OCONOMOWOC, Wis. — An Oconomowoc native is breaking barriers in the medical field as a pioneering surgeon in gender-affirming care, while also helping victims of genital mutilation worldwide.
Dr. Marci Bowers, who graduated from Oconomowoc High School, has become the first surgeon with a transgender history to practice gender-affirming care surgery. Her groundbreaking work has taken her around the world, helping people in ways she never imagined during her Wisconsin upbringing.
"We didn't even know gay people growing up then," Bowers said.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and becoming an OB/GYN, Bowers delivered more than 2,000 babies. During this time, she began to realize her birth gender didn't align with who she truly was.
Following her transition, Bowers recognized the significant gap in surgeons providing gender-affirming care. This realization led her to specialize in this field, ultimately making history.
Watch: Oconomowoc native makes history as pioneering gender-affirming surgeon
"This is a difficult concept for people to understand, because most people are very comfortable in their own gender identities, and this represents smaller than 2% of the population that are affected," Bowers said. "This is just healthcare for those persons."
Bowers' expertise in transgender surgery has opened doors to help an even wider population. She became the first American surgeon to perform reconstructive surgery for women and girls who were victims of genital cutting and mutilation, primarily in Africa.
"After this culturally practiced trauma to young girls and women called female genital mutilation, we're actually able to bring back sensation to the clitoris," Bowers said.
She has continued this humanitarian work for 18 years, while also performing reconstructive surgery for women who have faced vaginal cancers. Bowers credits her work in gender-affirming care for enabling these additional specialties.
As we continue to learn about the complex needs of diverse communities, medical professionals like Dr. Bowers demonstrate how specialized care can transform lives across multiple populations.
"I'm super proud that I've endured and persevered in areas of medicine that aren't really covered by traditional medical training," Bowers said.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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