I want to express my gratitude and cheerlead for Drs. Laura Douglass (urology) and Drs. Alireza Hamidian Jahromi (plastic surgery) of Temple University Hospital, the surgeons who literally changed my life, or at least the way I embody it. They are the most incredible and kindest doctors I could have ever put my trust in, and I truly believe it has “paid off,” so to speak.

I went with them and Temple due mostly to proximity, because we live close to Philadelphia, and I knew I couldn’t afford to travel and stay close by for a while to another hospital too far away. In doing so, I knew I sacrificed access to some of the bigger names and best surgeons that a lot of trans women go with and wait for, and took a big risk on lesser-knowns. I’ve looked around this subreddit and seen only a very small few posts about them (it was actually this very subreddit that made me aware of them!). But I am so glad I did for a lot of reasons beyond just location.

What I love about their surgical team is just that: Hamidian and Douglass are a team. Douglass offers the urological expertise and Hamidian provides the plastic surgical. Their strengths complement each other’s for a better result both internally and externally. So while my vagina is still too swollen and bruised for me to feel comfortable sharing any photos yet, I can already see the excellent job they did and sense that it will eventually look really great. Not to mention how readily available they are for any concerns you may have after the fact throughout the healing process. I am just one week post-op and I already got off the phone with Dr. Douglass this morning about a question I had. Throughout the surgery, hospital stay, and now beginning at-home recovery, I know the risk I took on proximity and location was worth it and I absolutely made the right choice.

The gender affirming care unit that Drs. Douglass and Hamidian are working to establish at Temple is still relatively new, so there aren’t many testimonies out there vouching for their work yet. But I’ll offer mine here: I have not one regret about my decision to go with Temple University Hospital’s gender affirming care unit for my gender confirmation surgery, from the doctors and their surgical team to the nurses. I could never be grateful enough for this experience and everything I’ll get to experience after because of them.

If anyone has any questions about any of this, then feel free to ask, and I’ll do my best to get back to you!