In this episode of Deep Cuts, we hear from Dr. Courtney Cripps, a surgeon who specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Chicago. Dr. Cripps details her journey to surgery, and specifically surgery in gender-affirming care. In talking to Dr. Anthony Douglas, she discusses how gender-affirming care encompasses medication, surgery, and psychological therapy, which allows it to be a continually evolving field. Dr. Cripps also discusses the immediate impact that gender-affirming care can provide people, and considers the intersection of policy within her medical practice. Dr. Courtney Cripps is a board-certified surgeon who specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery. She is a renowned expert in head-to-toe gender affirming care, and is invested in the complete intellectual, social, and emotional aspects of caring for her patients. In addition to this expertise, she performs cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries of the breast, face, and body. Deep Cuts comes to you from the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago, which is located on Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi land. Our senior editors are Alia Abiad, Caroline Montag, and Chuka Onuh. Our editorial team includes Megan Teramoto, Elizabeth Yearsley, Faiza Shaik, and Azeem Saifee. Our senior producer is Nihar Rama. Our production team includes Krupa Hegde. The intro song you hear at the beginning of our show is “Love, Money Part 2” from Chicago’s own Sen Morimoto off of Sooper Records. Our cover art is from Ethan Epstein. Special thanks to Dr. Tony Liu, our founding producer/editor. If you’ve liked this podcast, please leave a rating, comment, and review wherever you get your podcasts. Please reach out to us as well — let us know what have you most enjoyed about our podcast, and where you see room for improvement. You can reach out to us on Instagram @deepcutssurgery. Find out more about our work at deepcuts.surgery.uchicago.edu.