Step one, or the before shot, is the first step in topworking apples to change variety. Done it to hundreds of trees in private orchards. In commercial operations by the hundreds of acres.
The quality and long lastingness of the topworking in orchards comes only from the well thoughtout crown shape left by the cuts. Leaving each stem opportunity to receive as much light as the other. AKA a natural canopy. Next, cleft graft on the new variety by brutal spliting of each stems after the cut. Install two to three scions. Seal with bees wax. Go to the next. Chop, chop.
The reconstruction results in a brandnew natural spread canopy, with the new variety occupying the new fruit bearing outer-structure-canopy. Much the same thought process goes into crown restoration in older trees that have been pollarded. Hack, hack. Properly done it can be developed into a regular maintaince program for the older tee and can spring new vigor into older trees.
Of course of what works in agricultrue and our orchards is often seen as hack practice in arborculture. As so, for those who have never grafted and topworked fruit trees will see it only one way.
The tree in illustration is young and vigorous and quite capable of successfully healing the cuts and fairing out into a tree of good form years down the road. It maybe set back, but it's not hurt. And the resulting shape is not ugly. Years down the road most people would never know the difference.