The world’s first penis transplant performed in South African has been declared a success.
The 21-year-old patient had his original organ amputated after undergoing a traditional circumcision which left him with life threatening health complications.
The patient received a new Penis after a grueling 9 hour surgery at the Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town on December 3rd and three three months later Doctors say the man has regained all his urinary and reproductive functions.
The organ he received was from a deceased donor, however Doctors had a difficult time trying to get a perfect donor, only once they fashioned a penis for the donor did they get approvals.
Doctors at the Stellenbosch University say the man, whose identity has not been disclosed, has made a full recovery since the operation on December 11 and had regained all his urinary and reproductive functions.
Circumcisions are performed on boys and young men as a rite of passage to adulthood in some rural parts of South Africa ans most parts of Africa.
Experts estimate that there could be as many as 250 penis amputations a year in South Africa because of botched circumcisions.
The university said it was planning for nine more patients to receive penis transplants.
In 2006, a Chinese man had a penis transplant but his doctors removed the organ after two weeks due to “a severe psychological problem of the recipient and his wife”.
