A 24-year-old South African man whose penis was amputated three years ago has undergone the first successful penis transplant ever. Doctors say the man is able to urinate, get an erection, ejaculate, and engage in normal sexual activity.
Surgeons at Stellenbosch University in South Africa performed the operation.
“It’s a massive breakthrough. We’ve proved that it can be done – we can give someone an organ that is just as good as the one that he had,” Professor Frank Graewe, one of the assisting surgeons, said in a statement.
The patient underwent the nine-hour operation in mid-December. The surgical team reports that it was pleasantly surprised to learn that the patient had regained full function of his new penis so quickly. (They had initially estimated a two-year recovery time.)
Stellenbosch University reports that the patient’s identity is being kept confidential from the press. However, they will say that his original penis had to be amputated after he developed severe complications following a traditional circumcision. They add that penile amputations performed for this reason are not uncommon for the region.
The penis used for the transplant surgery was donated by the family of a deceased man. According to Stellenbosch University, nine more men are slated to undergo the operation. If all goes well, the procedure could also be a game changer for men with penile cancer.
Source: Stellenbosch University
