Why Research Matters in Trans Healthcare
Transformative surgical care begins well before the operating room and continues long after. That’s why we’re committed to research that advances the science of gender-affirming surgery and centers the lived experiences, voices, and outcomes of the patients we serve.
As one of the few private surgical practices with a dedicated research program led by our Research Director, Dr. Danny Young-Afat, we are proud to welcome him to our team. Dr. Afat brings a blend of clinical and academic expertise to Align Surgical, helping ensure our work continues to shape the global standard for gender-affirming care.
Meet Dr. Danny Young-Afat
Dr. Danny Young-Afat (he/him) is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Amsterdam University Medical Center with a specialization in breast and urogenital reconstruction. He’s also a clinical epidemiologist and a leading academic voice in the development of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)—tools that are redefining how we understand success in surgery.
Dr. Afat spearheaded the development of internationally recognized measures like the BREAST-Q, FACE-Q, and now the groundbreaking GENDER-Q—an instrument specifically designed to assess outcomes in gender-affirming care from the patient’s perspective.
Dr. Afat’s leadership ensures that research is embedded into how we listen, plan, operate and improve. His work supports our mission to offer the best surgical techniques while also ensuring the best possible quality of life for every individual we serve.
Align’s Research Approach
Our research spans a wide range of gender-affirming procedures, from facial surgery to chest reconstruction (top surgery, mastectomy and breast augmentation) to genital (bottom surgery) and body contouring procedures. What makes our approach one-of-a-kind is our focus on patient-tailored procedures, diversity, and long-term surgical outcomes long after immediate results.
Here are a few ways our research is making an impact:
- Customized Genital Procedures: Our study on individually tailored genital procedures emphasizes that affirming surgery should reflect each patient’s anatomy, goals, and identity—not a one-size-fits-all protocol.
- Understanding Regret with Nuance: We’ve taken a multidisciplinary look at regret after gender-affirming surgery, highlighting that regret is rare—and when it does occur, it’s often rooted in systemic issues, not surgical decisions.
- Facial Surgery and Social Recognition: Research led by our team explores how facial surgery influences gender recognition and social perception—reminding us that surgery can be about being seen as much as how we see ourselves.
- Patient Voices Through the GENDER-Q: Through international collaboration, Align is helping build a research tool that reflects the diversity of trans and gender-diverse experiences across age, race, procedures and identities.
Why Patient Voices Are Our Data
Trans healthcare is often politicized and misunderstood, and we believe science can be a form of advocacy. By collecting and publishing data grounded in patient experiences, we strive to push the field forward with empathy, integrity and transparency.
Our work is collaborative—we partner with institutions like Stanford and Amsterdam UMC, contribute to global research conversations, and uplift stories and feedback from our own community. We are also committed to better representation in medical literature, exploring topics like skin tone depiction, social gaze, and surgical access for nonbinary patients.
What’s Next: Building the Future of Affirming, Data-Driven Care
Align Surgical will continue to expand its research footprint—asking deeper questions, embracing more diverse experiences, and developing surgical approaches that reflect the full humanity of our patients.
We envision a future where every person pursuing gender-affirming care has access to data-backed, identity-affirming, and highly individualized options. Under the leadership of Dr. Danny Young-Afat, we’re proud to lead the charge in research that sees the whole person.
Want to Learn More?
Explore some of our latest publications here, or sign up for email updates to follow our research journey.