Young Woman Wins $2M Lawsuit for “Gender Affirming” Surgery 

Summary: A New York jury has awarded $2 million to 22-year-old Fox Varian, who underwent breast removal surgery at age 16 after identifying as a boy. This marks the first U.S. detransitioner medical malpractice case to go to trial, with the doctors found liable for failing to properly assess her mental health before the irreversible procedure.

A New York jury has awarded $2 million to a 22-year-old woman known as Fox Varian, who underwent breast removal surgery at age 16 after identifying as a boy. This is the first detransitioner medical malpractice case in the United States to go to trial and result in a plaintiff victory.

The ruling, delivered on January 30, 2026, at Westchester County Supreme Court in White Plains, found psychologist Kenneth Einhorn and surgeon Simon Chin liable for medical malpractice. The Jurors concluded that the defendants failed to meet accepted standards of care by approving an irreversible surgical intervention without adequate psychological assessment.

Fox Varian, who has since de-transitioned, brought the lawsuit arguing that she was pressured into surgery while still a minor and that doctors did not sufficiently screen her for other mental health conditions before approving the procedure. The jury awarded her $1.6 million for past and future pain and suffering, along with $400,000 for future medical expenses.

Fox’s legal team maintained that the surgery caused lasting physical and psychological harm and that informed consent was not meaningfully obtained. The defence argued that she had requested the surgery herself, identified as a trans male at the time, and lived happily for several years following the operation.

During the trial, Fox’s mother testified that she consented to the surgery out of fear her child would harm herself if the procedure was denied. The jury ultimately sided with the plaintiff, determining that the medical providers had ignored procedural safeguards required when treating minors.

The decision could have far-reaching implications, as at least 28 similar detransitioner lawsuits are currently at various stages of litigation across the United States. The case comes amid increased scrutiny of gender-related medical interventions for minors and follows recent policy moves restricting such treatments.

The verdict is being described as a moment in U.S. medical malpractice law, raising questions about consent and the ethical responsibilities of healthcare providers treating minors with gender dysphoria.