UK Breast Removal Surgeries for Transgender Individuals See 50% Increase

The number of breast removal surgeries performed on the NHS for individuals assigned female at birth who identify as male has increased by 50% in two years, according to figures obtained by The Telegraph. In the 2024-2025 financial year, 1,115 such operations were conducted, a 52% rise from the 734 performed in 2022-2023. So far this financial year, over 900 operations have been completed.

These procedures, commonly known as top surgery, are only available to adults referred by NHS England-commissioned gender identity clinics after an assessment for gender dysphoria. The process typically spans several years from initial consultation to surgery. The estimated cost per operation is around £5,800, leading to an annual expenditure of approximately £6.5 million for these specific surgeries, which represents 0.003% of NHS England's £187 billion budget last year.

The data also indicated a rise in masculinizing genital surgeries, from 270 in 2022-2023 to 322 in 2025-2026. Conversely, feminizing genital surgeries decreased during the same period, from 420 to 364.

Collectively, gender reassignment surgeries are estimated to cost the NHS around £21 million annually, or 0.01% of the previous year's budget. The increase in these procedures has drawn criticism from those concerned about detransition cases and from individuals with gender-critical viewpoints.

Sinead Watson, who underwent a double mastectomy, later expressed regret and detransitioned. She stated that the results left her "devastated" and too ashamed to be without a shirt in public. She and others who have detransitioned have raised concerns about the adequacy of support for young people with gender dysphoria prior to surgery.

Conversely, members of the transgender community have described such surgeries as "life-saving." Actor Elliot Page, in a 2021 interview, called his top surgery "life-changing" and credited it with allowing him to feel comfortable in his body for the first time. Studies cited suggest that less than 1% of individuals detransition, though some UK studies place this figure as high as 7%.

Organizations advocating for gender-critical views have called for a ban on gender-affirming surgeries. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, argued that these operations can lead to complications such as chronic pain, infection, and sterility, and that young individuals may have unrealistic expectations. She compared these surgeries to outdated medical procedures like lobotomies.

The NHS has stated that an updated service specification for adult surgical care is under development following a review of adult gender services, and this will be subject to public consultation next year.