Mr Kneeshaw top surgery experience : Double incision 

Waving the flag for results on Black and brown bodies.

TLDR :

Cost : £ 8,500 ( private) incl consultation costs
Consultation Dec : 2022
Surgery date : July 2023 ( offered earlier May 2023 that I couldn’t attend)
Wait time for surgery : 7 months
Surgery length : 3. 5 hours
Hospital stay : 2 nights

Pre top I was slim build, around 32A/B.

Post op check up : 10 days to get drains removed and Velcro binder changed
2nd Post op check up : 6 months
Length wearing post op binder : 6 weeks
Length had to wear micro tape : 3 months
Returned to exercise : 3-6 months

Advice :
-Take your pain meds! Helped me have a good night sleep.
-Get one of those reading pillows that was a life saver for me when trying to sleep propped up for the first few weeks.
-Get a lanyard to carry your drains around
-Buy a compression vest which is much more comfortable than the wrap around Velcro binders your given
- Drink lots and lots of water post surgery during recovery to avoid constipation - which some meds can cause ( prune purée also did the trick for me!!)

"I wanted to share my experience as someone who was quite nervous about surgery. What sold it was the good results he has had on people of colour and the examples of results on melanated skin he showed me at our consultation. I had my surgery ( double incision with free nipple grafts ) with Mr Kneeshaw in 2023 at Spire and East Riding Hospital in Hull, UK. I wanted to share my journey as a black person in his 30s in the U.K as it was a good experience.

Spire staff and the hospital was excellent. Enjoyed the food with some great veggie options. I was in a private room with my own bathroom and TV.

Surgery and recovery in hospital
I arrived at 7am for surgery at 10.30am. In this time I was shown my room, got changed into my hospital gown and compression socks, and various nurses and doctors incl the anaesthetist came in to do their checks and get me to confirm what surgery I was having.

Surgery was about 3 hours and I was mostly out of it for the first few hours, but soon was feeling a little bit more like myself my partner was allowed to be there when I woke up which was really great. I felt a little sick to begin with but that soon went and didn’t need any anti nausea meds. Nurses came in every few hours to monitor my vitals, and this continued through the night.

I had to wear these compression TED socks and had an inflating thing around my legs to help with blood circulation that I had on for at least 24 hours post op. They were a little noisy and quite annoying in the night but overall I was happy to be so looked after.

Drains
After staying for 2 nights I was able to go home ( only after I could should I could walk to the bathroom independently) I had to wait for the discharge nurse who came and gave me my meds to take home ( paracetamol and codeine). She showed me how to empty my drains which I had to keep in for 10 days ( this was the worst part actually as I found them uncomfortable) and emptied about twice before having them taken out at the post op.

I returned after 10 days to get my drains out and binder changed. This wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be and was done very quickly. The nurse seemed happy with my results and gave me a new binder to wear. I was hoping for the non Velcro one but I got given another awful one so I bought my own macom one that does up at the front that was much more comfortable ( links at bottom).

Sleep
I struggled to sleep for the first few nights ( mainly because of the drains digging in a bit) but when I started to take my pain meds properly it was much better. I wore my drains round my neck / like handbags over either arm ( lol) attached to a lanyard which made moving around a little easier. My partner was really helpful on setting up a pain med schedule so I didn’t miss any, and cooked meals for me. If you’re able to prep nutritious meals in advance and put them in the freezer if you have no one around to help you I’d advise doing that.

Work
I went back to work after 3 weeks as it’s a desk job and I talked to my managers to explain I could not do any heavy lifting.

Exercise
Returned to gentle exercise like yoga after about 3 months.I waited a little longer to go back to heavy lifting weights at the gym - at about 6 months.

Nipples
Kneeshaw is known for creating flatter nipples so something to bear in mind if your choose him. My nipples have remained flat and aren’t very visible but I’ve heard that nipples sometimes can ‘pop out’ after a year.

Hyperpigmentation on melanated skin
The colour of nipples / areola on melanated skin can take longer to come back this is something I didn’t know about before talking to other black people . My right side pigmrnation came back more or less fully ( took about 6 months) . My left nipple pigmentation  has taken alot longer to come back.

UPDATE : It's been a year and a half and my left side iss till quite pink so I will likely get this tattooed, as there are specialists out there who do this kind of thing (link at the bottom)

I have some hyperpigmentation ( the dark patches around my scars) which are more common with scarring on black people. This comes and goes and not an issue if you have this too!

Scar care
I was advised to wear micropore tape for 3 months. They are looking pretty flat at 6 months which i’m really pleased about, I think the tape made a big difference to how well they healed. I will update this with 1 Year pics when I get there. I massage my nips and scars when I can with bio oil and shea butter as this is supposed to help.

I'm a year and a half post op and I couldn't be happier. I’m very happy with my results."

-T (he/they)

Links :
https://www.macom-medical.com/products/gynaefix-vest

www.tanyabuxton.com/medical-tattoo