Johns Hopkins University is preparing to perform a penis transplant to a U.S. veteran, who lost most of his penis during a bomb explosion while deployed overseas. If the operation succeeds, 60 other servicemen with the same injuries might receive the same surgery.
The operation will occur in the coming weeks once doctors find the perfect match, according to Reuters. First, surgeons need to evaluate a recently deceased man and if they will find the cadaver a perfect candidate, they need to ask permission from the family.
However, according to Carisa Cooney, clinical research manager, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, although the operation goes according to plan, there is no guarantee that the attached penis can provide full function including urination, sensation and sex. "We can't guarantee the outcome or the extent of urinary function, erection and ability to have sexual intercourse or have children," she said to ABC news.
It was in December when the hospital announced its plan to conduct a penis transplant after they found out that between 2001 and 2013, around 1,367 soldiers suffered wounds to the genitals in Iraq or Afghanistan. Hence, they want to give hope to these soldiers and help them live a normal life. "When you meet these guys and you realize what they've given for the country, it makes a lot of sense," Dr. Richard Redett, a plastic surgeon at the hospital who will help perform the operation, said.
Actually, this will not be the first penis transplant worldwide. In 2014, a man from South Africa successfully underwent to the operation and had his partner impregnate shortly. While a man from China had an unsuccessful surgery in 2006.
The said transplant is only being offered to the injured soldiers. But if the effort succeeds, doctors said the operation could be applied to men with birth defects.
