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Not always incinerated. I worked in medical waste disposal and we would shred the waste and treat it with ozone so it was considered regular solid waste and taken to the landfill.
PA here. I work in surgical or gross pathology (the lab). We are the folks that look at specimens coming out of the OR and examine anything and everything for any indication of cancer or disease at the macroscopic level, even/especially when the docs are not expecting it. There’s regulations on how long we keep tissue, but it usually gets incinerated or given back to the patient if they want it (in specific instances).
Nearly everything is placed in formalin (tissue fixative) where the tissue can be stored and kept indefinitely at room temp. If it’s in the freezer (larger things like legs, entire bodies, etc.) it’s because it’s too big for a container, requires studies without exposure to formalin, or someone wants it back. Formalin is a carcinogen, however, and places may be reluctant to give things back that have been soaking formalin for a while.
Out of curiosity, how did you end up in that line of work? Was it something you always wanted to do?
I don't know why but ever since I was a little kid I always think about "the people who test the things the hospital sends them" when I'm in a hospital.
I always imagine there's like an entire floor of the hospital that's closed off to the public and when you come out the elevator it's this giant science lab, full of scientists. And there's strange glass tubes, containers of mysterious liquid, petri dishes, strip lighting and a sorta conveyor belt of blood samples, swabs and boxes of body parts to be tested.
I've never actually met anyone who does that job though so now I want to know more :)
Honestly, I stumbled into it. I studied plants and ecology and undergrad and wanted to study plant diseases. It turned out that was a really specific interest and needed a lot more education. I worked at an anatomical pathology (lab/field that focuses on tissue diseases rather than blood, urine; aka clinical pathology) thinking I’d get some insight to plant diseases. I didn’t. Even though I didn’t know a lick of anatomy, I learned on the job, working with PAs and pathologists directly and I was deeply inspired by the often unrecognized/mysterious impact that the lab has on patient care. I verrrrrry briefly did more direct patient care but after receiving some unsavory verbal commentary by patients about my identity, I opted for the indirect patient care route. Lol Though a con of most roles in the lab (and maybe a pro for some folks) is that we don’t see patients or the people who directly care for them (nurses, doctors, etc). For me, seeing a patient makes me remember our work is critical, that the sample we get is a story and not just a name, and that folks who aren’t in the lab are on the same team as us. We are all trying to make sure the patient gets the best care they need in ways that we’re experts in.
All that aside, there’s some truth to that idea to have! Many of the blood, urine, and body fluid samples really do have a degree of automation to them. This is clinical pathology, where there’s a machine for just about everything. Microbiology is a subsection of that where there’s even automation to that as well. Clinical pathology is not my specialty and can’t speak to it much, but the Clinical Lab Scientists (CLS) can specialize in any subspecialty like microbiology, chemistry, blood banking, transfusion, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, molecular, to name a lot. While CLS certainly maintain a lot of the machines, they’re also doing troubleshooting on samples that can’t be analyzed for a number of reasons or generating things from already existing samples. However, they can’t just make up a test from thin air. There are regulations, standards, and things like the FDA that make sure that any tests are actually accurate, and that they’re safe and appropriate for use in the care of a patient.
I’m rambling a TON, but if you’re really interested in seeing how the lab works, maybe reach out to a local hospital or lab and see if you can shadow to see how things work. The lab doesn’t often get visitors and I’m sure people would be thrilled to see someone interested what happens in the lab. 🙂
Edit: I went back to school and got a master’s/certified to become a PA.
Aww I loved your rambling! Thank you so much for sharing, that was really interesting :)
Sorry if this is a stupid question but are labs usually located at hospitals or are they a separate place and samples get sent in the post or something?
Also do you ever have to look at samples to help with criminal cases or do the police have their own separate labs for that kinda thing?
Good question. Not always based in a hospital. Some hospitals/clinics contract their lab work to larger private labs that do tests. For that, some samples are picked up by couriers and for more nuanced tests, they’re sent out by mail. There is always a lab in a hospital, however, because for things like a blood transfusion in the case of someone losing a lot of blood, the lab has to be able to respond to that ASAP.
Based on my experience, medical examiners and criminal labs will send out their tests to private labs for testing and processing. Autopsies are performed by these places with or without the presence of law enforcement, but the tissue they select from autopsy is sent to a private lab to be processed to send back to the forensic pathologist at the medical examiner’s office to evaluate. They review any samples alongside any circumstantial evidence to put forth a cause, manner, and mechanism of death in a report.
They are sealed with a top, just like a Tupperware, and sent to the lab. If the specimens are small we can put them in formalin to preserve them, otherwise they go in a fridge until pathology picks them up. They do take up a lot space.
When I was 12, my aunt, who owned a horse farm, had me watch her geld a horse. It looked like 2 raw plucked chickens in a bucket of blood. It turned me off from boys and from medicine as a career.
A couple years back, I told her how much that traumatized me. She'd completely forgotten. She said she was young then, I was unusually mature and intelligent for my age, and her oldest child was only 5 at the time, so she didn't even think about it as a problem for me. But as her own children got older, she would never have done that with her own kid at 12. As the oldest in my generation, I got to be the one all my aunts practiced with.
It also cemented my being a lifelong pescatarian, as I could never look at chicken the same way again.
I've been around horses since I was 4. I bought a young stallion and we had to have him gelded obviously, witnessing my own animal go through that traumatized ME at 25 and I worked a municipal open intake animal shelter that gave me battlefield level ptsd. I still would return to that job before watching another gelding. There is something viscerally... wrong....with it for me. It was super unfair that you were the test bunny. I vowed id NEVER do it again. Watching my horse violently shake in pain while I shoved a hose into his body cavity to clean it was horrific too. All vet rxd. People get far too numb to brutality. I really AM so sorry. Wouldn't wish witnessing that on anyone.
Was this top surgery or for an illness? I see your little trans flag but I know that in top surgery the nipples are preserved and grafted more often than not. In any case congrats on getting the weight off your chest, I bet it’s a huge relief. :)
Yes top surgery, thanks!! 😁 I may not have hid it very well with my little avatar but I was nervous posting about my transness outside of a trans-specific sub so to play it safe I worded it like that lmfaooo
Thank you so so much!
Out of curiosity, what do they do about the nipples? If that’s to personal don’t feel the need to answer. And while I’m know your glad to have gotten it done (congrats on that and for being so brave to share it) it does look very painful, so if this is new I’m wishing you a speedy recovery without to much pain and if the pics are old I hope everything went well.
Some folks go without, some will have the size of the areola reduced and stitched back on, some will opt for medical tattooing, and others will opt for nipple prosthetics. All depending on what the person in question is going for
It's a specific specialty within the tattooing world where all they do is stuff like nipple tattoos in a hyperrealistic style, so much so that at a glance you can't tell it's a tattoo. Or covering up a scar with the exact same skin color that used to be there. Stuff like that. It's very rare to find and if someone is interested in getting a medical tattoo done it can't just be done by an apprentice kind of thing
It depends on what the patient chooses. The most common „use“ is free nipple grafts. So they take off the nipple, cut it to size with what’s basically a cookie cutter and sew it back on.
Alternatively some people just don’t keep their nipples at all. At later dates they might decide to get medical tattoos instead :)
Hey! For me I hated the sensation of the nipple pre op and I wanted to go for a nonbinary…default human type of look hahaha
Surprisingly I wasn’t in a lot of pain when I woke up! My mobility was the only thing that was difficult. It’s now about 20 days post op and my mobility is much better and the incision area is still numb but the chest itself is regaining feeling slowly. And it itches very much 😭
I had a bunch of nerves cut and sometimes it would be hella itchy and then suddenly a zap of pain lol. Maddening! For me, though, it was nerves dying and, I think, a few reconnecting. I have a little feeling now so that's why I think some lived.
Congrats on this big step! Take a bigass pen and check that box! What's next on your to do list?
Thats exactly whats happening! The nerves are trying to come back to their senses and some are just gonna be deceased ig hahahaha
Thank you so much - it has been a literal weight off of my shoulders :} And for my next trick I’ll be updating my wardrobe since I can wear certain things better now!
you’re prob thinking of reconstructing the nipple using semilunar/cv flaps out of the skin which essentially folds into a standing skin cylinder. This isn’t really a robust solution compared to 3D tattooing though because it usually just scars down and becomes flat with time
This sub is pretty trans affirming. The mods shut down trolls as quickly as possible if they show up, and the regular cisgender users tend to be open and curious. There are a number of other trans people who are regularly active here.
I’m glad you shared your experience and images here - and I’m happy that your surgery went well, and wasn’t needed because of cancer.
Very, very well! I’m very intermittently itchy in the area where you’re seeing the cauterization because the numbness is slowly going away so that’s a good sign.
Just weighing in to say I’m sorry that you ever have to second think about your transness. I wish you all the best and a lifetime free of discrimination and ignorant people 💗
I’m nonbinary and neurodivergent myself (agender leaning a bit transmasc, ADHD/NVLD) and definitely want to modify that part of my body at some point in the future though I’m still not sure if I only want a reduction or if I want a full mastectomy. I go back and forth tbh. Some form of top surgery would probably be the only medical thing I do to transition since I’m pretty content with my presentation overall. I also don’t really talk about my gender stuff in mixed company so I totally get you, but I’ve found that this sub is super supportive of the trans community. Someone was posting their phalloplasty graft healing just yesterday iirc for instance, don’t know if you saw it, and the comments were all super positive. But yeah congrats again, hope your healing journey is smooth and that you’ll feel the sun on your skin before long.
This is so good to know – I saw the phalloplasty right after my post and realized I was in good hands here 🤗 It’s so nice to be in good company! This is probably the only transitional surgery I will get too as I identify similarly (transmasc/nonbinary)
Congratulations! I'll hopefully have the same later this year. And I'll totally ask for photos, bucket or not! Wishing you swift healing and a wonderful, flat chest ❤️🌈
Thank you so much and wishing you the best in your own journey! Getting photos (especially if you’re not squeamish) is similar to getting photos after riding an amusement park ride to me because it’s like a souvenir or something 😂
they do usually keep the nipnops (lmfaoo) I just wanted to go for a more non-binary default human type of look and reduce complications in case maybe the nipple graphs fall off in the healing process or something. that said I might get tattoos or some other creative tattoo in the area instead now that it’s a blank canvas!
Don’t they usually do that? I’m waiting for top surgery myself, I swear I remembered they sew em back on if you choose to keep them. Could be wrong though!
They actually get sent to a pathology lab so that a pathologists’ assistant can submit tissue for a pathologist to view under a microscope (or a pathologist does it all themselves)! The tissues submitted are kept for 10 years in paraffin blocks whereas the remaining specimen that’s fixed in formalin gets incinerated after 2 weeks.
Edit: grammar; Also, congratulations OP!
This gives a whole new meaning to "2 cupfuls of boob". Literally. My aunt is a breast cancer survivor with a double mastectomy. She ended up getting implants and loves not having nipples and not having to wear a bra 😭😂 so there's an upside to everything I suppose. Whether this was top surgery or cancer related, I just Hope you're doing alright now ❤️🩹❤️🩹
I was just saying in another comment that this is practically a new form of measurement hahahaha!
Your aunt definitely gets it and I’m so happy that she can turn an unfortunate situation into a positive! Wishing her and your family the best and I appreciate your kind words. Besides being itchy I’m healing very well 😁
I ended up seeing the before on your page and holy shit I'm sure you and your back are gonna be feeling much much better now. Minus the itching that goes with healing which is to be expected. Glad you're healing well 🩷🩷
whenever i see something like this where a chunk of flesh is removed it always strikes me how...floppy? i guess? human skin is... congratulations on your top surgery!
right! that’s why it was important to me to get this image because I needed to see how the body lays and acts in this context, but for my own body. thank you very much much!
I made it a POINT lmfaoo there aren’t many times I’ll be under the knife or see myself in this context (hopefully) so I begged them months in advanced 😂 Thanks!
this was my first surgery, and when they walked me into the OR, they showed me those cups and the blood drained from my face because I realize that this was real and actually happening LMFAO
it looks like a form of measurement now at this point
How could you not blur them nipples in buckets? Female parts might incite male humans to be aroused, and we can't have that! How dare you not sexualized those amputated humps. It's in our social contract! /sarcasm
I don't know why, but I just don't like the way the removed pieces sit in that bucket and fill it so perfectly like a fluid.
Like, I get why and it makes sense, but I just make me feel a bit off.
Anyway, hope for a speedy recovery to the patient!
I saw this title and immediately thought to a cancer-related procedure, yet everybody here seems to assume this is F-M transition. I very much hope this is voluntary top surgery and not a necessity to battle le grand C; all the very best to you either way, OP. 😘
I’m kind of new to Reddit so I’m not sure what’s a trans friendly space and what’s not so to play on the safe side I where did the title like that too make it seem ambiguous (absolutely no disrespect to people have to get this done involuntarily and I’m so sorry about their circumstance)
Thank you so much!
Thanks!! Yep those are scales! I weighed 229 before surgery and 220 now. My mobility is slowly coming back so I can’t wait to work out to my fullest potential once the dr gives the ok 💪
Bye bye boobies! Wishing you success and happiness on your journey!
As a medical professional, (this is NOT medical advice - just a reminder to take perform self care) please make sure you keep an eye on the ol’ uterus and former lady parts - fibroids, uterine or cervical cancer, etc., are all still strong possibilities. Keep up on your vaccinations and make sure you are seen frequently by an endocrinologist who specializes in gender affirming care. Until you get those former lady parts yeeted, they can still present a health risk, so an awkward trip to the gyne still needs happen on the regular.
Welcome to the bro club, bro!
Yup, bye boobs! 👋 hahaha
Thank you so much! I’m still on the fence ahout transitioning any further because of the crazy hormonal changes that will happen so for now it’s just the top surgery. But this is definitely sound advice either way im general - everyone must stay on top of their reproductive health!
Obviously we’re going through a culture war right now and so many people have such strong opinions on all sides. But, for what it’s worth, I work for a global healthcare company (pharma R&D) and we recently pushed through a BIG change all the way at the top. We no longer refer to certain people as “WOCBP - women of child bearing potential” and instead now refer to people as “POCBP - people of child bearing potential”. Also instead of collecting “sex” or “gender” data in the binary, we switched to collecting “sex assigned at birth” and/or “sexual genotype” and “gender presentation”. Working in cancer, you need to know if there are mutations on the X chromosome or the Y chromosome. I’m in our LGBT+ employees resource group and we get input over some of our company policies to maximize inclusion. This was one change we proposed and was implemented. It’s a big deal.
So while the political circus is doing its thing, the scientists are doing better when it comes to collecting data going forward. We want to include and represent everyone.
Feel free to not answer this if it's too personal, but was it your decision to not keep your nipples? I've seen trans/nb people online who both wanted to keep or not keep their nipples after surgery and I always thought it was just down to preference/discussion with the surgeon. Then I saw a post (maybe in this sub?) where commentors mentioned that sometimes insurance won't cover the cost of nipple grafts because of the added complication involved?
Congratulations on your new chest, man!! I hope you recover well
No worries - medically I’m an open book for better or for worse (because I’m really into learning about this stuff!) For me I hated the sensation of the nipple pre op and I wanted to go for a nonbinary…default human type of look hahaha
The price of the surgery would have been $4000 whether I kept nipples or not and I wanted to reduce complications and result disappointment by just getting rid of the nipples altogether.
Do you happen to know why some people opt to not keep their nipples? I’m assuming some do it for reasons other than insurance not covering it and now I’m curious what those reasons would be
In addition to cosmetic preference, there's a chance that sensation will never fully return, or a possibility that the nipple will literally fall off and reject from the body once put back on (if the surgeon cannot just keep it attached, depends on different factors but it's fairly rare that they can just keep it attached without modifications) so some people say "screw it, it's not worth the risk of losing them or losing sensation in them"
Personal preference/aesthetic would be my guess. I'm not trans but know people in online queer spaces and body mod spaces who just want something different from what's typical. I even know a cisgirl who wanted to remove her nipples and get her whole chest tattooed (I have no clue if she ever did this)
Yooo congrats!! It’s a very niche request so I can see why a lot of people miss out on getting them taken. I hope this is the last time I’d have to be opened up in my life though 😅
Damn. I knew what every word in the title meant. I was in no way, shape, or form prepared for titties just in a bucket looking at me. Startled the shit outta me. I dropped my phone and said “sorry mam.”
LMAOOO I felt that! It’s funny how the consensus is that the actual boobs in the buckets are the more disturbing parts and not the open wounds themselves
You must feel a lot more comfortable. They looked heavy. I’m glad you were able to get this top surgery done. I had a breast reduction surgery over a decade ago because I was a J cup and I felt so much better afterwards. They removed 7 pounds in total from my chest!
Everything feels easier and less stimulating overall. To be able to put on a shirt and run out somewhere is something I’ll be forever greatful for. I’m even more greatful that I got this done during the summer because of how much they overheated my entire body!
I didn’t ask but it’s not too late! I estimate that one was about 5lbs and the other 4lbs because I went from 229lbs to 220lbs that day. Boobs extremely heavy and in the worst eay possible because, for example, when you lift weights they’re not literally attached to your flesh so it doesn’t weigh you down from the inside if that makes sense
Nice congrats I was worried this was a cancer but I read in comments top surgery whew. Yay did you have to have two jp drains after or did they do a packed close? I nearly got this done myself.
Yes and I feel bad that I’ve concerned so many people today (although it was endearing at the same time for me 😳) So this surgeon rocks and does not do drains but I have to wear my compression binder strictly until July. Any liquids that would’ve “drained” was taken care of by the good ‘ol body!
It shocked me when I first pulled up the images too! I’ve seen a few top surgery procedure videos on Youtube and I knew they’d have to cauterize the area, but it looks like they almost roasted me I’m ngl 🤨
At first it made me very sad for you to see your breasts discarded like that as I assumed a medical problem was involved.
Now I’m excited those fuckers are gone. Congratulations! Time to (recover and then) celebrate!!
Yes thank you so much!! I should really change the title to assure people, but I wanted to tread carefully as I know not everywhere is trans friendly ❤️
Congrats op! I’m getting this done in November and I’m around the same chesticle size as you- it’s wild to see how the surgeries work! Did you choose to go with nipple grafting or did you leave them off?
Yaaaay congrats on your own journey as well and thank you!! I chose no nipple grafts due to preference and to reduce complications during healing since I know I’ll be fine with tattoos or something later on
Hey! My grandma got hers removed due to breast cancer. She was in pain a lot when she had to raise her arms so she'd sort of keep an icepack under her armpits and it helped! Ofc only take the little advice if you're in actual pain, otherwise just ignore it lol
Hope you're not in too much pain and that it'll heal nicely!
Thanks!! (also teetus deleetus is sending me rn)
I feel like it actually has improved even if it’s just a little! I didn’t have back pain surprisingly, but it really is much easier to sit upright instead of hunched over. Completely relieved :”)
Idk why but I’m super compelled to jiggle the buckets because I think the sound would be satisfying.
I’ve been debating this surgery for a while. Do you know how much they weighed together? Your back must be so happy.
Welcome to r/MedicalGore! Our goal is to provide for medical discussion and education while exploring the frailty of the human body. **You may see more deleted comments on these threads than you are used to on Reddit**. Off-topic comments and joke comments are frequently deleted by the mods. In addition, commenters are expected to maintain decorum toward posters, subjects of posts, and members of the community. Any behavior that is aggressive, harassing, or derogatory will result in removal of the post and/or a ban for the user. Remember: THE REPORT BUTTON IS YOUR FRIEND! Please stop by our sister sub, /r/MedicalGoreMods, for meta discussions about the sub, our rules, content policies, and the like. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MedicalGore) if you have any questions or concerns.*
For some reason I didn't expect them to be in buckets, but I don't know what I expected them to be in
OR nurse here. They are giant specimen containers. They get sent to the lab regardless of the reason for removal.
Interesting! I guess I didn't really think of what happens to them afterwards, my mind just kinda blanked lmao
Do they dispose of them when they get to the lab? Or is there just a freezer full of body parts?
Specimens are treated as biohazard waste and usually incinerated.
Not always incinerated. I worked in medical waste disposal and we would shred the waste and treat it with ozone so it was considered regular solid waste and taken to the landfill.
PA here. I work in surgical or gross pathology (the lab). We are the folks that look at specimens coming out of the OR and examine anything and everything for any indication of cancer or disease at the macroscopic level, even/especially when the docs are not expecting it. There’s regulations on how long we keep tissue, but it usually gets incinerated or given back to the patient if they want it (in specific instances). Nearly everything is placed in formalin (tissue fixative) where the tissue can be stored and kept indefinitely at room temp. If it’s in the freezer (larger things like legs, entire bodies, etc.) it’s because it’s too big for a container, requires studies without exposure to formalin, or someone wants it back. Formalin is a carcinogen, however, and places may be reluctant to give things back that have been soaking formalin for a while.
Out of curiosity, how did you end up in that line of work? Was it something you always wanted to do? I don't know why but ever since I was a little kid I always think about "the people who test the things the hospital sends them" when I'm in a hospital. I always imagine there's like an entire floor of the hospital that's closed off to the public and when you come out the elevator it's this giant science lab, full of scientists. And there's strange glass tubes, containers of mysterious liquid, petri dishes, strip lighting and a sorta conveyor belt of blood samples, swabs and boxes of body parts to be tested. I've never actually met anyone who does that job though so now I want to know more :)
Honestly, I stumbled into it. I studied plants and ecology and undergrad and wanted to study plant diseases. It turned out that was a really specific interest and needed a lot more education. I worked at an anatomical pathology (lab/field that focuses on tissue diseases rather than blood, urine; aka clinical pathology) thinking I’d get some insight to plant diseases. I didn’t. Even though I didn’t know a lick of anatomy, I learned on the job, working with PAs and pathologists directly and I was deeply inspired by the often unrecognized/mysterious impact that the lab has on patient care. I verrrrrry briefly did more direct patient care but after receiving some unsavory verbal commentary by patients about my identity, I opted for the indirect patient care route. Lol Though a con of most roles in the lab (and maybe a pro for some folks) is that we don’t see patients or the people who directly care for them (nurses, doctors, etc). For me, seeing a patient makes me remember our work is critical, that the sample we get is a story and not just a name, and that folks who aren’t in the lab are on the same team as us. We are all trying to make sure the patient gets the best care they need in ways that we’re experts in. All that aside, there’s some truth to that idea to have! Many of the blood, urine, and body fluid samples really do have a degree of automation to them. This is clinical pathology, where there’s a machine for just about everything. Microbiology is a subsection of that where there’s even automation to that as well. Clinical pathology is not my specialty and can’t speak to it much, but the Clinical Lab Scientists (CLS) can specialize in any subspecialty like microbiology, chemistry, blood banking, transfusion, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, molecular, to name a lot. While CLS certainly maintain a lot of the machines, they’re also doing troubleshooting on samples that can’t be analyzed for a number of reasons or generating things from already existing samples. However, they can’t just make up a test from thin air. There are regulations, standards, and things like the FDA that make sure that any tests are actually accurate, and that they’re safe and appropriate for use in the care of a patient. I’m rambling a TON, but if you’re really interested in seeing how the lab works, maybe reach out to a local hospital or lab and see if you can shadow to see how things work. The lab doesn’t often get visitors and I’m sure people would be thrilled to see someone interested what happens in the lab. 🙂 Edit: I went back to school and got a master’s/certified to become a PA.
Aww I loved your rambling! Thank you so much for sharing, that was really interesting :) Sorry if this is a stupid question but are labs usually located at hospitals or are they a separate place and samples get sent in the post or something? Also do you ever have to look at samples to help with criminal cases or do the police have their own separate labs for that kinda thing?
Good question. Not always based in a hospital. Some hospitals/clinics contract their lab work to larger private labs that do tests. For that, some samples are picked up by couriers and for more nuanced tests, they’re sent out by mail. There is always a lab in a hospital, however, because for things like a blood transfusion in the case of someone losing a lot of blood, the lab has to be able to respond to that ASAP. Based on my experience, medical examiners and criminal labs will send out their tests to private labs for testing and processing. Autopsies are performed by these places with or without the presence of law enforcement, but the tissue they select from autopsy is sent to a private lab to be processed to send back to the forensic pathologist at the medical examiner’s office to evaluate. They review any samples alongside any circumstantial evidence to put forth a cause, manner, and mechanism of death in a report.
Fascinating.
Are they sealed or sterilized before use? How do they store them? Nested would save room, but that also doesn't seem... medically kosher?
They are sealed with a top, just like a Tupperware, and sent to the lab. If the specimens are small we can put them in formalin to preserve them, otherwise they go in a fridge until pathology picks them up. They do take up a lot space.
When I was 12, my aunt, who owned a horse farm, had me watch her geld a horse. It looked like 2 raw plucked chickens in a bucket of blood. It turned me off from boys and from medicine as a career.
As a life long horse person, gelding is in the top 3 of horrific surgeries to witness. Sorry you had to see that.
A couple years back, I told her how much that traumatized me. She'd completely forgotten. She said she was young then, I was unusually mature and intelligent for my age, and her oldest child was only 5 at the time, so she didn't even think about it as a problem for me. But as her own children got older, she would never have done that with her own kid at 12. As the oldest in my generation, I got to be the one all my aunts practiced with. It also cemented my being a lifelong pescatarian, as I could never look at chicken the same way again.
I've been around horses since I was 4. I bought a young stallion and we had to have him gelded obviously, witnessing my own animal go through that traumatized ME at 25 and I worked a municipal open intake animal shelter that gave me battlefield level ptsd. I still would return to that job before watching another gelding. There is something viscerally... wrong....with it for me. It was super unfair that you were the test bunny. I vowed id NEVER do it again. Watching my horse violently shake in pain while I shoved a hose into his body cavity to clean it was horrific too. All vet rxd. People get far too numb to brutality. I really AM so sorry. Wouldn't wish witnessing that on anyone.
Are they not given numbing or pain meds?
Oh god, I can understand why. I'd be horrified
Same, I was like holy shit, tit buckets. Blew my mind for a sec.
“this is a bucket.”
Titties in a tub
Tub O’ Tits!
Bucket o’ boobs
Bail o' baps
Jugs of jugs.
Cleavage Container
Tub girls
No time to get down cause I'm moving up / Ahh, check out the boobs in the bucket
Pails o’ peaks
Tit-perware (Knockerware?)
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Tit buckets
Beautiful comments everyone 👏👏
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My thought was "bucket o'boobs"
Hooter Holders!
I always wondered what they did with the extra 'stuff' while still in the OR. I guess a tub makes sense.
Was this top surgery or for an illness? I see your little trans flag but I know that in top surgery the nipples are preserved and grafted more often than not. In any case congrats on getting the weight off your chest, I bet it’s a huge relief. :)
Yes top surgery, thanks!! 😁 I may not have hid it very well with my little avatar but I was nervous posting about my transness outside of a trans-specific sub so to play it safe I worded it like that lmfaooo Thank you so so much!
Out of curiosity, what do they do about the nipples? If that’s to personal don’t feel the need to answer. And while I’m know your glad to have gotten it done (congrats on that and for being so brave to share it) it does look very painful, so if this is new I’m wishing you a speedy recovery without to much pain and if the pics are old I hope everything went well.
Some folks go without, some will have the size of the areola reduced and stitched back on, some will opt for medical tattooing, and others will opt for nipple prosthetics. All depending on what the person in question is going for
ive heard some folks go with scarification to create the appearance of nipples as well
What's medical tattooing, is it different than regular tattooing?
It's a specific specialty within the tattooing world where all they do is stuff like nipple tattoos in a hyperrealistic style, so much so that at a glance you can't tell it's a tattoo. Or covering up a scar with the exact same skin color that used to be there. Stuff like that. It's very rare to find and if someone is interested in getting a medical tattoo done it can't just be done by an apprentice kind of thing
It depends on what the patient chooses. The most common „use“ is free nipple grafts. So they take off the nipple, cut it to size with what’s basically a cookie cutter and sew it back on. Alternatively some people just don’t keep their nipples at all. At later dates they might decide to get medical tattoos instead :)
Hey! For me I hated the sensation of the nipple pre op and I wanted to go for a nonbinary…default human type of look hahaha Surprisingly I wasn’t in a lot of pain when I woke up! My mobility was the only thing that was difficult. It’s now about 20 days post op and my mobility is much better and the incision area is still numb but the chest itself is regaining feeling slowly. And it itches very much 😭
I had a bunch of nerves cut and sometimes it would be hella itchy and then suddenly a zap of pain lol. Maddening! For me, though, it was nerves dying and, I think, a few reconnecting. I have a little feeling now so that's why I think some lived. Congrats on this big step! Take a bigass pen and check that box! What's next on your to do list?
Thats exactly whats happening! The nerves are trying to come back to their senses and some are just gonna be deceased ig hahahaha Thank you so much - it has been a literal weight off of my shoulders :} And for my next trick I’ll be updating my wardrobe since I can wear certain things better now!
Occasionally they’ll ‘craft’ a new one. I can’t recall how. Then there are tattoo artists who specialise in tattooing areola’s
Have you seen the 3d nipple tattoos by Vinnie Myers? His work is amazing.
you’re prob thinking of reconstructing the nipple using semilunar/cv flaps out of the skin which essentially folds into a standing skin cylinder. This isn’t really a robust solution compared to 3D tattooing though because it usually just scars down and becomes flat with time
This sub is pretty trans affirming. The mods shut down trolls as quickly as possible if they show up, and the regular cisgender users tend to be open and curious. There are a number of other trans people who are regularly active here. I’m glad you shared your experience and images here - and I’m happy that your surgery went well, and wasn’t needed because of cancer.
I’m very happy to realize this and appreciate the curiosity and openess! 🫰
Congratulations 🎊🍾
How are you feeling
Very, very well! I’m very intermittently itchy in the area where you’re seeing the cauterization because the numbness is slowly going away so that’s a good sign.
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you. I hope everything heals perfectly
Just weighing in to say I’m sorry that you ever have to second think about your transness. I wish you all the best and a lifetime free of discrimination and ignorant people 💗
🫂 I truly appreciate that very much - I’ve been very lucky so far, but I’ve heard way too many stories with my trans brethren so I tread carefully.
Same, me too. Lovely comment
I’m nonbinary and neurodivergent myself (agender leaning a bit transmasc, ADHD/NVLD) and definitely want to modify that part of my body at some point in the future though I’m still not sure if I only want a reduction or if I want a full mastectomy. I go back and forth tbh. Some form of top surgery would probably be the only medical thing I do to transition since I’m pretty content with my presentation overall. I also don’t really talk about my gender stuff in mixed company so I totally get you, but I’ve found that this sub is super supportive of the trans community. Someone was posting their phalloplasty graft healing just yesterday iirc for instance, don’t know if you saw it, and the comments were all super positive. But yeah congrats again, hope your healing journey is smooth and that you’ll feel the sun on your skin before long.
This is so good to know – I saw the phalloplasty right after my post and realized I was in good hands here 🤗 It’s so nice to be in good company! This is probably the only transitional surgery I will get too as I identify similarly (transmasc/nonbinary)
Ahhh I was wondering if it was risk reducing, glad to hear no mention of BRCA1/2 etc! Hope the recovery goes ok <3
Congratulations! I'll hopefully have the same later this year. And I'll totally ask for photos, bucket or not! Wishing you swift healing and a wonderful, flat chest ❤️🌈
Thank you so much and wishing you the best in your own journey! Getting photos (especially if you’re not squeamish) is similar to getting photos after riding an amusement park ride to me because it’s like a souvenir or something 😂
Congrats on your top surgery!
Thank you!
I thought they kept the nipnops and sewed them back on aaaaaaand now i read that i realise how weird it sounds
They actually do that as well! It’s called a free nipple graft. OP might have just opted for no nips
they do usually keep the nipnops (lmfaoo) I just wanted to go for a more non-binary default human type of look and reduce complications in case maybe the nipple graphs fall off in the healing process or something. that said I might get tattoos or some other creative tattoo in the area instead now that it’s a blank canvas!
Don’t they usually do that? I’m waiting for top surgery myself, I swear I remembered they sew em back on if you choose to keep them. Could be wrong though!
It depends on what the person in question wants
That's a lot of weight off your shoulders! Looks like you're healing well, too!
HUGE weight off my shoulders omg And yeah it’s healing very well, thank you ao much!
How much did what they removed weigh? And congratulations on your surgery!
I lost a total of 9lbs so I’m assuming one was bigger than the other ofc!
Oh man, they just gonna throw those away? I’ll take em.
imagine someone just throwing them at you like a football 🏈
They actually get sent to a pathology lab so that a pathologists’ assistant can submit tissue for a pathologist to view under a microscope (or a pathologist does it all themselves)! The tissues submitted are kept for 10 years in paraffin blocks whereas the remaining specimen that’s fixed in formalin gets incinerated after 2 weeks. Edit: grammar; Also, congratulations OP!
This gives a whole new meaning to "2 cupfuls of boob". Literally. My aunt is a breast cancer survivor with a double mastectomy. She ended up getting implants and loves not having nipples and not having to wear a bra 😭😂 so there's an upside to everything I suppose. Whether this was top surgery or cancer related, I just Hope you're doing alright now ❤️🩹❤️🩹
I was just saying in another comment that this is practically a new form of measurement hahahaha! Your aunt definitely gets it and I’m so happy that she can turn an unfortunate situation into a positive! Wishing her and your family the best and I appreciate your kind words. Besides being itchy I’m healing very well 😁
I ended up seeing the before on your page and holy shit I'm sure you and your back are gonna be feeling much much better now. Minus the itching that goes with healing which is to be expected. Glad you're healing well 🩷🩷
you now have a great pic to sends to pervs when they ask for nudes
omg especially when they’re persistent 😂
Congratulations on a successful top surgery! I wish you the best of luck on your transition journey!
Thank you! 😁
whenever i see something like this where a chunk of flesh is removed it always strikes me how...floppy? i guess? human skin is... congratulations on your top surgery!
right! that’s why it was important to me to get this image because I needed to see how the body lays and acts in this context, but for my own body. thank you very much much!
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i wish my surgeon took pics like this during my top surgery 😂 congrats!
I made it a POINT lmfaoo there aren’t many times I’ll be under the knife or see myself in this context (hopefully) so I begged them months in advanced 😂 Thanks!
Meat bags. Can't wait till I get my surgery!! (Also a trans guy)
thats wassup 🫰wishing you the best of healing on your own surgery man :}
i was not expecting them to be in cups lol
this was my first surgery, and when they walked me into the OR, they showed me those cups and the blood drained from my face because I realize that this was real and actually happening LMFAO it looks like a form of measurement now at this point
How could you not blur them nipples in buckets? Female parts might incite male humans to be aroused, and we can't have that! How dare you not sexualized those amputated humps. It's in our social contract! /sarcasm
Big gulps!
I don't know why, but I just don't like the way the removed pieces sit in that bucket and fill it so perfectly like a fluid. Like, I get why and it makes sense, but I just make me feel a bit off. Anyway, hope for a speedy recovery to the patient!
I saw this title and immediately thought to a cancer-related procedure, yet everybody here seems to assume this is F-M transition. I very much hope this is voluntary top surgery and not a necessity to battle le grand C; all the very best to you either way, OP. 😘
I’m kind of new to Reddit so I’m not sure what’s a trans friendly space and what’s not so to play on the safe side I where did the title like that too make it seem ambiguous (absolutely no disrespect to people have to get this done involuntarily and I’m so sorry about their circumstance) Thank you so much!
I understand. Hope you’re healing well! There are many trans friendly spaces on here. 😘
OP confirmed they are trans and this is top surgery in the comments.
Congrats! Looks like those are on scales? I'm curious how much they weighed and what size you were if you're willing.
Thanks!! Yep those are scales! I weighed 229 before surgery and 220 now. My mobility is slowly coming back so I can’t wait to work out to my fullest potential once the dr gives the ok 💪
Bye bye boobies! Wishing you success and happiness on your journey! As a medical professional, (this is NOT medical advice - just a reminder to take perform self care) please make sure you keep an eye on the ol’ uterus and former lady parts - fibroids, uterine or cervical cancer, etc., are all still strong possibilities. Keep up on your vaccinations and make sure you are seen frequently by an endocrinologist who specializes in gender affirming care. Until you get those former lady parts yeeted, they can still present a health risk, so an awkward trip to the gyne still needs happen on the regular. Welcome to the bro club, bro!
Yup, bye boobs! 👋 hahaha Thank you so much! I’m still on the fence ahout transitioning any further because of the crazy hormonal changes that will happen so for now it’s just the top surgery. But this is definitely sound advice either way im general - everyone must stay on top of their reproductive health!
Obviously we’re going through a culture war right now and so many people have such strong opinions on all sides. But, for what it’s worth, I work for a global healthcare company (pharma R&D) and we recently pushed through a BIG change all the way at the top. We no longer refer to certain people as “WOCBP - women of child bearing potential” and instead now refer to people as “POCBP - people of child bearing potential”. Also instead of collecting “sex” or “gender” data in the binary, we switched to collecting “sex assigned at birth” and/or “sexual genotype” and “gender presentation”. Working in cancer, you need to know if there are mutations on the X chromosome or the Y chromosome. I’m in our LGBT+ employees resource group and we get input over some of our company policies to maximize inclusion. This was one change we proposed and was implemented. It’s a big deal. So while the political circus is doing its thing, the scientists are doing better when it comes to collecting data going forward. We want to include and represent everyone.
this is very comforting to know actually - to know that despite whatever opinions will be had, science and its advancement will prevail.
Feel free to not answer this if it's too personal, but was it your decision to not keep your nipples? I've seen trans/nb people online who both wanted to keep or not keep their nipples after surgery and I always thought it was just down to preference/discussion with the surgeon. Then I saw a post (maybe in this sub?) where commentors mentioned that sometimes insurance won't cover the cost of nipple grafts because of the added complication involved? Congratulations on your new chest, man!! I hope you recover well
No worries - medically I’m an open book for better or for worse (because I’m really into learning about this stuff!) For me I hated the sensation of the nipple pre op and I wanted to go for a nonbinary…default human type of look hahaha The price of the surgery would have been $4000 whether I kept nipples or not and I wanted to reduce complications and result disappointment by just getting rid of the nipples altogether.
Love the nippleless look haha! Thanks for sharing and good luck healing!! 👍
Do you happen to know why some people opt to not keep their nipples? I’m assuming some do it for reasons other than insurance not covering it and now I’m curious what those reasons would be
In addition to cosmetic preference, there's a chance that sensation will never fully return, or a possibility that the nipple will literally fall off and reject from the body once put back on (if the surgeon cannot just keep it attached, depends on different factors but it's fairly rare that they can just keep it attached without modifications) so some people say "screw it, it's not worth the risk of losing them or losing sensation in them"
That makes total sense. And I know you can have nipples tattooed on if you still want the visual of having them.
There's also prosthetic options as well if say, a person who has this done has a needle phobia
Personal preference/aesthetic would be my guess. I'm not trans but know people in online queer spaces and body mod spaces who just want something different from what's typical. I even know a cisgirl who wanted to remove her nipples and get her whole chest tattooed (I have no clue if she ever did this)
Cool. If i were trans or into body mods enough to actually have any, I might be tempted to do something like that lol.
On their profile it says that they wanted a more non-binary feel and they didn't like the sensation they get from having nipples.
Me too! I had some huge bubbies. My prosthesis boobs are waaaayyyyyyy smaller and I LOVE it!
Woo congrats on that!! Love that we live in a time where we can customize ourselves!
I call them my bolt-ons. In the up-side I can get them VERY COLD and they keep me cooler for about half hour in the Texas heat 😂
Congrats on the de-boobing 🫡 I know your back is gonna feel a lot better but not as good as your gender euphoria now that they’re gone!
Thank you so much! I feel FANTASTIC!!
Seems like you…..got a lot of your chest
🥁ba dum tss!
Wow a bucket a boob
I'm so happy that you managed to get your top surgery done and everything went well. Best wishes for your recovery 🫂🤍💗
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That my band name
What are the black spots on the wound?
Looks like where the surgeon had to do some electrocautery to control bleeding.
Congrats! I hope you are feeling some euphoria after such a big change. I hope you heal well and your transition goes exactly how you’d want it 🫶🏻
high five just got mine done 2 months-ish ago!! i wish i’d made my surgeon take pics too 😭
Yooo congrats!! It’s a very niche request so I can see why a lot of people miss out on getting them taken. I hope this is the last time I’d have to be opened up in my life though 😅
That last photo looks like a dusted chocolate cake ^_^
I hope the next steps in your recovery go smoothly
Got the ankle sawing video in my face again. Damn. I know better in here.
i love how it’s just so infamous in this sub though lmfaoo
Boobies in a bucket
Damn. I knew what every word in the title meant. I was in no way, shape, or form prepared for titties just in a bucket looking at me. Startled the shit outta me. I dropped my phone and said “sorry mam.”
LMAOOO I felt that! It’s funny how the consensus is that the actual boobs in the buckets are the more disturbing parts and not the open wounds themselves
Ah, a bucket o’ boob. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
You must feel a lot more comfortable. They looked heavy. I’m glad you were able to get this top surgery done. I had a breast reduction surgery over a decade ago because I was a J cup and I felt so much better afterwards. They removed 7 pounds in total from my chest!
Everything feels easier and less stimulating overall. To be able to put on a shirt and run out somewhere is something I’ll be forever greatful for. I’m even more greatful that I got this done during the summer because of how much they overheated my entire body!
consequently, you no longer have to see the chiropractor anymore.
That’s a good one 😆😆
Oh dude I'm so jealous rn. I wish I could have TS too 😭 Congratulations bro, so happy for you 💪🏻✌🏻
Congrats on your surgery! I hope the itchiness goes away soon! I'm proud of you for being you!
Did they tell you how much each one weighed? I had a reduction done about 15 years ago and was amazed at how much boobs weigh!
I didn’t ask but it’s not too late! I estimate that one was about 5lbs and the other 4lbs because I went from 229lbs to 220lbs that day. Boobs extremely heavy and in the worst eay possible because, for example, when you lift weights they’re not literally attached to your flesh so it doesn’t weigh you down from the inside if that makes sense
Nice congrats I was worried this was a cancer but I read in comments top surgery whew. Yay did you have to have two jp drains after or did they do a packed close? I nearly got this done myself.
Yes and I feel bad that I’ve concerned so many people today (although it was endearing at the same time for me 😳) So this surgeon rocks and does not do drains but I have to wear my compression binder strictly until July. Any liquids that would’ve “drained” was taken care of by the good ‘ol body!
congrats! It’s cool that you got pics
I've never seen black stuff on fresh blood like that. I wonder if that's normal. Good luck on recovery.
it might be cauterizing of the blood vessels so it a little burnt
It shocked me when I first pulled up the images too! I’ve seen a few top surgery procedure videos on Youtube and I knew they’d have to cauterize the area, but it looks like they almost roasted me I’m ngl 🤨
Top surgery? Congrats if it's that! 👌🎉
Yes thank you!!
And for dessert the foot amputation video.
Man they really just putcha titties in a McDonald's cup...
Awwww. They look so sad in there.
That’s….a lot of boob
Imagine lugging them around for over a decade 🥴
Congrats on the surgery dude
thanks!! 👋🏳️⚧️
De-boobed.
Since it was not for cancer did they reattach the nipples?
Nope - I didn’t want nipples because I didn’t care for the sensation and I wanted less complication risk during healing
I completely vibe with that.
At first it made me very sad for you to see your breasts discarded like that as I assumed a medical problem was involved. Now I’m excited those fuckers are gone. Congratulations! Time to (recover and then) celebrate!!
Yes thank you so much!! I should really change the title to assure people, but I wanted to tread carefully as I know not everywhere is trans friendly ❤️
Well, here’s to being one step closer to not having to tread through your own life so carefully 💓
booby cups
These are what I’ll show to someone who asks my what my cup size is 😆
Congratulations! I’m sure a huge weight has been lifted (figuratively and literally)!
Thank you and absolutely! 😮💨
Congrats op! I’m getting this done in November and I’m around the same chesticle size as you- it’s wild to see how the surgeries work! Did you choose to go with nipple grafting or did you leave them off?
Yaaaay congrats on your own journey as well and thank you!! I chose no nipple grafts due to preference and to reduce complications during healing since I know I’ll be fine with tattoos or something later on
Hey! My grandma got hers removed due to breast cancer. She was in pain a lot when she had to raise her arms so she'd sort of keep an icepack under her armpits and it helped! Ofc only take the little advice if you're in actual pain, otherwise just ignore it lol Hope you're not in too much pain and that it'll heal nicely!
Congratulations!
Bucket Breasts. 😬
Congrats man! I know you’re going to feel much more yourself once you’re all healed up :)
I didn’t think they just cut the whole tit off like beheading someone with a sword. Interesting
Interesting. I had a double mastectomy in January, but kept my skin, and went straight to reconstruction with implants.
congratulations!!! I had my own done this past Monday 🥳 here’s to a speedy recovery and all the euphoria for you!!!!
Thank you and congratulations to yours as well!! ❤️🍾
I always wondered what happened to my boobs after my double mastectomy.
Apparently after testing them they discard them but they didn’t tell me how exactly! I like to think they were incinerated, but idk
Congrats on your top surgery! Did they have to take your nipples for some reason, or was that your requested preference? Hope you're healing well! 🙏🏿
Thank you so so much! Yeah I prefer no nipples due to aesthetic and the tact that I don’t like how nipples feel (on me) 😆
I'm sorry but a bucket full of boob made me chuckle XD
same though!!
Mine wouldn’t fill even a third of one of those buckets
congrats man!! silly question but after your teetus deletus do you feel like your posture improved? and if you had back pain did it get better?
Thanks!! (also teetus deleetus is sending me rn) I feel like it actually has improved even if it’s just a little! I didn’t have back pain surprisingly, but it really is much easier to sit upright instead of hunched over. Completely relieved :”)
Idk why but I’m super compelled to jiggle the buckets because I think the sound would be satisfying. I’ve been debating this surgery for a while. Do you know how much they weighed together? Your back must be so happy.