What's It Like to Have Top Surgery?
Jude Shares His Big Day!
In this NBC Nightly News video, 24-year-old Jude Navas from Ocean County, New Jersey shares his Top Surgery experience with Dr. Kathy Rumer at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. From arriving at the hospital and preparing to go into the OR with his supportive family by his side, to the surgery itself, recovery and The Reveal at Jude's follow-up appointment, you can get a glimpse into what it's like to have Top Surgery.
"Life is short, you gotta live your life and be who you are." - Jude's mother
Dr. Rumer, a former NASA engineer, performed 450 gender-affirming surgeries in one year alone. She performs roughly eight to 10 surgeries per week, more than any other doctor in the region. In 2016, she switched her practice to exclusively focus on the trans community, whose needs can range from Top Surgery -- such as Jude's -- to body sculpting and genital reconstruction.
"It's not elective. It's not a choice," she said. "These patients are born in a body they are not comfortable in. They know it from early childhood."
Jude certainly did.
Read more: Jude's Journey: Transgender Man and His Family Shine Light on Life Before and After Surgery