Transgender surgery goes by a constellation of names. People call it gender reassignment, realignment, or confirmation surgery; masculinization or feminization surgery; male-to-female or female-to-male surgery; or even sex reassignment surgery. Increasingly, as medicine breaks out of a gender-binary box, more inclusive and culturally appropriate descriptors, such as โ€œgender-affirmation surgeryโ€ and โ€œgender-affirming care,โ€ are catching on.

Whether you are supporting someone whoโ€™s transitioning, or you’re on your own journey to align your body with your sense of self, itโ€™s important to know what masculinizing, feminizing, and gender-nullification surgeries may involve, including potential risks and complications. We spoke with surgeons and trans health professionals to find out more about this expanding category of care.