Nebraska Woman Sues Doctors for Removing Her Breasts at Age 16 for Gender-Affirming Care

A 21-year-old woman from Nebraska has filed a malpractice lawsuit against doctors at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, claiming that she and her parents were coerced into gender-transition medical treatments that resulted in the removal of her breasts at the age of 16. Luka Hein alleges that she was not fully informed of the risks associated with the procedures and that her womanhood was taken away from her.

Hein underwent a double mastectomy in 2018, after just two counseling sessions, as part of a “gender-affirming care” process. The lawsuit argues that this violated the Nebraska Consumer Protection Act, which states that consent to a medical procedure must be both fully informed and freely given.

The complaint, filed in Douglas County District Court in Omaha, seeks damages for negligence and lack of informed consent from UNMC Physicians, Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medicine, three doctors, and a therapist. Nebraska Medicine has declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.

Hein is one of several individuals who have filed lawsuits against gender-transition clinics and doctors this year for medical treatments received during their teen years. These individuals, known as detransitioners, regret the interventions they underwent in their quest to change from female to male.

Hein’s struggles with depression and anxiety started after her parents’ divorce, and she was targeted by an older man online. She began to feel uncomfortable with her changing body after starting menstruation and sought counseling. During a session in 2017, she was diagnosed with gender dysphoria and later referred to a gender clinic for breast removal.

She claims that the doctors at the gender clinic rushed her into surgery without placing her on hormone treatments for at least one year, which is a violation of the standard of care for breast removal surgery. After the surgery, Hein was placed on testosterone but experienced negative side effects and decided to stop the treatment. In January, she informed the clinic that she no longer identified as a man and believed she had been too young to consent to the gender-transition treatment.

Nebraska malpractice attorney Jeff Downing, who is representing Hein in the lawsuit, expressed concerns about the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s practices in treating gender-confused kids.

The lawsuit aims to hold the defendants accountable for their actions and to prevent vulnerable minors from undergoing similar experiences. At least 20 states have passed laws banning gender-transition surgeries and drugs for minors, while LGBTQ groups argue that these bans put transgender children at greater risk of suicide.

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