Gender confirmation surgeries in the United States are growing greatly in number, according to new data released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which has been tracking the national statistics.
In 2016 alone, more than 2,300 gender confirmation surgeries have been performed, which cover everything from facial, breast or chest surgery to genital surgery. This is a 20 percent increase from 2015.
Plastic surgeons have seen a rise in patients seeking surgical treatment for gender dysmorphia, Loren Schechter MD, report author and board-certified plastic surgeon in Chicago, said in a statement.
“In the past, U.S. citizens had to go abroad to get this care,” Schechter said. “The medical community now recognizes the importance of these procedures and the impact they can have on people’s lives.”
Schechter, who offers the full spectrum of male-to-female procedures, claimed “there is no one-size-fits-all treatment.”
“No one discipline can meet all the needs of an individual,” he said. “For example, plastic surgeons work with doctors who specialize in hormone therapy, urology and with mental health professionals who help patients through the emotional aspects of their transition.”
Transgender-related surgeries have become easier to access within recent years. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies cannot discriminate based on a person’s gender. Medicare removed a ban in 2014 on coverage for gender reassignment surgery.
“Two decades ago, it was difficult to find a hospital that would allow us to do these surgeries,” Schechter said. “I think education is critical. We need to make people in society aware that this is a community that has needs that need to be serviced.”
The upsurge in gender confirmation surgeries may be due to more positive representation of transgender men and women in popular media, according to clinical psychologist, Randi Kaufman.
“While there is still a lot of discrimination and violence and hate crimes that continue against transgender people, there are a lot of positive role models out there now and it’s becoming more accepted and normalized to know someone or have a family member or friend who is trans,” Kaufman said.
Although Schechter describes the increase in recent surgeries as “dramatic,” in the future, transgender-related surgeries may decrease due to more young people taking medication that can suppress puberty and limit the need for some of the surgeries.
Kaufman claimed it’s important to recognize that being transgender is “not all about surgery” and some may choose to not make any physical adjustments.
“For some people [surgery is] very important and for some it’s not important at all,” she said. “It’s who you are inside, your identity, what your genitals look like may or may not matter.”
