How many surgeries did Lili Elbe have?

Lili Ilse Elvenes, better known as Lili Elbe was a Danish painter and transgender woman who was among the early recipients of sex reassignment surgery.

How many surgeries did Lili Elbe have?

Lili Elbe had five surgeries in her life before her death. She had her first surgery in 1930. The surgery was performed by German gynaecologist Kurt Warnekros and was examined by German physician and sexuality theorist Magnus Hirschfield.

As part of the series of surgeries, her testicles and penis were removed while ovaries and a uterus were transplanted into her. After complications from the fifth surgery, she died shortly afterwards in 1931.

She was told by her physicians during the first surgery that she had more female hormones than the males which convinced her to proceed with the subsequent surgeries.

Lili Elbe gender transition

Why did Lili Elbe change her gender? What made Lili Elbe change her gender? Lili Elbe was born a male, named Einar Wegner. He lived almost his whole life as a man till a few years after she met her wife. The two fell in love and got married in 1905.

Her wife Wegener contributed largely to Lili Elbe’s transition. This happened when Wegener once asked Lili to dress as a female while she paints her. This went on a few times till Lili gradually fell in love with the feminine gender and thought she was more of a female than a male.

Even though Wegener initially regretted asking Lili to be her model, she supported her eventually when she transitioned her gender. She stuck with her through surgeries till she left for Germany for the final surgery and died shortly afterwards due to complications.