Top Surgery Sessions

Undergoing a major surgery of any kind requires preparation to set up the body & mind well for optimal healing. One excellent way to prepare for gender-affirming top surgery is bodywork.

The techniques I use for the treatments initially following surgery are gentle, non-invasive, restorative and used with light pressure. Some of the most effective and deep work is done through a conversation with your body and listening to what it desires for healing. With a combination of light lymphatic drainage and massage, these treatments are very successful in expediting the recovery process pre and post op.

The Series of Sessions was created to prepare and empower the body for the best healing possible. I am happy to share methods with you to use on your own so you can assist your body in it's own healing process outside of the treatment table.

Whether you are 4 weeks post op or 10 years, your body can benefit tremendously from scar tissue work. Scars start forming within hours of surgery and if they are not attended to, can lead to an interconnected web of stiffness and discomfort.

Benefits of scar tissue work include: increased range of motion, regaining of nerve sensation, postural alignment, minimizing the appearance of the scar and a number of additional benefits.

The body tends to respond well to the frequency of work within the series, as the body has a brilliant way of remembering subtle shifts which can provide expedited healing and positive lasting results. See below for a discount on the series of sessions.

What the sessions look like:

Pre-OP 1st-2nd sessions: 60 or 90 minutes

In this series of session, 1-2 pre-op sessions are recommended one to two weeks before surgery and then a couple days before surgery. In these pre-top surgery sessions, the chest muscles, ribs, sternum, shoulders, neck and surrounding areas will be addressed to ensure the tissues are properly ‘loosened up’ to prepare your body for the surgery.

We will do a brief intake as well as a health history review, what outcomes you hope for in our work together and crafting of a treatment plan together.

The bulk of our work will be on the treatment table. I use a variety of bodywork styles tailored for your specific healing. If it has been a while since you’ve had a massage, a 90 minute appointment leading up to surgery can provide some extra time for us to assist your muscles in unwinding and create some ease so your body can rest comfortably while in recovery.

One method I incorporate is light manual lymphatic drainage to assist your lymph flow into the proper channels with the goal being to reduce any extra swelling that may present during recovery. I will often show you how to do your own lymph drainage at home to minimize swelling between our sessions if desired.

POST-OP 1st-2nd sessions 60 or 90 minutes

If this is your first session with me, we will do a brief intake as well as a health history review, what outcomes you hope for in our work together and crafting of a treatment plan together.

I typically recommend coming in for your first post-op appointment around the 4 week mark if swelling has mostly subsided. We can assess your range of motion and work under and below the scars to begin gently interrupting the scar tissue and addressing the areas mentioned below. Once you are at the 8 week mark or after, we can start to dive a little deeper into the healed scars themselves and further break up any adhesions that may be developing.

In addition to scarwork, we will typically address the surrounding areas including: ribcage, sternum, collarbone, pecs, arms, neck, shoulders all of which can be very closely tied together. I use a lot of myofascial techniques which seems to work really well with scar tissue release.

I am a huge believer of take-home massage exercises so you can continue the work between our sessions and will happily give you exercises if you desire. The more you are involved in hands on massage the better!

Your body will begin to recognize the patterns and respond in a very uplifting way. This work is hugely transformative!

healed scars 3-6 Sessions: 60 or 90 minutes

If this is your first session with me, we will do a brief intake as well as a health history review, what outcomes you hope for in our work together and crafting of a treatment plan together.

In addition to the countless benefits of scar tissue release mentioned above, the appearance of the scar itself may begin to fade the more you massage the scar and as your body begins to recognize the disruption of the scar tissue with repetition.

In addition to scarwork, we will typically address the surrounding areas including: ribcage, sternum, collarbone, pecs, arms, neck, shoulders all of which are fascially connected to the scar tissue and very much tied in with posture etc. I use a lot of myofascial techniques as well which seem to work really well with scar tissue release.

I am a huge believer of take-home massage exercises so you can continue the work between our sessions and will happily to give you exercises if you desire. The more you are involved in hands on massage the better!

Your body will begin to recognize the patterns and respond in a very uplifting way. This work is hugely transformative!

FREQUENCY RECOMMENDATIONS for post op or healed scars:

Since the body responds well to consistency as we begin to disrupt the tissue, I typically recommend coming in every other week if possible for a minimum of 4 sessions. This should then create a nice baseline for disruption especially if you are interested in being in an active massage role with your scars at home.

That said, in our initial session, we can assess your tissue and see how its moving during and after the session to determine if we may want to be more aggressive with it (like 1x a week for a few weeks) or more conservative (1x a month) Each body is unique and heals differently from one another so we can come up with a treatment plan that is perfect for you.

*I also offer less frequent sessions if you prefer to come in one-time/bi-monthly/etc. Although frequency is typically good to get your body warmed up initially, the work is very effective in any capacity and I look forward to working with you.

Series of Sessions Package Specials!

Because the frequency really does make a difference with this work, you will receive $25 off your 5th session in this series as an incentive to commit to your recovery and be an active participant in the journey of interrupting the scar tissue so you can move about with a renewed sense of ease again