World's first penis, scrotum transplant done in US

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Flipboard
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
World's first penis, scrotum transplant done in US
World's first penis, scrotum transplant done in US

Washington : Doctors at Johns Hopkins University performed world's first complete penis and scrotum transplant in the United States. The operation was conducted on a war veteran injured in Afghanistan.

14-hour-long operation was done on March 26 by a team of nine plastic surgeons and two urologic surgeons.

"We are optimistic that he will regain near-normal urinary and sexual functions following a full recovery," W.P. Andrew Lee, professor and director of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told reporters on a conference call.

The patient was severly injured during an explosion in Afghanistan several years ago.

The entire penis, scrotum without testicles and partial abdominal wall came from a deceased donor.

"It's a real mind-boggling injury to suffer; it is not an easy one to accept," said a statement from the recipient, who asked to remain anonymous.

The man is expected to be released from hospital by the end of this week.

The first penis transplant in the world took place in China in 2006, but it was later removed due to "a severe psychological problem of the recipient and his wife," doctors said.

Only four penis transplants have ever been done successfully, including the one announced Monday, doctors said.

Two have been done in South Africa, the nation that achieved the first such successful surgery in 2015. The United States performed its first successful penis transplant in 2016.