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Scientific Oral Presentations

Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Session: Scientific Oral Presentation 3 - Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery

Decisional Conflict and Regret in Gender-Affirming Facial Surgery: A Patient Perspective

Tuesday, October 14, 2025
11:48 AM - 11:54 AM EDT
Location: 137
Disclosure(s):
Nina R. Patel, MPhil, MS:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Daniel Knott, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Andrea M. Park, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: Gender-affirming facial surgery (GFS) is a vital intervention for many transgender and gender-diverse individuals, aimed at enhancing gender congruence and improving psychosocial well-being. However, limited research has addressed potential decisional conflict and regret associated with undergoing GFS.

Methods: Twenty-two patients who underwent GFS at a single academic medical center were surveyed to assess their levels of post-operative decisional conflict and regret. Participants completed the Decision Regret Scale (Brehaut, 2003) and the Patient Satisfaction with Decision Scale (Holmes-Rovner, 1996). The Decision Regret Scale measured regret related to the decision to undergo surgery, while the Patient Satisfaction with Decision Scale evaluated satisfaction with the decision-making process both pre- and post-operatively. Scores were analyzed to identify trends, and background demographics were reviewed for contextual insights.

Results: The Decision Regret Scale for 22 patients indicated low regret (average score of 1.6 out of 5), with most participants reporting minimal or no regret about their decision to undergo GFS. The Patient Satisfaction with Decision Scale revealed high satisfaction (average score of 4.8 out of 5), reflecting positive decision-making experiences. Participants highlighted the importance of preoperative counseling, surgeon expertise, and support systems in reducing decisional conflict. Further feedback emphasized that thorough consultations and alignment with personal goals contributed largely to overall satisfaction.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of patient-centered care, emphasizing thorough educational counseling, shared decision-making, and comprehensive support. Future research should explore these factors in larger, more diverse cohorts to further refine decision-making processes in gender-affirming surgical care.

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Nina R. Patel, MPhil, MS

    Medical Student
    University of California, San Francisco
    Phoenix, AZ, United States

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Ivy P. Tran

    Medical Student
    University of California San Francisco
    San Francisco, CA, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

  • AA

    Aarti M. Agarwal, MD

    Resident Physician
    Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, UCSF
    Philadelphia, PA, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

  • DK

    Daniel Knott, MD

    Professor
    UCSF Dept of Oto
    San Francisco, CA, United States

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

  • RS

    Rahul Seth, MD

    Private Practice, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

    • Senior Author(s)

  • AP

    Andrea M. Park, MD

    Associate Professor
    University of California San Francisco
    San Francisco, California, United States

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.