Trans* Success

Marci L. Bowers is an American gynecologist, and is viewed as an innovator in the field of transgender surgery, as well as a pioneer, being the first transsexual woman to be performing the surgery. Bowers graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1986, where she was president of both her class, and the entire student body.

Bowers later went on to study under the late Dr. Stanley Biber, a surgeon who performed over 4,000 transgender surgeries, who is credited for giving Trinidad the title of “Sex Change Capital of the World.” She also operated a surgical practice in Trinidad, Colorado. Though has more recently moved her practice to California in December 2010.

Before moving to Trinidad, Bowers had a successful practice at the PolyClinic in Seattle, and has delivered over 2000 babies. Served as Obstetrics and Gynecology Department Chairperson at Swedish (Providence) Medical Center, and was named the only physician member of the Washington State midwifery Board. She was also named one of America’s Best Physicians for the 2002 to 2003 awards, and is a member-elect of the European Academy of Sciences.

When Biber retired in 2003 at the age of 80, Bowers took over his practice, and since then, has done over 300 sexual reassignment surgeries, performing about five operations per week at Mt. San Rafael hospital. Bowers says her surgeries bring an estimated $1.6 million per year to the hospital; she performs an average of 130 surgeries per year and charges $21,500 per MTF genital reassignment surgery, a substantial portion of which covers hospital costs. She also puts her expertise in vaginoplasty at the disposal of victims of female genital mutilation, whom she does not charge for surgery.