First Penis, Scrotum Transplant Done In U.S

Doctors at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, have performed the world’s first penis and scrotum transplant.

The team of 11 surgeons rebuilt the entire pelvic region of a United State (US) military serviceman who lost his genitals after he stepped on a hidden bomb during a war in Afghanistan, by replacing it with that of a deceased donor.

Dr WP Andrew Lee, head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Johns Hopkins University, during a briefing on Monday, described the genitalia wounds as “unspoken injury of war”, adding that it has a devastating impact on men’s identity, self-esteem and intimate relationships.

According to reports, the serviceman who preferred to be anonymous said he “felt finally more normal” after he regained consciousness from the operation.

“It’s a real mind-boggling injury to suffer; it is not an easy one to accept,” he said.

The patient who is to be discharged this week is said to regain “near-normal” urinary and sexual functions as he recovers over the coming months.

Meanwhile, the testicles of the victim were not restored to avoid the transmission of genetic material from the donor of the transplanted tissue to the recipient’s offspring.

This is the first surgery performed on a war veteran injured on duty and also first to transplant a complete section of tissue including the scrotum and surrounding abdominal area.