Dr. Trinidad Labanca is one of the leading international specialists in gender-affirming surgery. She joined IM GENDER over 10 years ago, and her career has been defined by empathy and an unwavering dedication to research in both surgical techniques and healthcare improvements, always striving to go a step further. A gynecologist and sexologist, she specialized in trans health after recognizing the lack of understanding and appropriate healthcare for trans people.
A Vocation Born from Empathy
Dr. Trinidad Labanca, a gynecologist and sexologist now specialized in trans health and gender-affirming surgery, never imagined that a chance encounter with a trans patient would change the course of her career. It was 2013, at a time when Argentina did not yet have the current gender identity laws. During a hospital shift, a young gynecology resident met a patient who had been admitted to psychiatry after undergoing breast removal surgery.
“I went to see him every day, and we built mutual trust. Until one day he said to me: ‘Doctor, can you call me Matías? That is my name.’ That’s when I discovered a reality I had never known before. He was a trans boy, even though no one recognized him as such,” Dr. Labanca recalls. At that time, neither the healthcare system nor the professionals knew how to address his situation. That episode, she admits, was a turning point: “I realized I needed to train myself to help people like him, who were completely unprotected.”
Training in Gender Surgery
After completing her residency at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and specializing in gynecology and obstetrics, Labanca sought out mentors in trans surgery. This led her to Dr. Ivan Mañero, an international pioneer in gender surgery and director of IM GENDER in Barcelona. Without knowing him personally, Labanca traveled to Spain determined to learn from him. “I didn’t know what I would find; I traveled hoping Dr. Mañero would allow me to learn from him.”
Upon arriving in Barcelona, she visited IM GENDER and asked Dr. Iván Mañero if she could observe surgeries in the operating room. For six months, she attended surgeries daily, observing and absorbing knowledge. “Dr. Mañero was always very generous with his knowledge,” she says. “He taught with patience, without reservation, and allowed me to understand that trans surgery goes far beyond technique: it is an act of repair and dignity.”
Shortly after, Dr. Mañero invited her to join the team. This marked the beginning of a career dedicated to transgender health.
From Pioneer to International Leader in Transgender Health
Established as one of the most recognized specialists in trans surgery, Dr. Labanca returned to Argentina after her training at IM GENDER to create one of the first multidisciplinary trans health units in the country, with an integrated approach encompassing gender-affirming surgery, gynecological care, and clinical sexology.
In parallel, she completed a Master’s in Executive Management (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), the Transgender 101 for Surgeons course (ASPS), and a Postgraduate Degree in Clinical Sexology from the University of Buenos Aires.
Today, back in Barcelona and part of the IM GENDER medical team, she combines technical expertise with a unique human sensitivity. “I like to think that we accompany people through one of the most transformative processes of their lives. We are not just surgeons: we are part of a journey toward identity and freedom,” she affirms.
Advances in Gender Surgery
For Dr. Labanca, the greatest advances in gender surgery are not only measured in the operating room. “In recent years, we have improved functional and aesthetic outcomes, yes, but the most important change is social: visibility, acceptance, and the possibility for trans people to live without fear in a society they feel part of.”
She highlights how surgical techniques have evolved toward more precise, less invasive procedures, reducing complications and improving sensitivity and functionality. “Today we see truly excellent results in both vaginoplasty and phalloplasty. Trans women visiting a gynecologist may not even be identified as operated; trans men may have their surgeries unrecognized by other specialists. This speaks to the technical level achieved and, above all, the well-being these results provide.”
However, for her, true success is not measured in centimeters or symmetry. “Success is patients’ happiness. When someone says, ‘Now I can go to the beach without a shirt’ or ‘I can wear a bikini without fear’… that is worth more than any surgical perfection. Our work makes sense when it improves people’s lives.”
What Gender-Affirming Surgery Really Means
One of the most moving aspects is seeing her patients reconcile with their own bodies. “Before, scars were seen as a stigma. Today, many wear them with pride, showing them as symbols of their history, of their courage. That is beautiful.”
She also notes a shift in social perception: “Younger generations have fewer prejudices. Minorities are no longer viewed with the same distrust. Being trans, being different, no longer means being invisible. This is part of the change—perhaps the most important part—because it allows people to live according to their identity.”
She advocates for a broad understanding of identity. “The people I care for may want surgery to feel in harmony with their bodies, but many trans people are comfortable with their birth anatomy. Respect for each individual journey is essential.”
Pregnancy in Trans Women: Will It Be Possible?
Looking to the future of gender surgery, Dr. Labanca is hopeful and passionate about research. “Thanks to science, we have achieved advances unimaginable just a decade ago,” she says. But her vision goes further: one of her biggest dreams is to be part of a uterine transplant team for trans women.
“It would be a huge step. It is my life dream,” she confesses. Currently, uterine transplants are limited even for cis women and remain surrounded by ethical debates. “The dilemma is not whether the patient is trans, but that the uterus is not considered a vital organ. Unlike a heart or liver, it is transplanted not to save a life but to enable gestation. This raises questions about priority in organ allocation.”
Uterine Transplant Today
Currently, uterine transplants are only performed with living, related donors, for example between sisters, with promising results. “We know it works, and that opens the door to the future.”
Dr. Labanca also mentions anatomical and experimental models studying the possibility of adapting the XY pelvis for gestation via compatible arterial connections. “These are still theoretical models, but they show the potential exists. Hopefully, one day we will see it become reality.”
With the calm of someone who knows medicine’s limits and power, she concludes: “These are still theoretical models, but they demonstrate the potential. Hopefully, one day we will see it realized.” For Dr. Labanca, advances in gender medicine are not about defying nature, but about expanding human possibilities with respect, ethics, and science.
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