A major medical breakthrough was recorded in the U.S. as surgeons at the Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, announced the first successful penis transplant.
The 15-hour penile surgery – the third such attempt in the world – was performed on 64-year-old Thomas Manning, who received the transplanted appendage from a deceased donor.
Surgeons claim the patient would resume normal urinary and sexual functions within weeks or months, as the first penile transplant surgery carried out in South Africa in 2014 produced a healthy baby boy a year later.
U.S. authorities say soldiers suffering from devastating genital injuries will be the primary beneficiaries while victims of botched ritual adult circumcisions could also benefit from the breakthrough.
There is a long list of veterans waiting in line for the procedure already but head of the Massachusetts General surgical team, Curtis L. Cetrulo, said attempts will be made to avoid veterans as a patient base until the techniques are perfected.
It could also have applications for transgender in terms of natural urinary and sexual function, however medical officials have cautioned that this won’t be attempted until the surgery has proved safe and effective for injured cisgender men.
Manning is said to be doing well, but has to be on drugs designed to keep his body from rejecting the “foreign object” – a psychological risk first noticed in China where the recipient asked doctors to remove the organ because of his discomfort with the unfamiliar body part.
There are reports that research is on to create lab-grown penises that would theoretically have a lower likelihood of rejection and carry fewer stigmas than organs from deceased donors.
