Plastic surgeon specializing in reconstructive and gender-affirming procedures.
For more than fifteen years, expanding access to gender-affirming care and gender-affirming surgery has been a consistent focus of Dr. Gunther's education and training. For him, this work is more than a profession. It is a responsibility to provide careful, compassionate care throughout a process that often touches nearly every aspect of a person's life, including self-identity, relationships, and how individuals move through the world.
He approaches surgery with an understanding that technical decisions have emotional and social consequences, and he brings both disciplined training and an artistic eye to the operating room, with attention to aesthetics as well as function.
Education
Dr. Gunther completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, San Diego, earning a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, graduating summa cum laude. He previously earned an Associate's degree in Chemistry at Mesa Community College, graduating as Valedictorian.1
He attended the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, where he earned his medical degree and completed a Master of Advanced Study in Clinical Research.² During this period, he was awarded the University of California Regents Scholarship from 2011–2015, the UC system's highest merit-based scholarship recognizing academic excellence and leadership. He also received the UC Davis Dean's Scholarship and was named an eQuality Scholarship Collaborative Scholar, reflecting both academic distinction and engagement in equity-focused medical education.³ His graduate research training strengthened his foundation in study design, outcomes analysis, and critical evaluation of surgical literature.
Community Impact
While still a medical student, Dr. Gunther founded a free hormone clinic through The Gender Health Center, a nonprofit organization created to expand access to gender-affirming healthcare, advocacy, and education. The organization continues to serve as a regional resource for transgender and gender-diverse individuals.1
Residency & Fellowship Training
Dr. Gunther completed his plastic surgery residency at Case Western Reserve University / University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, where he trained broadly across reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery, working with multiple world-renowned surgeons in gender-affirming top surgery, facial aesthetics, rhinoplasty, and facial feminization. During residency, he developed a focused interest in gender-affirming surgery, facial aesthetics, rhinoplasty, and revision surgery, with an emphasis on complication management and realistic patient counseling.1
In recognition of his work and professional presence, Dr. Gunther was selected as a FIGS Future Icon during residency, an honor highlighting physicians whose leadership and visibility reflect the future of healthcare.4
He subsequently pursued advanced gender-affirming surgical training at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), one of the most established multidisciplinary transgender health programs in the United States. There, he participated in high-volume care involving chest surgery, vaginoplasty, phalloplasty, facial gender-affirming surgery, and complex revisions. The collaborative care model at OHSU reinforced his emphasis on anatomy-driven decision-making and long-term functional outcomes.1
Surgical Philosophy
Dr. Gunther's surgical philosophy is grounded in the understanding that gender-affirming surgery is a process rather than a single event. He emphasizes tissue management, scar evolution, and appropriate healing timelines, counseling patients on how to achieve the best outcomes. His perspective has been shaped in part by extensive experience performing primary surgeries as well as revising surgeries performed by other surgeons across the United States and internationally.
Academic Contributions
Alongside his clinical work, Dr. Gunther has remained actively engaged in academic medicine. He has authored peer-reviewed publications spanning gender-affirming surgery, facial surgery, rhinoplasty, peripheral nerve pathology, and reconstructive outcomes. His work appears in journals including Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Hand, and Annals of Plastic Surgery, and is indexed in the National Institutes of Health PubMed database.5,6,7,8,9,10,11
He has also presented his work through posters, podium presentations, and invited talks at regional and national meetings, addressing surgical technique refinement, revision strategies, complication avoidance, and evolving approaches to gender-affirming care. His academic contributions emphasize practical improvement in outcomes rather than novelty.
Professional Affiliations
Dr. Gunther has been an active member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) since 2018 and aligns his practice with evidence-based standards of care while remaining attentive to individual anatomy and patient goals.1
Personal
When not in the operating room, Dr. Gunther is commonly found working out at the gym, tending to his plant collection, or walking his dog. He is an avid runner, hiker, and a culinary experimenter with a flair for Italian food.
Gunther S, Carboy J, Jedrzejewski B, Berli J. "Flattening the Curve and Cutting Corners—Pearls and Pitfalls Facial Gender Affirming Surgery." Craniomaxillofac Trauma Reconstr. 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38779394/
Nauta AC, et al. "Differences in Chest Measurements between the Cis-female and Trans-female Chest Exposed to Estrogen and Its Implications for Breast Augmentation." Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31044128/
Gunther S, Carboy J, Jedrzejewski B, Berli J. Flattening the Curve and Cutting Corners—Pearls and Pitfalls in Facial Gender-Affirming Surgery.Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction. 2024 Jun;17(2):146–159. doi:10.1177/19433875231178968. PMID: 38779394; PMCID: PMC11107822.
Nauta AC, Baltrusch KM, Heston AL, Narayan SK, Gunther S, Esmonde NO, Blume KS, Mueller RV, Hansen JE, Berli JU. Differences in Chest Measurements Between the Cis-Female and Trans-Female Chest Exposed to Estrogen and Its Implications for Breast Augmentation.Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open. 2019 Mar;7(3):e2167. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000002167. PMID: 31044128; PMCID: PMC6467617.
Cheng C, Punjabi A, Gunther S, Chepla K. Forearm Lipoma Causing Posterior Interosseous Nerve Compression: Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of Predictors for Motor Recovery.Hand (N Y). 2024 Jan;19(1):149–153. doi:10.1177/15589447221096710. PMID: 35656868; PMCID: PMC10786119.
Gunther S, Kumar A. An Economic Analysis of Financial Barriers to Access Comprehensive Gender-Affirming Surgery.In submission.
Gunther S, Guyuron B. Economizing Septal Cartilage for Grafts During Rhinoplasty: 40 Years’ Experience.Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2020 Aug 5.
Gunther S, Valerio I, Harshbarger R, Kumar AR. Improving Care of Cleft-Related Velopharyngeal Incompetence on Humanitarian Missions Using a Multidisciplinary Team Approach.Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. Mar/Apr 2019;30(2).
Dasari CR, Gunther S, Wisner DH, Cooke DT, Gold CK, Wong MS. Rise in Microsurgical Free-Flap Breast Reconstruction in Academic Medical Practices.Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2015;74(Suppl 1):S62–S65.
Patel NB, Gunther S, Song P, Li C-S, Kludt NA, Lee CYG, Patel KB, Ali MR, Wong MS. Body Image and Quality of Life: Changes with Gastric Bypass Surgery and Body Contouring.Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PSRC Supplement). 2015;135:40.
Patel NB, Gunther S, Song P, Li C-S, Liu Y, Lee CY, Kludt NA, Lee CYG, Patel KB, Ali MR, Wong MS. Body Image and Quality of Life: Changes with Gastric Bypass and Body Contouring.Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2016 May.
Awards
Best Poster Award — Poster presentation and 3-minute oral didactic at UCDMC Department of Surgery, 26th Annual Research Symposium, April 27, 2015.
Scholarly Activities
Poster Presentations: Presenter
Gunther S, Bashour C, Long T. Facial Analysis with 3D Imaging After Injectable Tissue Augmentation. Poster presentation, 63rd Annual Meeting, Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons, June 5–6, 2020.
Gunther S, Boudreault DJ, Wong MS. A Prospective Randomized Trial Evaluating the Effect of Web-Based Education on Patient Satisfaction and Consultation Time. UC Davis Healthcare Quality Forum, April 1, 2015.
Gunther S, Greenhalgh D, Cho K. Endogenous Retrovirus and Their Effects on Hypertrophic Scar Formation. UC Davis Medical Student Research Forum, March 5, 2015
Podium Presentations: Presenter
Gunther S, Bashour C, Long T. 3D Facial Analysis Post-Injectable Tissue Augmentation. Virtual presentation, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting, October 16–18, 2020.
Gunther S, Swanson M, Rowe D, Long T. Patient Experience After Treatment with Facial Injectables in a Resident Clinic Setting. Podium presentation, 63rd Annual Meeting, Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons, June 5–6, 2020.
Gunther S, Kumar A. An Economic Analysis of Financial Barriers to Access Comprehensive Gender-Affirming Surgery. Podium presentation, Plastic Surgery The Meeting, Chicago, IL, September 28–October 1, 2018.
Gunther S, Greenhalgh D, Cho K. Endogenous Retrovirus and Their Effects on Hypertrophic Scar Formation. Podium presentation, UCDMC Department of Surgery Research Symposium, April 27, 2015.
Poster & Podium Presentations: Named Author
Punjabi A, Gunther S, Chepla K. Posterior Interosseous Nerve Compression Secondary to Forearm Lipomas: A Meta-Analysis. Virtual presentation, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, October 16–18, 2020.
Grunzweig KA, Gunther S, DiNardo L, Davidson EH, Totonchi A, Kumar AR. Avoiding Gender Bias Using a Gender-Neutral Scoring System. Podium presentation, Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons, October 2019, Pittsburgh, PA.
Grunzweig KA, Gunther S, DiNardo L, Davidson EH, Totonchi A, Kumar AR. Avoiding Gender Bias Using a Gender Neutral Scoring System: The Case Western Plastic Surgery Resident Application Assessment. Podium presentation, American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons. February 2020, Austin, TX.
Nauta, A. C., Baltrusch, K. M., Heston, A. L., Narayan, S. K., Gunther, S., Esmonde, N. O., Blume, K. S., Mueller, R. V., Hansen, J. E.Berli, J. U. Differences in Chest Measurements between the Cis-female and Trans-female Chest Exposed to Estrogen and Its Implications for Breast Augmentation. Plastic Surgery the Meeting, San Diego, September 20-23rd 2019.
Patel NB, Gunther S, Song P, Li C-S, Liu Y, Lee CY, Kludt NA, Lee CYG, Patel KB, Ali MR, Wong MS Body Image and Quality of Life: Changes with Gastric Bypass Surgery and Body Contouring Podium Presentation 65th CSPS Annual Meeting held at the Monterey Marriott Hotel in Monterey, CA May 22-25th, 2015.
Dasari CR, Gunther S, Wisner DH, Cooke DT, Gold CK, Wong MS Rise in Microsurgical Free-Flap Breast Reconstruction in Academic Medical Practices UCDMC Department of Surgery 25th Annual Research Symposium, April 22, 2014.
Published Abstracts
Grunzweig KA, Gunther S, DiNardo L, Davidson EH, Totonchi A, Kumar AR. Avoiding Gender Bias Using a Gender Neutral Scoring System: The Case Western Plastic Surgery Resident Application Assessment. Pending publication on Association of Surgical Education website.
