World’s first penis, scrotum transplant is performed on US serviceman
The patient, who was wounded in Afghanistan, underwent a 14-hour operation
Doctors have performed the world’s first total penis and scrotum transplant on a US military serviceman who was wounded in Afghanistan.
The 14-hour operation was performed by a team of nine plastic surgeons and two urology surgeons at Johns Hopkins University in the US using an entire penis, scrotum without testicles and partial abdominal wall from a deceased donor.
“We are hopeful that this transplant will help restore near-normal urinary and sexual functions for this young man,” said W.P. Andrew Lee, professor and director of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Johns Hopkins.
The recipient has requested anonymity, but released a brief statement saying he is expected to be released from the hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, next week following his March 26 operation.
“It’s a real mind-boggling injury to suffer; it is not an easy one to accept,” he said.
“When I first woke up, I felt finally more normal.”
A statement from the university did not describe how the patient was injured, but said blasts from improvised explosive devices can cause such injuries.