‘I Am Jazz’: Fans React With Concern to Jazz Jennings’ Complicated Surgery
Jazz Jennings of TLC’s I Am Jazz has had a long, rocky road to her dream gender confirmation surgery. On the Season 6 premiere of I Am Jazz on Jan. 28, the 19-year-old trans rights advocate had her third bottom surgery. While the activist and social media influencer had her first surgery in 2018, she’s needed two more corrective procedures to address severe complications.
On the season premiere of I Am Jazz, “I Will Survive,” Jennings headed in for her third surgery with Dr. Marci Bowers and Dr. Jess Ting. But when Jennings was on the operating table, Dr. Bowers and Dr. Ting got into a fairly heated argument that left some fans scratching their heads.
The ‘I Am Jazz’ star’s two surgeons had a heated debate during her procedure
While Dr. Bowers and Dr. Ting were collaborating on Jennings’ corrective surgery, which was meant to address her wound healing and scar tissue problems as well as the placement and look of her clitoris and labia, they began to argue over Dr. Bowers’ decision to cut a certain area.
After Dr. Ting challenged her, Dr. Bowers pushed back, saying she wanted to excise the scar tissue. “We’re gonna have to come to an understanding,” she said. “There’s going to have to be one driver.”
“Come on, Marci, we’re two surgeons here. We both have opinions,” Dr. Ting replied. “There’s not one driver here, there are two surgeons. Let’s not play that game.”
When Dr. Bowers seemed to claim that Dr. Ting was trying to take control of the situation, he insisted, “This is not about ego. This is about doing what’s best for the patient.”
“And that’s why I’m doing this,” Dr. Bowers declared, adding: “If you think that’s not true, then we need to step away.”
Ultimately, Dr. Bowers told I Am Jazz producers that she and Dr. Ting were like “work husband and wife” and that they were able to come to an agreement. Dr. Ting, meanwhile, told TLC producers that he knew both surgeons wanted the best outcome for Jennings in the end.
Some fans were concerned about Jennings’ surgeons after the argument
While Dr. Bowers and Dr. Ting might have ultimately come to an understanding, some I Am Jazz fans were surprised by the onscreen argument at such a vulnerable moment for Jennings. Some viewers took to Twitter to express their concern about the debate between Jennings’ two surgeons.
“How did you & your family feel about seeing & hearing your surgeons arguing during your 3rd procedure?” one fan asked Jennings on Twitter.
Another viewer called the fight “unprofessional.” The Twitter user wrote during the I Am Jazz season premiere, “I cannot believe that two surgeons would either willingly act out a fight at the direction of the producers, or actually have a petty argument during surgery. Either way it’s incredibly unprofessional.”
Some fans said they would feel frightened if this was a family member or loved one on the operating table while surgeons debated the procedure.
“No…I absolutely would not want these surgeons working on me,” one critic wrote on social media. “They may be amazing surgeons on their own but the fact they are not on the same page & arguing DURING surgery is alarming. They needed to sort this out & get a clear plan BEFORE surgery…not during.”
“Watching this surgery is so angering,” another Twitter user agreed. “If I was Jazz/her parents I would be so…p*ssed that these surgeons were f****** arguing in the OR on whether or not to slice this or that.”
Jennings praised Dr. Bowers and Dr. Ting on social media
While I Am Jazz fans were concerned about Jennings’ well-being, the young activist has written on Instagram and Twitter since her surgery about how happy she is with the results, so it looks like all’s well that ends well.
During the episode, Jennings praised Dr. Ting and Dr. Bowers on Twitter, writing: “7 INCHES OF DEPTH! While I entered the procedure with little to no genital tissue, the surgeons completely pulled it off!!”
The I Am Jazz star raved about her surgeons and offered her gratitude to them in another tweet during the episode. She wrote, “ ‘It’s a girl!’ I’m so proud of my surgeons for their success! I finally have the body I’ve always dreamed of!”
