Major Medical Group HALTS Trans Surgeries

Surgeons performing an operation in a sterile environment.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has broken ranks with the medical establishment, becoming the first major medical association to recommend halting gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 years old—a watershed moment that vindicates conservative concerns about experimental procedures on vulnerable children.

Story Highlights

ASPS, representing over 11,000 plastic surgeons, recommends delaying all gender-affirming surgeries until age 19
Organization cites “low quality, low certainty” evidence supporting these procedures for minors
Decision breaks from major medical groups that have promoted gender surgeries for adolescents
Trump administration’s HHS immediately commended the evidence-based position

Medical Association Breaks From Activist Consensus

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons announced on February 3, 2026, that gender-affirming surgeries including facial, chest, and genital procedures should be delayed until patients reach at least 19 years old. ASPS Past President Scot Bradley Glasberg emphasized this represents “an evolution of our position” based on new evidence reviews that strengthened concerns about data quality. The organization clarified its statement constitutes professional guidance rather than clinical mandates, acknowledging the field remains “rapidly evolving and controversial” while prioritizing patient welfare over political pressure.

Evidence Quality Drives Recommendation

ASPS grounded its position in multiple evidence reviews characterizing research supporting these interventions as fundamentally inadequate. The organization cited the 2024 Cass review from the United Kingdom, the 2025 HHS report on pediatric gender dysphoria, and assessments from the European Academy of Pediatrics—all documenting “low quality, low certainty” evidence for surgical interventions on minors. This aligns ASPS with international medical communities that have adopted cautious approaches after scrutinizing the actual science rather than accepting activist narratives. The position statement emphasizes that “truly humane, ethical, and just care must balance compassion with scientific rigor, developmental considerations, and concern for long-term welfare.”

Trump Administration Validates Science-Based Approach

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. immediately commended ASPS for “standing up to the overmedicalization lobby and defending sound science,” while Deputy Health Secretary Jim O’Neill called the announcement “another victory for biological truth.” The Trump administration has implemented comprehensive measures to protect children from these experimental procedures, including conditioning federal funding on hospitals prohibiting the care and launching investigations into facilities that have performed surgeries on minors. Despite claims from ASPS leadership that timing was coincidental, the decision strengthens the administration’s evidence-based policy agenda protecting children from irreversible procedures lacking rigorous scientific support.

Contrast With Pediatrician Group Resistance

The American Academy of Pediatrics continues recommending surgeries be offered to adolescents on a case-by-case basis, maintaining support for interventions despite acknowledged evidence deficiencies. This contrast exposes how some medical organizations prioritize ideological commitments over scientific caution when treating vulnerable children. The AAP has repeatedly opposed the Trump administration’s protective measures, suggesting institutional capture by activists promoting these procedures. ASPS’s willingness to break from this consensus demonstrates professional integrity, with the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine calling it a “watershed moment in U.S. medicine” and Do No Harm praising ASPS as “the first major medical organization to support evidence-based and ethical medicine.”

Implications For Children and Families

The ASPS position will influence plastic surgeons nationwide regarding clinical decision-making and liability considerations for performing irreversible procedures on developing adolescents. Hospitals already facing federal pressure may accelerate cessation of these interventions for minors, protecting children from experimental surgeries lacking quality evidence for safety or efficacy. Parents concerned about school systems and medical providers pushing their children toward permanent bodily alterations now have validation from a major professional association that caution is warranted. The decision may prompt other surgical specialties to reassess positions adopted under activist pressure, potentially restoring evidence-based medicine as the standard for treating gender dysphoria in minors rather than ideology-driven protocols.