Breasts as a burden
In modern medicine, self-determination over one's own body is taken for granted – at least as far as breasts are concerned. Even today, the medical profession as a whole is still plagued by weird attitudes towards mastectomies. Why is there still so much lack of understanding towards a normal procedure such as this?
Femininity and breasts have been linked since at least the 1400s. At that time—the early Renaissance—it was also believed that the Earth was the center of the solar system, rather than the sun. The latter idea was abandoned in the 16th century, but the former has yet to be dispelled.
Over the decades, breast surgery has grown to become the largest area of plastic surgery. Breast lift, augmentation, reduction, and correction surgeries are routine for almost every plastic surgeon. The aim of these procedures is usually to improve functionality (e.g., due to overly large breasts) and to correct the aesthetics of the breasts.
At the same time, however, there have been people for decades who want to get rid of their breasts altogether. This group seems to be growing steadily, and more and more patients who want to have their breasts removed are showing up at clinics. However, those who wish to have their breasts removed are often not understood, even among the medical profession. Unfortunately, people who wish to have their breasts removed are often regarded as strange or even mentally ill.
Why does someone want to get rid of their breasts?
Perhaps the most common reason for wanting to remove breasts today is gender dysphoria, which is often experienced quite strongly, especially in relation to the breasts. Other reasons include fear of breast cancer or a family history of the disease. Among patients seeking breast removal, there is also a growing group of adult women who simply want to get rid of their breasts altogether. They are no longer considered an essential part of femininity, but rather a hindrance that causes daily discomfort, anxiety, and physical discomfort.
In all of the above cases, breast removal is an effective option. Several publications have found that the quality of life of patients suffering from gender dysphoria improves significantly with breast removal. At the clinic, we see concrete evidence of how everyday life and quality of life improve when the source of anxiety is removed and the mind is freed to think about things other than breasts.
The right to self-determination – why are breasts made to be such a big issue?
It is astonishing how patients who want to have their breasts removed are still treated in such a harshly medieval manner in Finland in the 2020s. Psychological tests and years of monitoring are required in order to get on the waiting list for breast removal – and this only applies to those considering gender reassignment, and even then only to those who meet the criteria.
Even if cancer is found in one breast, the other breast will not be removed at the same time. Not even if the patient wishes it. The removed breast can be reconstructed if the patient so desires. The other breast can also be reconstructed during the same operation, but removal, for some reason, is not permitted. Reconstructive breast surgery is certainly important, but it is very strange that the patient's right to self-determination ends with the first breast.
As a plastic surgeon performing breast removal surgery in the private sector, it is easy to be criticized – as if you were doing something forbidden. That is, in a situation where you remove the mammary gland from an adult if they so desire. On the other hand, it is perfectly acceptable to insert a few grams of foreign material (silicone implants) under the mammary glands if an adult so desires. I am by no means criticizing breast augmentation surgery; I perform it regularly myself. I just wonder why a person's right to self-determination covers breast augmentation but not breast removal.
Breast removal and chest masculinization surgery has been performed at Sairaala KL for over 20 years. Over the years, we have grown to become one of Finland's leading clinics in this field, and we are happy to continue our growth. At our clinic, we constantly see how the constricting armor caused by an incorrect chest disappears with surgery, anxiety eases, quality of life improves, and patients feel liberated. We stand behind our work and are confident that "the future will show us to be on the right side of history," as one of our customers beautifully put it.
Atte Manninen
Plastic surgeon
Specialist in ear, nose, and throat diseases
