Volume 82, Issue 8, August 2025, 103548Author links open overlay panel, , , , , Highlights•

Interdisciplinary workshop integrating sculptural techniques to enhance GAFS education.

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Significant improvements in knowledge of aesthetics, surgical techniques, PROs, and artistry.

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Low-cost, reusable model for hands-on learning in plastic surgery training.

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Bridging technical precision and artistic perception for improved surgical outcomes.

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All participants (100%) found the workshop valuable and would recommend it.

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of a hands-on sculpture workshop in enhancing participants' comprehension of gender-affirming facial surgery (GAFS) by integrating artistic and surgical techniques.

Design

A pre- and postworkshop study design was implemented, assessing participants’ knowledge in 4 domains: aesthetic differences, surgical techniques, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and artistic techniques. Data were analyzed using Welch’s t-tests and linear regression.

Setting

The workshop was conducted at an academic medical center as part of a plastic surgery educational initiative.

Participants

A total of 23 participants, including 14 medical students and 9 plastic surgery residents (PGY 1–6), were included. All participants completed both pre- and postworkshop assessments.

Results

Significant improvements were observed across all domains, with mean scores increasing from pre- to postworkshop evaluations: aesthetic differences (2.52-3.83, p < 0.0001), surgical techniques (1.91-3.35, p < 0.0001), PROs (1.87-3.04, p = 0.0003), and artistic techniques (1.78-4.04, p < 0.0001). Among residents, a significant preworkshop relationship was observed between training year and surgical techniques knowledge (R² = 0.71, p = 0.001), which diminished postworkshop. All participants (100%) found the workshop valuable and would recommend it.

Conclusions

This study supports the integration of interdisciplinary, art-based workshops in GAFS education. By bridging technical precision with artistic perception, sculptural methods provide a promising, low-cost model for improving surgical training in gender-affirming care.

Section snippetsINTRODUCTION

Facial feminization surgery (GAFS) is a complex and transformative procedure within plastic surgery that plays a crucial role in gender-affirming care for transgender and nonbinary individuals.1,2 This suite of procedures seeks to modify traditionally masculine facial features to align with female facial aesthetics, an essential step toward reducing gender dysphoria.3 GAFS demands a meticulous balance between technical precision and an in-depth understanding of facial aesthetics to achieve

Workshop Design and Delivery

The educational intervention consisted of 2 separate 120-minute workshops: 1 for medical students and 1 for plastic surgery residents. Each session included a 30-minute didactic presentation followed by a 90-minute hands-on sculpture activity and a brief group debrief. The goal of the intervention was to integrate core concepts from GAFS, specifically FFS, with foundational principles from visual arts to enhance participant understanding of aesthetic and surgical decision-making.

The didactic

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of 23 participants, including 14 medical students and 9 Plastic Surgery residents. Among the residents, the distribution of training years was as follows: 2 PGY1, 1 PGY2, 2 PGY3, 1 PGY4, 1 in PGY5, and 2 PGY6. Descriptive statistics revealed that the mean scores for all categories increased from pre- to postworkshop evaluations. For understanding the aesthetic differences between masculine and feminine faces, the mean score rose from 2.52 (SD = 0.90) in the preworkshop

DISCUSSION

The results of this study underscore the potential value of interdisciplinary approaches, such as integrating sculptural techniques, in enhancing the understanding of GAFS principles among medical students and residents. This hands-on workshop demonstrated significant improvements in participants’ knowledge and skills across all evaluated domains, including aesthetic differences, surgical techniques, PROs, and artistic techniques.

The improvement in understanding surgical techniques and artistic

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary, art-based workshop in enhancing the understanding of GAFS among medical students and residents. Significant improvements across all domains—particularly in artistic techniques—highlight the value of integrating sculptural methods into surgical education. The hands-on approach bridged the gap between technical precision and aesthetic principles, equipping participants with a more comprehensive understanding of GAFS in a

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