quicker than going back to the gic for a new referral elsewhere.

Anonymous said: Do you or any followers know where I can find pictures of top surgery results from David Ross? He’s the guy taking over from Yelland at Nuffield Health Brighton and I can’t find any results to help me decide what to do with my referral.

Anonymous said: I have received my letter from Nuffield Brighton offering me the options of surgery with either Antony Fitton, Robert Morris or David Ross, but their websites don’t mention trans surgeries and I can’t find any examples of their work on TransBucket (only Robert Morris’s name is even recognised but nothing came up when I searched it). Does anyone have any information or before/after photos of trans surgeries by these surgeons?

I’m going to answer these questions together as they’re all on the same topic, I hope that’s acceptable to the anons who sent them in.

The short answer is that there are no publically available results, as far as I’m aware, for any of these surgeons.  If any followers do have any more information on any of these then please do let us know as I’m sure a lot of followers will be very grateful for it.

The only information I know about Robert Morris is that he carried out some surgeries a couple of years ago, but then stopped operating for a year or two. David Ross is reported to have performed top surgery in the past a Charing Cross hospital but this would have been around a decade ago when this was a main centre for top surgery.  There is even less information that I can find on Antony Fitton, but it appears that he works alongside Mr Morris in Plymouth and has a website with him although it doesn’t mention trans related surgeries.

The seeming lack of recent surgeries being performed by any of them seems to account with the lack of results which are available, especially in the case of Mr Ross where these would have been performed before it was easily possible to share images and experiences online.  As they start to perform more top surgeries it’s likely that some images will start to become available to make it easier for other people to make their minds up, but the first few people are unfortunately likely to be “flying blind”.

There is a short blurb about the surgeons in the information sent out by the Nuffield, which I have typed up along with the original letter here for anyone who may have mislaid their letter.  For completeness, Mr Yelland’s own say on the situation can be found on towards the bottom of the homepage of his website.

In terms of the procedures that these surgeons will use, it’s very hard to say without being able to see any images or hear about other people’s experiences.  In general, the techniques offered by all surgeons are more or less the same, with only slight variations, particularly what they offer in terms of nipples and how these are repositioned (or not, in the case of people who are not interested in keeping their nipples), and how they choose to position the incisions. I’m not aware of any connection between Mr Yelland and any of the other surgeons, aside from that they both have/had links with Nuffield, so their techniques may differ.

As for whether it will be quicker to go with one of these surgeons or to get re-referred elsewhere by the GIC, it’s hard to gauge at the moment as there are so many variables. To even try to compare which would be quicker for an individual would mean taking into consideration where they are already on the waiting list, which GIC they see and how quickly they would be able to organise a new referral, and the surgeon that they would wish to be re-referred to. It’s likely that anyone who is re-referred to another surgeon would then go to the bottom of their waiting list, so the difference in total waiting time for someone who has already been waiting a long time will be much more than for someone who has only recently been referred.  On top of that, there are other variables which aren’t apparent yet, such as how long it will take for things to settle down at the Nuffield, how many surgeries the surgeons are able to get through each week bearing in mind any existing commitments to carry out other procedures that they might have, and how many people decide that they want to be referred to another surgeon.

Note that the original letter from the Nuffield states that they expect that surgeries will be quicker with one of the surgeons operating out of Plymouth (Mr Morris and Mr Fitton) and that Mr Ross in Brighton is not due to begin operating until April.

It is worth pointing out that Mr Yelland will need to obtain a contract with NHS England to continue operating on the NHS in Torquay, and this may take several months to sort out. It may be that GICs aren’t able to refer people to him before this is sorted out, which would add to waiting times for anyone who wanted to stick with him.

~ Alex

[ukftm]

Hi! I was on the waiting list for top surgery with Andrew Yealland, but now that he's moved away from Brighton, I've been offered the choice either of seeing his replacement, David Ross, or else transferring to Plymouth, where I'd be seen by Robert Morris or Anthony Fitton. Do you, or any of your followers, know anything about these surgeons? As far as I can tell, David Ross is the only one with actual top surgery experience, but none of them seem to have AY's level of expertise :/

Unfortunately, we don’t have much further information other than what has been included in the letters sent out by the Nuffield.

I can, however, tell you that Robert Morris has performed some top surgeries in the past, but this was a few years ago.

There’s a more in-depth post on the topic here.

~ Alex

[ukftm]

*URGENT* i’m having top surgery at the Nuffield in Plymouth and it says my Consultation is with Mr Anthony Fitton? Does that also mean he’s going to be the one doing the actual surgery? I’ve never heard of him at Nuffield. I’ve only heard of Mr Morris.

They are both surgeons who operate out of the Plymouth Nuffield.

I suspect that having a consultation with one surgeons means that they are going to be the one who is going to operate, as they will have seen your chest, but hopefully some followers who have been with them will be able to confirm this.

If you have a particular preference for Mr Morris then you should be able to request that you have him instead, but this is likely to mean having to wait for a new set of dates.

~ Alex

[ukftm]

Does anyone have a master post of all the top surgeons in the uk?

It’s not that straightforward to generate a list, especially of private surgeons, as “the list of all surgeons who have done top surgery” is a lot longer than “the list of most popular surgeons”.

There’s a list of surgeons commissioned by NHS England here.

A bit further up the blog there’s a list of common private surgeons, reproduced here:

Common UK private surgeons:

Miles Berry - London

Philip Drew and Kali Potiszil - Cornwall

Peter Kneeshaw, Kartikae Glover, Brendan Wooler - Hull

Antony Fitton and Robert Morris - Devon

Andy Mellington and David Ross - Brighton

Victoria Rose - London

Andrew Yelland - Devon

On our resources page we have links to a couple of lists of surgeons/links to publicly available ‘results’ posts.

If any followers are aware of other lists, please feel free to share!

~ James