A cosmetic surgeon who specializes in "gender-affirming care" and her clinic in North Carolina has recently been exposed for allegedly performing breast removal surgeries for girls as young as 14, Breitbart reported.

The revelation comes amid a growing societal debate over the appropriateness and ethical considerations of performing permanent body-altering surgeries on children under the age of 18 who purport to identify as a gender other than their biological sex.

Photo evidence of breast removal surgeries for minors

TheBlaze TV's Sara Gonzales first exposed Dr. Hope Sherie earlier in April with a post to Twitter that featured several screenshots of "before-and-after" photos of Sherie's minor patients -- ages 14, 15, and 16 -- who had undergone double mastectomies that are euphemistically described as "top surgeries."

Gonzales wrote, "DISGUSTING: Charlotte, NC doctor @hopesheriemd is chopping the breasts off of girls as young as 14," and called upon the North Carolina Republican Party to "make this stop now."

🚨 DISGUSTING: Charlotte, NC doctor @hopesheriemd is chopping the breasts off of girls as young as 14.🚨@NCGOP make this stop now.

📷: @sherribissell pic.twitter.com/K4xB6kOYLg

— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) April 8, 2023

Photos scrubbed, but clinic confirms surgeries for minors

The before-and-after photos in those screenshots were seemingly obtained from an unedited photo gallery page on the website of Dr. Sherie's clinic, The Cosmetic Concierge, though it now appears that all photos of patients younger than 18 have been removed since a public outcry began.

Yet, the clinic's website nonetheless confirms in its "Frequently Asked Questions" section that irreversible life-changing surgeries are performed on minors under the age of 18.

"When considering gender confirming procedures for patients under the age of 18, we do require the consent of a parent or guardian along with the recommendation of a therapist. For patients 18 years of age and older, we use informed consent," the website states.

The website also notes: "If there are any doubts about someone’s ability, emotionally or mentally, to give informed consent for a procedure I will ask them to see a licensed mental health provider prior to considering an elective surgery -- whether they are gender variant or not."

NC GOP could address issue legislatively

Feminist news site Reduxx reported on the apparent scrubbing of The Cosmetic Concierge's photo gallery of any pictures of minor patients following the revelations by Gonzales and subsequent outcry by members of the public opposed to such surgeries for children under the age of 18.

It further noted that Dr. Sherie, a former U.S. Air Force doctor, now specializes in "gender-affirming" care and has proudly teamed up as a sponsor with a non-profit organization known as Point of Pride that provides financial assistance to minors who believe they are transgender as well as free chest binders, a garment that compresses and flattens breasts, to young females who identify as male.

Reduxx also highlighted the demand from Gonzales for the North Carolina GOP to "make this stop now" and suggested that that was actually a possibility now in light of the fact that Republicans now hold veto-proof supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature following the recent party-switch of one Democrat to the GOP.

As it turns out, the Republican-controlled Senate has already passed legislation on the issue, including at least one bill that would ban medical transitioning for minors in the state.

To be sure, if adults over the age of 18 want to undergo surgery to alter their physical appearance to go along with their preferred gender identity, they are and should be free to do so, but the same cannot and should not be said for children and young teens who are notorious for going through temporary phases or succumbing to pressures from peers and society and likely don't fully comprehend the permanency of such surgical decisions.