1. The “1 % regret” figure is old, incomplete, and probably too low
The number most often repeated—“less than 1 % of people regret gender surgery”—comes from a Dutch study that ran from 1972 to 2015. Even the researchers admit they lost track of more than one-third of their patients: “a large group (36 %) did not return to our clinic after several years of treatment. Therefore, we could have missed some information on… people with regret.” – PurpleKriek source [citation:2cd053af-6b22-430f-9e73-cd5e9cf99f2b]
When follow-up is so poor, the true regret rate can only be higher.

2. Bottom surgery carries the highest regret, while top-surgery regret is lower but still real
Across different countries, regret after bottom surgery for trans women ranges from 15 % to 40 %, far above the oft-cited 1 %. “Statistics show the highest rate of regret is consistently transgender women who underwent bottom surgery… numbers averaging between 15-40 % for regret rates depending on country.” – Pleasant_Planter source [citation:3f9d6fca-4114-4b2b-8014-03fdf23e379a]
Top-surgery regret is quoted around 1-2 %, yet personal stories reveal deep emotional loss even there: “As soon as I awoke from surgery my immediate thought was, ‘I don’t want to do this. I changed my mind.’… I was filled with regret.” – knology source [citation:219ef5b9-6090-4e01-9864-941a54ae7f4b]

3. Most gender-related distress resolves without medical intervention
Long-term studies of girls who once felt unhappy with their sex show that 80-90 % eventually desist and become comfortable without hormones or surgery. “It’s estimated that 80-90 % of girls will experience unhappiness in relation to their gender and then go on to desist; gender-curiousness is actually NORMAL across the human experience.” – ParticularSwanne source [citation:3967a038-68b3-494f-89ba-965a662015df]
This points to psychological, social, and mental-health support—not irreversible procedures—as the safer path to well-being.

4. The comparison to other surgeries shows how unlikely the 1 % claim is
Knee replacements and cancer-preventing mastectomies—procedures with clear medical necessity—have regret rates of 6-30 %. “When more people regret knee replacement surgery than penis amputation… these surprising outcomes should raise red flags.” – NeighborhoodFit2786 source [citation:a00e2f97-6bf7-40fb-b7ed-9f9840534cb7]
If a far more invasive and experimental surgery is said to be regretted less often than routine orthopedic work, the data deserve scrutiny.

Conclusion: choose self-understanding over irreversible steps
The stories and numbers agree: regret is real, it is under-counted, and it is highest for the most invasive surgeries. The majority of gender discomfort fades with time, therapy, and community support. Embracing gender non-conformity—living exactly as you are, without surgical alteration—offers a path to authenticity that keeps every future option open.