REVIEW article
Front. Surg.
Sec. Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2025.1587708
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Precision Medicine in Reconstructive and Aesthetic SurgeryView all 3 articles
Impact of Sex Hormones on Postoperative Outcomes in Plastic Surgery:A Narrative Review.
Provisionally accepted
- Quzhou City People's Hospital, Quzhou, China
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Abstract Background: Since 1929, when scientists first identified estrogen in urine and coined the term “sex hormones,” these vital steroid hormones have been recognized for their critical role in tissue repair and wound healing. This is particularly evident in the postoperative recovery of plastic surgery patients. While the effects of sex hormones differ between males and females, their mechanisms in wound healing, angiogenesis, and collagen regulation have drawn significant attention. Methods: This narrative review synthesizes key literature from four databases including PubMed (up to 2024) focusing on the effects of sex hormones on healing after plastic surgery.Key terms such as “sex hormones,” “tissue repair,” and “postoperative recovery” were used. The analysis highlights the differential roles of estrogen and testosterone in skin healing, angiogenesis, and inflammatory responses. Additionally, it explores the effects of sex, age, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in transgender patients on surgical outcomes.The main target audience of this article is professional surgeons and endocrinologists, medical students and scientific researchers. Results: Existing evidence suggests that estrogen enhances wound healing by upregulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), stimulating angiogenesis, and playing a pivotal role in collagen regulation. Testosterone may influence fibroblast proliferation and angiogenesis, although its effects vary by sex and age. Postmenopausal women exhibit diminished healing capacity due to decreased estrogen levels, whereas transgender patients undergoing HRT show improved postoperative recovery. Conclusion: Sex hormones significantly influence postoperative recovery in plastic surgery. The distinct mechanisms of estrogen and testosterone in wound healing provide valuable insights for personalized medical approaches, optimizing surgical outcomes across diverse patient populations.
Keywords: estrogen, Testosterone, plastic surgery, Skin healing, Transgender patients
Received: 04 Mar 2025; Accepted: 07 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lv, Xiang, Zheng, Lv, Zhou and Zhu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jiajun Zhu, Quzhou City People's Hospital, Quzhou, China
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