The Complete Guide to Gender-Affirming Surgery Medically reviewed by Jennifer Richman on February 20, 2025. What is Gender Affirmation Surgery? Gender-affirming surgery is an umbrella term for a series of surgical procedures that help transgender, non-binary, and gender non-confirming individuals alleviate their gender dysphoria and promote a sense of congruence between their physical body and gender identity. Not everyone needs surgery to affirm their gender. Below we outline the different types of gender affirmation surgeries that are documented in the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s (WPATH) Standards of Care 8 (SOC8). You can request a free, surgical consultation to have your questions answered about the procedures below and/or create …

Understanding Non-Binary Identity What is Non-Binary? Approximately 1.2 million adults between the ages of 18 and 60 are classified as non-binary, with 5% of the young adult population in the USA also not identifying exclusively as men or women Non-binary is an umbrella term for people who do not identify exclusively as men or women. Non-binary is a gender identity, meaning that it describes someone’s internal sense of gender, independent of the sex they were assigned at birth. To be clear, identity is not the same as choice. Everyone has a gender identity, meaning that everyone identifies as a man, or a woman or has an identity that transcends this …

A Comprehensive Guide to Social, Legal and Medical FTM Transition Medically reviewed by Jennifer Richman on February 21, 2025. What is “Female to Male” (FTM) Transition? FTM transition stands for “female to male” transition. This term generally refers to the various legal, social, or medical steps that people who are assigned female at birth take to transition: to live in a way that is more aligned with their masculine gender identity. While some people feel “FTM” accurately describes their experience, it is largely considered to be an antiquated term. Meanwhile, “trans masculine” and “trans man” are more widely accepted. This is because many transmasculine people consider that they were never …

A Comprehensive Guide to MTF Bottom Surgery Medically reviewed by Jennifer Richman on July 2, 2025. What is MTF Bottom Surgery? Male-to-female (MTF) bottom surgery is a term that refers to a series of gender-affirming genital reconstruction procedures that remove natal genital tissue, such as the testicles and penis, and construct organs such as a vulva and/or vagina. Feminizing bottom surgery can include an orchiectomy, vaginoplasty, vulvaplasty or vulvoplasty, and labiaplasty, amongst other procedures. “MTF” is widely considered an outdated term. Still, we use the term “MTF” in this article out of the recognition that many patients use it to search for information about these surgeries. The primary goals of …

The Definitive Guide to FTM Bottom Surgery Medically reviewed by Jennifer Richman on July 2, 2025. What is FTM Bottom Surgery? Female-to-male (FTM) bottom surgery refers to procedures that alter the external and internal reproductive organs. “Masculinizing” bottom surgery procedures for trans and non-binary individuals include metoidioplasty, phalloplasty, and others such as vaginectomy, mons resection, scrotoplasty, hysterectomy, and more. While the term “FTM” is generally considered to be outdated, we use it out of recognition that trans men and transmasculine non-binary folks search for this term for information on surgical transition. Regardless of your identity, if you are interested in any of the bottom surgery procedures listed below, you can …

Understanding Chest Dysphoria in Transmasculine People: A Guide for Curious Cisgender Allies Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Scott Mosser on January 27, 2025. As a surgeon in the field of gender care, I hold the conviction that we serve our patients––in consultations, on the day of surgery or in post-operative check-ups. These are not times for patients to educate us as providers. Certainly, we must practice active listening to understand our patients’ unique goals, needs and concerns. As providers and allies, we need to find the time and space to learn about and sensitize ourselves to the experiences of the individuals we support. This article is meant to serve …