Particle.news
Download on the App Store

New York Detransitioner Wins $2 Million as Medical Groups Urge Surgery Deferrals

The verdict prompted top medical bodies to question surgeries for minors, recommending deferral to adulthood.

Overview

  • Jurors in Westchester County awarded Fox Varian $2 million, finding her adolescent double mastectomy was ill‑advised and that she did not receive proper care.
  • Testimony described suicide‑risk warnings to Varian’s mother and assurances from her psychologist that surgery would improve her well‑being.
  • The American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a position recommending that gender‑related surgeries be delayed until at least age 19, citing low‑certainty evidence and potential harms.
  • The American Medical Association said the evidence for surgical intervention in minors is insufficient, with reporting indicating it agrees procedures should generally be deferred to adulthood.
  • Reporting tallies roughly two dozen to about 30 similar lawsuits by detransitioners, while JAMA data show thousands of procedures on adolescents from 2016 to 2020, including 3,215 mastectomies.