South Africa claims first successful penis transplant

South Africa claims first successful penis transplant

South African doctors have confirmed that they performed the world’s first
successful penis transplant, three months after conducting the ground-breaking
operation.
The 21-year-old patient had his penis amputated three years ago after a botched
circumcision at a traditional initiation ceremony.
In a nine-hour operation at the Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town on December 11
last year, he received his new penis from a deceased donor.
“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,” said Professor Frank Graewe, head of plastic
reconstructive surgery at Stellenbosch University.
“It was a privilege to be part of this first successful penis transplant in the world.”
Doctors said the man, whose identity has not been disclosed, has made a
full recovery since the operation and had regained all his urinary and reproductive
functions.
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.”