Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a plastic surgeon, expressed concern about the quietness within the medical community regarding minors undergoing irreversible sex surgeries. She referred to this silence as a “stain” on her profession, mentioning that the risks connected with such operations for young individuals might outweigh any possible advantages.
Nazarian was reacting to an article that points out the split opinions among medical professionals about gender surgery for minors. This article highlights recent decisions by significant medical organizations to pause certain procedures and questions the existence of a unified expert consensus in the area.
“It’s shameful that many in my profession have stayed silent on issues we know deep down are wrong, regardless of the evidence,” Nazarian remarked during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has recently revised its recommendations, suggesting that medical practitioners should hold off on these procedures until patients reach adulthood. The organization stated that there isn’t enough evidence to affirm a beneficial risk-benefit ratio for surgeries before the age of 19.
Nazarian noted that the U.S. is beginning to align with some European countries, which have introduced stricter regulations around sex surgeries for minors. For instance, Britain is limiting the distribution of puberty blockers for young individuals, and both Sweden and France have tightened their rules concerning pediatric gender procedures.
She criticized what she termed “emotional blackmail,” alleging that medical professionals pressure both patients and parents into consenting to these surgeries.
In a recent case, a transgender teenager won a significant medical malpractice lawsuit linked to a surgery performed when she was a minor. The plaintiff, Fox Varian, claims her parents were informed by healthcare providers that their daughter faced a high suicide risk if she didn’t undergo the operation. On January 30, a jury held the psychologist and surgeon accountable for malpractice, stating they neglected a vital step in evaluating whether surgery was the right choice.
Nazarian shared a troubling scenario: “Imagine being a mother and hearing that if you don’t support your transgender child, they might die.” She added that it creates a terrifying situation for parents, who might feel compelled to consent to surgeries that involve the removal of healthy body parts based on doctors’ assurances of dire consequences otherwise.
