World professional association for transgender health guidelines: 2022 surgical treatment updates in the standards of care for transgender and gender diverse people

Abstract

Introduction: The World Professional Association for Transgender Health has recently updated its Standards of Care (SOC) clinical guidelines for the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) population. This article aims to outline the 2012 SOC for surgical management of TGD people and describe the changes to the surgical management guidelines in this year's update.Methods and Results: The surgical management guidelines between the 7th and 8th SOC were compared and contrasted. The 8th SCO included language that broadened surgical interventions and emphasized the new responsibilities of surgeons. Major changes include reducing the number of letters of referral by a mental health provider to one for those choosing to undergo surgical treatment.Conclusions: The latest surgical management guidelines for the TGD population emphasizes a holistic approach utilizing a multidisciplinary team in both pre- and postoperative settings.