Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) announced on June 9, 2025, that it has successfully performed Nepal’s first gender confirmation surgery. Until now, transgender Nepalese patients had to travel abroad—mainly to India or Thailand—to access these procedures.
Details of the Surgery
Dr. Jayan Man Shrestha, head of TUTH’s plastic surgery department, confirmed that the surgery was carried out on a 25-year-old transgender woman from Janakpur. “The surgery was successful and the patient has been discharged,” he said. The procedure involved removing the penis and testicles and using penile tissue to construct a vagina, clitoris, and labia, known medically as vaginoplasty.
Expert Team Collaboration
To ensure the highest standard of care, TUTH collaborated with international experts. Dr. Alireza Hamidian Jaromi, an LGBTQ plastic surgeon from Temple Health in the United States, led the joint team. The Nepali team included:
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Dr. Jayan Man Shrestha
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Dr. Ishwar Lohani
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Dr. Sangam Rayamajhi
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Dr. Samit Sharma
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Dr. Bikesh Rajbandari
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Dr. Himalaya Niraula
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Resident doctors from TUTH
Dr. Lohani, a consultant plastic surgeon, added, “We hope that the person who underwent the surgery has now achieved the gender identity of their choice.”
Patient Care and Future Options
The patient sought only the genital reconstruction procedure and did not request breast augmentation or facial feminization. Dr. Shrestha noted, “We are ready to provide other surgeries if the patient requests them.”
TUTH plans to set up a dedicated gender affirmation clinic to better serve the transgender community. “People who want to undergo sex reassignment surgery can contact doctors at our hospital’s plastic surgery clinic,” Dr. Shrestha said. He also confirmed there has already been strong interest in the new service.
Impact and Accessibility
Previously, Nepal’s transgender individuals faced high costs and travel risks to receive gender confirmation surgery abroad. At TUTH, the cost ranges from NPR 150,000 to NPR 200,000—about the same as a one-way flight ticket to India or Thailand. This development promises safer, more affordable care for the country’s transgender population.
With this first successful surgery, TUTH has opened the door to comprehensive gender affirmation care within Nepal.
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