Physicians' Obligation to Disclose Comparative Surgical Outcomes: Distinctive Features of Facial Feminization Surgery

Physicians are expected to ensure that patients are meaningfully informed and have voluntarily consented prior to engaging in any medical interventions upon a competent patient with decisional capacity. One aspect of informed consent is the disclosure of information that a reasonable patient might require to make a knowledgeable decision. A potential exception to this principle arises regarding the disclosure of a surgeon's degree of skill compared to that of their competitors. Whether or not a surgeon has an ethical obligation to disclose relative success rates becomes even more challenging with regard to facial feminization surgery (FFS) for transgender women, where the success of outcomes is highly subjective. This essay explores legal and ethical considerations regarding the disclosure of comparative surgical outcomes for patients pursuing FFS.