Practice Consideration

Transgender Patient Care (Practice Consideration)

Last AANA revision: 2023

Transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse patients face barriers to care including misgendering, deadnaming, and lack of clinician knowledge. Provider competence + cultural sensitivity essential for safe perioperative care.

Key points

1.Use patient's stated name + pronouns from first interaction; verify with patient if uncertain
2.Anatomic considerations: post-mastectomy chest, post-genital reconstruction, breast augmentation positioning, packers/binders
3.Hormone therapy: estrogen ↑ VTE risk (consider perioperative hold); testosterone ↑ erythrocytosis
4.Specific procedures: gender-affirming surgery (chest masculinization, vaginoplasty, phalloplasty) — long, complex, multimodal pain
5.Avoid assumptions about anatomy from outward presentation

This is an exam-prep summary, not a substitute for the full AANA document. Read the source at aana.com for authoritative wording. Education only.