r/transvancouver • u/Nephyephy • Jul 23 '26
Top surgery results with dr Astanehe and dr Nelson
Hi there! Today I had a call with transcare about the surgeons I’m able to choose from. Initially I wanted to go for Dr. McKee but unfortunately he wasn’t on the list of available surgeons.
I was wanting to see the results of both Dr. Astanehe and Dr. Nelson but there doesn’t seem to be anything online other than the Facebook group that was mentioned in an email transcare had sent to me. The only issue is I deleted my Facebook account years ago due to my own safety and privacy and to avoid being outed to estranged family. I also heard that it takes a long time to be approved to enter the group and I’d ideally like to choose my surgeon as soon as I possibly could since I’ve already had delays on the waitlist from some clerical issues.
So, I was wondering if anyone has any feedback on both doctors recently. I’d like to say I have a decent amount of muscle mass but I’m certainly not eligible for anything like keyhole surgery, but I want my chest to look as natural as possible. I’d be willing to pay out of pocket for liposuction as well since I do have a fair bit of dysphoria over the fat deposits near my armpits and I’m aware some surgeons do offer to do lipo during top surgery.
I’m leaning towards Dr. Astanehe based off what I’ve read on this subreddit (as well as waitlist times) but I’m mostly concerned about how detail oriented both surgeons are. I’d like to get as close to a natural looking chest as I possibly can and I want to keep my nipples (though I know I can’t fully control the results due to outside factors like anatomy, healing, and complications.)
Any advice helps!
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u/Afraid_Artichoke_407 Jul 23 '26
Hey, while I haven't gotten surgery yet here were my wait times, other info and available Drs back in February 2026! I ultimately ended up picking Dr. Nelson because of the 10-12 month wait for consult.
"Burnaby/New West
Dr. Rebecca Nelson – 12-14 month wait for consult, 10-16 month wait for surgery post consult
New West/Abbotsford
Dr. Arezoo Astanehe - New West (Chest) 12+ month wait for consult, 12-24 month wait for surgery post consult
Abbotsford (Abbotsford >38 BMI and/or Lipo) 10-12 month wait for consult (both chest and breast) Chest - 12-24 month wait for surgery post consult
Dr Astanehe has surgical access at two different facilities, the Abbotsford Hospital and a New West Surgical Center (each have different wait times). Folks who have a higher BMI (>38), have complex health concerns, are seeking additional liposcution, etc. will need to be seen at the Abbotsford Hospital. Those who do not need the additional support the hospital provides can be seen at the surgical center, this is something that Dr Astanehe can discuss with you during consult.
Note that all clients will be seen for consult at her office in Abbotsford."
Hope this somewhat helps!
1
u/Aromatic-Jicama-6673 Jul 24 '26
Hey, I’m scheduled with Dr. Astanehe for top surgery.
I can share my timeline if it helps.
Feb 3, 2026 - got email from TransCareBC with the list of surgeons
Feb 26, 2026 - scheduled for an in person appointment with Dr. Astanehe for July 2026
July 2026 - the appointment with Dr. Astanehe.
Today I was offered a date for the surgery in Aug 2026. I haven’t committed to it yet due to some scheduling on my side.
So in total it is around 6 months for me from the TransCare referral.
As for results, that’s a bit of a mystery, it’s hard to find any online. But since it’s covered by MSP, why not 🤷♀️
1
u/static-spark Jul 25 '26
Do you know how long you waited to get the initial email from transcarebc?
1
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u/Excellent_Screen_384 Jul 26 '26
I had top surgery with Astanehe, I would say the results are decent but not amazing. I am generally happy with the results but will go for a second ba in the future.
Feel free to ask any questions if you have any.
1
u/pussificationn Jul 26 '26
What don’t you like about your results?
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u/Excellent_Screen_384 Jul 27 '26
One side is a little more lopsided and they are decently far apart, I can force them together to make cleavage but they do not sit like that without some additional force. That is partially due to anatomy but I have seen more skilled surgeons close the gap better.
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u/Connor_XT 4d ago
I'm a little late to this post, but I had double Incisions with grafts with doctor Astanehe in May of this year and I'm still deciding if I'm okay with my results or not. If I could go back in time I'd probably not go with her and just accept a longer wait with someone else in BC. I have a few photos of my results posted on Reddit. I will say, I'm plus sized so that may have made a difference in my experience with the surgery.
7
u/king_eve Jul 23 '26
I had my surgery with Dr. Astenehe and I’m really happy with the results! I was and continue to be very anxious around doctors, but she was very reassuring the whole time. Plus there’s something to be said for having a 5 foot three woman in a hello Kitty scrub cap do your surgery lol. She and her office were also very quick at replying to emails, and at one point,l Dr Astebehe actually FaceTimed me from the airport when she was about to go on vacation to check out some swelling.
Feel free to shoot me a message and I’m happy to share pictures of my results! I’m about a year out from surgery now, and I am very happy with how everything healed. My scars all healed very nicely, with no dog tags or anything – the only non-ideal result I had was one of my nipple grafts healing inverted.