'I Am Jazz' Surgeon Allegedly Posts Photos Of Transgender Patients’ Genitals

Dr. Christopher John Salgado, who appeared on TLC’s reality show “I Am Jazz,” was fired from the University of Miami Health System on Wednesday after he was accused of posting photos of his transgender patients’ genitals on Instagram. The Florida-based surgeon allegedly shared on Valentine’s Day a picture of a penis he removed from a patient that was reshaped into the form of a heart, the Miami Herald reported.

Salgado allegedly captioned the photo, “There are many ways to show your LOVE.” The photo was reportedly shared on the Instagram account @sexsurgeon, which is no longer active. However, several Reddit users shared links to the images on a thread. The other photos showed male and female genitalia in various stages of surgery.

The incident came to light after a petition was launched by transgender advocates saying the 50-year-old violated patient privacy policies and that the post on the Instagram account contained "racist, transphobic, homophobic comments and hashtags." The petition called for the American College of Surgeons to immediately address Salgado's "public vulgarity, lack of professionalism, and questionable ethics around patient privacy."

Lisa Worley, a spokeswoman for UHealth, issued a written statement to the Miami Herald on Wednesday saying, “Dr. Christopher Salgado is no longer employed by the university.”

“The University of Miami is committed to promoting and supporting diversity in its students, faculty, and staff and finds any transphobic comments unacceptable,” Worley’s statement read.

In a statement to Page Six, Salgado said he was "not fired" and denied deliberately posting the graphic images. Salgado is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, according to its website.

“I was notified that someone entered my account from Europe and this may account for many hashtags I have never seen.” He said his aim for the account was to be “educational.” He also said he shared the details of the account with an assistant.

“I apologize to anyone hurt by this as I have dedicated the last nine years of my life to this patient population and this will not detract from my care and love for them,” he added.

During his appearance on the "I Am Jazz" show, Salgado talked about his 16 years of experience in the field. Transgender star Jazz Jennings said in 2017, his recommendations “may not be as undesirable as I thought.” However, in 2018, Jennings chose Dr. Marci Bowers to perform her gender confirmation surgery.