Gender-affirming surgeries are on the rise, according to statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. More than 16,000 transgender patients received chest, genital or facial surgery in 2020, up 12 percent from 2019. 

The demand is there, but learning how to perform breast augmentation and mastectomy (also known as top surgery), vaginoplasty and phalloplasty (also known as bottom surgery), glottoplasty (voice surgery) and craniofacial contouring for trans patients is not currently a required part of the plastic surgery residency curriculum. 

Rishub Das

Rishub Das, medical student at the Department of Plastic Surgery at Vanderbilt University.Â