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Review | Open Access

Plastic and Aesthetic

Research

Kant et al. Plast Aesthet Res. 2026;13:4 DOI:10.20517/2347-9264.2025.84

The role of the behavioral health provider in

supporting patients undergoing gender-affirming
genital reconstructive surgery

Jessica D. Kant , Kirsten M. Kuhn-Kutteh, Frances W. Grimstad , Elizabeth R. Boskey

Keywords:
Gender affirming surgery,
transgender,
multidisciplinary team,
behavioral health support,
trauma-informed care

Citation: Kant JD,
Kuhn-Kutteh KM,
Grimstad FW, Boskey ER.
The role of the behavioral
health provider in supporting
patients undergoing
gender-affirming genital
reconstructive surgery. Plast
Aesthet Res. 2026;13:4.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517
/2347-9264.2025.84
Abstract
Received: 13 Aug 2025
First Decision: 3 Dec As gender-affirming surgery becomes more widely available, the demand for such
2025 procedures has increased accordingly. Where once genital reconstructive surgeries, such
Revised: 13 Dec 2025 as vulvovaginoplasty, metoidioplasty, and phalloplasty, were accessible only to a select few
Accepted: 14 Jan 2026 individuals in a limited number of facilities, they are now offered to a broader cross-section
Published: 27 Jan 2026
of prospective patients. The life experiences, social environments, and support available to
Academic Editors: these patients vary widely, and many can benefit from the support of behavioral health
Gennaro Selvaggi, Miroslav professionals. While this is true for many types of reconstructive surgery, gender-affirming
L. Djordjevic genital surgeries have the potential to dramatically reshape how individuals relate to their
Copy Editor:
Ting-Ting Hu bodies across numerous domains - affecting not just gender congruence, but also sexuality
Production Editor: and daily activities such as toileting. Behavioral health providers play a crucial role in
Ting-Ting Hu
supporting patients through the preparation and recovery processes for these surgeries.
This includes helping to identify areas of a patient’s life that may complicate recovery and
working with them to develop appropriate healing strategies. While the role of behavioral
health providers is sometimes complicated by their parallel responsibilities in regulating
access to care through the letter-writing process, they are well-positioned to support
patients across the perioperative period when their expertise is used to facilitate patient
readiness and recovery. This review article explores how behavioral health professionals

Division of Gynecology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Correspondence to: Dr. Elizabeth R. Boskey, Division of Gynecology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. E-mail:
Elizabeth.boskey@childrens.harvard.edu

www.oaepublish.com Submit a Manuscript: https://ucenter.oaepublish.com