Challenges in provision of anesthesia to transgender patients in India: A scoping review

The care of transgender individuals has gained increasing attention in health-care settings, encompassing a wide range of medical specialties. Anesthesia is vital in perioperative care for them despite challenges like health-care access disparities, stigma, and discrimination. As they undergo routine surgeries or specific gender-affirming surgeries, anesthesia providers must be cognizant of anatomical, physiological, and psychosocial considerations that may impact the perioperative experience. Anesthesia for transgender individuals requires gender identity assessment, understanding of surgical needs, hormone therapy impact, preoperative assessments evaluating comorbidities, medication history, and psychosocial factors. Anesthesiologists should modify airway care and pain management techniques to accommodate patients’ preferences and gender-affirming surgical goals. They should also take into account any potential differences in the airways of transgender patients and optimize postoperative pain management in accordance with each patient’s particular surgical recovery. This article aims to focus on the perioperative care of transgender individuals, highlighting the distinct challenges encountered and potential solutions to address these unique issues.