Surgeons perform world’s first successful penis transplant

Sometimes, bad things happen unexpectedly—we take a nasty tumble down the stairs, or burn a piece of toast. And very occasionally, a circumcision goes awry, necessitating the chopping off of your penis.

 

Such was the case with a 21-year-old in South Africa, who lost a majority of his penis courtesy of a botched circumcision. Thankfully, science has advanced enough to allow such a ghastly mishap to end on a happier note. A pioneering surgical team in Cape Town has just announced the world’s first successful penile transplant, a procedure that has saved the unfortunate man a lifetime of agony.

 

A long, hard process

 

The man, who remains unnamed to protect his identity, was a sexually active 18-year-old when the horrific incident took place. The circumcision, which is part of a traditional South African ceremony initiating boys into adulthood, led to severe complications. To save his life, the penis had to be amputated, leaving only a centimeter-long stump on his groin.

 

It took the surgeons from Stellenbosch University (SU) and Tygerberg Hospital a total of nine hours to attach the donated penis to said stump.

 

“This is definitely much more difficult, the blood vessels are 1.5mm wide. In the kidney it can be 1cm,” said Andre Van der Merwe, the procedure’s lead surgeon who, on ordinary days, carries out kidney transplants.

 

The doctors employed a technique that was initially developed for the first face transplant.

 

“We used the same type of microscopic surgery to connect small blood vessels and nerves, and the psychological evaluation of patients was also similar,” explained Van der Merwe. “The procedure has to be sustainable and has to work in our environment at Tygerberg.”

 

A massive breakthrough

 

The operation was performed on December 11, 2014. Since then, the penis recipient has been recovering at a remarkable rate. He is now able to urinate, achieve an erection, reach orgasm, and ejaculate, though the doctors say it will take another two years before full sensation returns to his new organ.

 

“Our goal was that he would be fully functional at two years and we are very surprised by his rapid recovery,” said Van der Merwe.

 

“South Africa remains at the forefront of medical progress,” stated Jimmy Volmink, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) at Stellenbosch University . “This procedure is another excellent example of how medical research, technical know-how and patient-centered care can be combined in the quest to relieve human suffering. It shows what can be achieved through effective partnerships between academic institutions and government health services.”

 

“It’s a massive breakthrough,” said SU FMHS’ head of the Division of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, Frank Graewe. “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. It was a privilege to be part of this first successful penis transplant in the world.”

 

The transplanted penis is uncircumcised.

 

A history of severed penises

 

“There is a greater need in South Africa for this type of procedure than elsewhere in the world, as many young men lose their penises every year due to complications from traditional circumcision,” Van der Merwe explained.

 

According to one study, the Eastern Cape alone has seen around 55 cases of penile amputations resulting from failed circumcisions. According to experts, this could mean a yearly total of 250 amputations across the country.

 

“This is a very serious situation,” said Van der Merwe. “For a young man of 18 or 19 years the loss of his penis can be deeply traumatic. He doesn’t necessarily have the psychological capability to process this. There are even reports of suicide among these young men.”

 

One of the most difficult aspects of the operation was finding someone willing to donate his penis to a complete stranger. In this particular case, the donor was a fresh corpse.

 

“The heroes in all of this for me are the donor, and his family,” said Van der Merwe. “They saved the lives of many people because they donated the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, skin, corneas, and then the penis.”

 

Similar procedures have been attempted before, but the penises were reportedly eventually rejected by the patients' bodies.

 

The doctors aim to use the procedure to treat men who have lost their penises to cancer, and even as a last-resort solution to extreme erectile dysfunction. Nine more patients will undergo the surgery as part of a study to develop a feasible method of transplanting penises in common South African hospital operating suites. — TJD, GMA News