MARYLAND — A wounded veteran is set to receive a penis transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital, a procedure that has never been done in the United States.
The 12-hour procedure will take a 30 person team. The surgeons will connect key nerves and blood vessels to restore both urinary and sexual function to the hero.
The transplant procedure would allow military servicemen who have suffered injuries to their genitals, called genitourinary injuries, to regain function. The surgeons plan to perform 60 operations and closely monitor the results to judge whether the surgery can become a standard treatment.
From Fox5: “The procedure was successfully completed in South Africa last year on a patient to repair a botched circumcision. And a few months after the transplant, that person was able to biologically father a child.
Dr. Richard Redett is one of eight surgeons on the team and he says it’s difficult to understand what it’s like to live with these issues until you meet someone who is dealing with it. And once you meet that person, it is easy to understand why this surgery needs to be done.
The first procedure will involve a penis donated by a young deceased donor with the family’s permission. And according to the surgical team, they hope the veteran will regain sensation within the next year.”
(File photo via RT)
