Gender-Affirming Surgery: Perioperative Medical Care

Objective: Gender-affirming surgeries are becoming increasingly common in the United States. For many transgender and gender-diverse patients, gender-affirming surgery is a critical aspect of their overall health and wellness and has a significant impact on their social functioning. Although often the role of the primary care provider, endocrinology specialists may also need to counsel their patients and collaborate with surgical teams. Methods: This narrative review provides an overview of the preoperative assessment and perioperative management for the most common gender-affirming surgeries. Results: Preoperative assessment prior to gender-affirming surgeries can resemble assessment for other surgeries. Conclusion: In the absence of data specific to gender-affirming surgeries, risk stratification and amelioration must use surrogate data from other populations.