On February 3, 2026, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons published a position statement on gender surgery for children and adolescents. ASPS recommends that surgeons delay gender-related breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old.
The Society says there is insufficient evidence that the anticipated benefits of that endocrine-and-surgical pathway outweigh the risks for minors. It points to low-certainty mental-health evidence, emerging concerns about long-term harms, and the irreversible nature of surgery in a developmentally vulnerable population.
This is professional guidance for ASPS members. The document states it is not a clinical practice guideline, not a standard of medical care, and not legal advice.
Official sources
- Position statement PDF (issued February 3, 2026): 2026-gender-surgery-children-adolescents.pdf
- ASPS position statements hub: plasticsurgery.org/for-medical-professionals/health-policy/position-statements