Surgery took place six months ago.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: The recipient of the world’s first successful penis transplant will soon be a father, according to the South African outlet News24.
The surgery took place six months ago after the 21-year-old lost his own organ after a botched ceremonial circumcision after which infection ensued.
Stellenbosch University urologist, Prof. Andre van der Merwe, who led the surgical team, explained at a March news conference that South Africa has a particular need for such a surgery: Members of the Xhosa ethnic group often practice adult circumcision, and poor sanitation leads to some 250 amputations every year.
In order to use the penis that has now facilitated a legitimate pregnancy, van der Merwe’s team had to fashion a new one out of abdominal skin for the deceased donor to be buried with, reported the Washington Post.
However, donors may not be necessary all one day in the future. Last year, researchers reported progress on lab-grown penises built with the recipient’s own cells to avoid the biological hurdle of organ rejection.
The man is still under observation as the team check for possible improvements to be made for future operations to improve the man’s new organ, which could take place as early as mid-August, disclosed news24.
According to an earlier report by the Washington Post, Chinese patient could have been the first successful recipient of a new penis in 2006, were it not for the psychological trauma that led him to ask doctors to remove his new organ after just 10 days.