Vanderbilt University Medical Center announced that it will cease offering gender-affirming surgeries for adults. Patients with previously scheduled procedures will proceed, but no new consultations or surgeries will be booked, the center confirmed via its health care portal.

The decision follows the 2022 suspension of transgender surgeries for children, after Tennessee enacted a state ban on such procedures, a measure later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2023, VUMC provided state officials, including Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, with records of transgender patients. The medical center also closed its LGBTQ-specific health clinic last year.

Adult procedures affected by the change include orchiectomies (removal of testicles) and subcutaneous mastectomies, commonly known as “top surgery.” Conservative figures, including Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, had previously pressured the center and investigated the clinic’s practices.

In a statement to the Nashville Scene, a VUMC spokesperson cited “operational limitations and lack of surgical coverage” as the reason for ending adult gender-affirming surgeries. The spokesperson emphasized that nonsurgical gender-affirming care will continue for adults 19 and older, while care for patients under 19 remains unavailable.

VUMC is reaching out to current patients to inform them of the changes and provide guidance on ongoing care. The move marks the latest development in the medical center’s retreat from transgender surgeries, following legal and political scrutiny over its pediatric program.