The number of sex-change breast removal operations carried out by a leading specialist has increased tenfold in a decade in Britain, the DailyMail reports .
In an interview, surgeon Philip Rubin revealed that he has seen an increase in young women who want to change their gender. The consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon is one of the few doctors in the UK who is an expert in the field of female to male reassignment and operates on NHS and private patients.
Rubin told the Ministry of Health that every month he performs about 20 operations to remove the breast. The surgeon said his patients are five to ten years younger than a decade ago, with most now aged between 18 and early 20s.
Feminists and parents' groups argue that patients in the age group of most of Rubin's referrals lack the maturity to make the life-changing decision to have their breasts removed, and fear that patients are being 'fast-tracked' into surgery without adequate mental assessments.
The concern comes amid an explosion in the number of mostly teenage girls expressing a desire to transition to living as the opposite sex.