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Evaluating the current research landscape in gender-affirming surgery
Siyou Song1, Zuivanna Rivas2, Daniel Soroudi2
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
JPRAS Open
|December 3, 2025
Summary
Research on gender-affirming surgery (GAS) has surged since 2010, with plastic surgeons leading publications. This reflects the field's rapid expansion and the increasing number of surgeons specializing in GAS.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Research
- Health Disparities
- Medical Specialties
Background:
- Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) research is vital for improving techniques and outcomes.
- Multidisciplinary collaboration is key in GAS care, but its reflection in research is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in gender-affirming surgery research.
- To identify leading surgical specialties and common procedures in GAS publications.
- To understand the growth of GAS research since 2010.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 764 GAS articles from PubMed (2010-2022).
- Data collected included senior author specialty, GAS type, publication year, journal, and funding.
- Analysis focused on publication trends and specialty contributions.
Main Results:
- Facial feminization surgery (FFS) and vaginoplasty were most published; metoidioplasty least.
- An 86-fold increase in GAS publications from 2010 to 2022 was observed.
- Plastic surgeons dominated GAS publications (51%), with significant growth, except for metoidioplasty (urologist-led).
- Ninety percent of studies lacked external funding.
Conclusions:
- GAS research has significantly increased post-Affordable Care Act.
- Plastic surgeons' high publication rate aligns with their prevalence in US GAS practice.
- Gender-affirming surgery is a rapidly growing surgical field.
