TUTH performs Nepal’s first gender-affirming surgery

KATHMANDU: Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) in Maharajgunj has successfully performed Nepal’s first gender-affirming surgery.

A 25-year-old transgender individual from Janakpur underwent the procedure, during which tissue from male genitalia was used to reconstruct female reproductive organs.

The surgery was conducted by the hospital’s Department of Plastic Surgery between May 26 and 29 as part of a dedicated program offering a range of procedures for the transgender community. Additional surgeries performed during the program included facial and breast reconstruction.

TUTH Spokesperson, Associate Professor Dr Gopal Sedhai, said the service will now be available regularly in Nepal. “Gender-affirming surgery is complex and expensive. Now that it is available in Nepal, it will provide significant relief to the transgender community,” Dr Sedhai said. “It is a vital step toward fulfilling their right to gender identity.”

The surgery was led by Iranian plastic surgeon Dr Alireza Hamidian Jahromi in collaboration with TUTH Department Head Prof Dr Jayanman Shrestha and a full team of plastic surgeons and anesthesiologists.

According to Dr. Shrestha, the hospital plans to establish a Gender-Affirming Clinic at TUTH to offer such services on a regular basis.