Vanderbilt University Medical Center revealed that it would stop providing some forms of transgender operations to adults, although it will continue providing other forms of so-called gender-affirming care.
On Feb. 20, a representative for Vanderbilt Health informed WSMV that the organization, which does not provide any form of the controversial procedures to minors due to state law, is pausing transgender plastic surgeries for those permitted under the law to have them.
“Due to operational limitations and lack of surgical coverage, Vanderbilt Health will cease providing gender-affirming plastic surgeries for adults,” the representative said.
“Vanderbilt Health continues to provide nonsurgical gender-affirming care for adults 19 years and older.”
The state of Tennessee had previously banned so-called gender affirming care for minors, including both hormones and surgeries.
The Supreme Court upheld the law last year, per a report from the Tennessee Lookout.
CHANGE OF COURSE: Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center says they will no longer perform transgender surgeries, citing a lack of surgical coverage and operational limitations. But they will still offer non-surgical gender-affirming care to adults over the age of 19.…
— Local 3 News (@Local3News) February 24, 2026
Justices made a decisive 6-3 ruling in favor of the state, overturning a lower court ruling which concluded that the law violates the constitutional rights of minors obtaining the procedures.
WSMV reported that a new bill has been introduced in Tennessee that would ban TennCare, the state Medicaid program for Tennessee, from covering transgender procedures.
There are exceptions in the legislation for treating “an individual’s congenital defect, precocious puberty, disease, or physical injury.”
The Vanderbilt Hustler, the student newspaper of Vanderbilt University, interviewed a professor who had been receiving transgender procedures since 2022.
“Over time, especially in the last year, things have gotten progressively worse,” the unnamed professor said.
“And one of the things I felt especially hit me and my community around me was essentially the taking down of the trans buddy system and the taking down of all LGBTQ-related support care for the clinic.”
The professor noted that future surgeries are by no means guaranteed.
“Early in April, my surgery will go through. But the future is the one that has a lot of question marks. What if I want a follow-up surgery?” the professor continued.
“What if there are future people who want surgeries? Where are they going to go? How is Vanderbilt going to recruit people when we tell them that you’re not going to get the healthcare you need?”
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