Plastic Surgeons REVOLT Against Gender Surgeries

America’s largest plastic surgeons group just slammed the brakes on irreversible gender surgeries for kids under 19, citing junk science and real risks to children—finally some common sense prevailing over woke medical madness.

Story Highlights

ASPS, with over 11,000 members, recommends delaying breast, genital, and facial gender surgeries until age 19 due to low-quality evidence and long-term harms.
Breaks from woke groups like AAP and AMA, aligning with Trump HHS under RFK Jr. and evidence reviews like UK’s Cass Report.
HHS praises it as sound science against overmedicalization; Do No Harm calls it a crucial step to protect kids.
Signals shift in medical consensus, pressuring hospitals amid funding cuts and state laws safeguarding youth.

ASPS Issues Bold Position Statement

On February 3, 2026, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), representing over 11,000 members or 90% of the U.S. and Canada field, released a position statement. It recommends delaying gender-affirming surgeries—breast/chest, genital, and facial procedures—for transgender and nonbinary patients until age 19. ASPS cites low-quality evidence, insufficient risk-benefit data, and concerns over irreversibility and potential long-term harms like lifelong dependency. This guidance emphasizes professional advice, not binding rules, and opposes criminalizing care. Past ASPS president Scot Bradley Glasberg highlighted the evolution based on emerging data without judging prior procedures.

Evidence Reviews Drive the Change

ASPS began reviewing gender-affirming care for minors during the Biden years, noting low-certainty evidence as early as August 2024. This aligns with the 2024 UK Cass Review, which deemed evidence low quality, and the May 2025 HHS review finding weak support for sex-denying interventions. Even the late Biden administration conceded surgeries should not occur for minors. ASPS distinguishes these procedures ethically from other pediatric plastic surgeries due to higher uncertainty and risks to development. Europe has restricted access, recognizing the experimental nature, while U.S. hospitals face new pressures.

Trump Administration and Allies Applaud

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Jim O’Neill commended ASPS for embracing sound science and rejecting overmedicalization, calling it a victory for biological truth. Do No Harm’s Dr. Goldfarb labeled it a crucial step, urging other groups to follow. Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine’s William Malone hailed it a watershed moment, noting funded reviews influenced ASPS. The group’s board, mostly non-providers of such care, approved by majority after internal conflict-free review. This fractures unity with AAP, AMA, and WHO, who defend access despite weak data.

The statement advises members on state laws but stops short of endorsing bans. HHS proposed December 2025 rules to bar federal funding for these procedures at hospitals, prompting some pauses amid FBI probes.

Impacts Signal Victory for Families

Short-term, hospitals may halt procedures facing funding threats and legal risks, easing pressures on parents. Long-term, it pressures broader medical consensus toward caution on puberty blockers and hormones, aligning U.S. policy with Europe. Economically, federal cuts hit non-compliant facilities; socially, it counters overmedicalization narratives; politically, it bolsters conservative pushes against woke agendas eroding family values and child protection. ASPS self-regulates on evidence, setting precedent without retroactive blame. Critics like AAP claim interference, but low evidence consensus grows undeniable.