Plastic Surgeons Urge Waiting Until Age 19 for Gender Surgery

Key TakeawaysSurgeons now advise waiting until age 19 for gender-related surgeryThe American Society of Plastic Surgeons cites weak long-term research and possible risksThe move comes as states and the federal government tighten rules.THURSDAY, Feb. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A major group of U.S. plastic surgeons is now urging doctors to delay gender transition surgeries for young patients until they are at least 19 years old.The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) announced the change Tuesday. It said there is not enough quality research showing long-term benefits of surgery for teens, and that newer evidence points to "treatment complications and potential harms."Dr. Scot Glasberg, a past president of the group who helped shape the new policy, said studies on long-term outcomes are weak.“There’s no data to suggest that you can predict who will benefit from surgery and who will have a negative outcome,” he told The New York Times. “That requires taking the side of caution, which means deferring or postponing these surgeries until the age of 19.”Most major medical organizations in the U.S. still support gender-affirming care for teens, which can include puberty blockers, hormones and in rare cases, surgery.But Tuesday’s action comes as political pressure mounts. The Trump administration praised the decision, with Deputy Health Secretary Jim O’Neill calling it “another victory for biological truth.”Last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Tennessee to enforce limits on medical care for transgender youth, allowing similar limits in more than 20 states to stand.In December, the administration also said it would end federal funding to hospitals that provide medical treatment for transgender minors.Other countries, including Britain, Finland and Norway, have also restricted gender-related care for young people.Kinnon Ross MacKinnon, a researcher at York University in Toronto who studies transgender medicine, said the new position statement reflects both political pressure and rising legal risks for practitioners in the field.Just last week, a New York jury sided with a woman who said a mastectomy she had as a teen left her permanently harmed. It was the first malpractice verdict tied to gender transition care brought by someone who later regretted their surgery.“I would imagine that this is a potentially protective decision for the field, but it also comes at time when we increasingly are seeing governments around the world step in and respond to some of the debates and uncertainty,” MacKinnon said.The plastic surgeons’ society also warned that doctors must take responsibility for long-term outcomes and carefully explain possible risks to young patients.“This includes assessing whether the adolescent patient can meaningfully engage with information about uncertainty, alternative approaches and the possibility that distress or perceived identity may evolve over time,” the ASPS stated.Its position has changed over time. In 2019, it said surgery could “help gender dysphoria patients align their bodies with whom they know themselves to be and improve their overall mental health and well-being.”By 2024, it began reviewing that stance, noting “considerable uncertainty as to the long-term efficacy for the use of chest and genital surgical interventions.”Now, the group is advising surgeons to move forward with “heightened caution, enhanced documentation and explicit uncertainty disclosure, recognizing that their role is not simply technical but ethical.”More informationAAMC has more on gender-affirming care.SOURCE: The New York Times, Feb. 3, 2026.What This Means For YouFor parents and children exploring gender-related medical care, this updated guidance suggests surgery should wait until adulthood..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter