Transgender surgery comes under scrutiny after study resurfaces about teen who died

Transgender surgery for young adults is under renewed scrutiny after a newly resurfaced Dutch study documents that a transgender teenager died from complications after receiving a vaginoplasty.

The study focuses on an 18-year-old biological male whose puberty was blocked at a young age and who lacked enough penile tissue for a "neovagina" to be created.

The doctors used part of the patient's colon, and within 24 hours of surgery, the previously healthy teen developed severe complications and later died. 

After describing the teen's death, the researchers conclude in the 2016 study: "Although vaginal reconstruction has a positive influence on the quality of life in transgender women, physicians and patients need to be aware of serious complications that might arise."

The study is resurfacing as states run by liberal-leaning elected lawmakers are increasingly passing measures to ensure minors will be able to undergo transgender surgeries and hormone treatments.

"This was completely unnecessary and 100% preventable. This is who the trans agenda harms," attorney and former Just the News contributor Jenna Ellis tweeted this week.

Pastor Mark Driscoll said: "Now we’re not only mutilating but murdering teens."

Radio host Kenny Webster said: "I really wish the lizard people would stop experimenting on our children."

Many of the same researchers from the study of the single patient were also coauthors on another study focusing on how biological men treated with puberty-suppressing hormones may be unable to undergo penile inversion.

In the 2016 study of 42 transgender women, one patient died, putting it at a death rate of just over 2%. Major complications occurred in 17.1% of cases.

An American College of Surgeons study published earlier this year said that in vaginoplasty surgeries "severe postoperative complications were rare, occurring in 1 of 20 patients."

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.