An American former serviceman who suffered injuries from an improvised explosive device while in Afghanistan has become the world's first person to receive a full transplant of a penis and scrotum, Johns Hopkins Hospital announced Monday.
The soldier, whose branch of service has not been identified, lost both of his legs above the knee, his penis and surrounding area, when the IED detonated.
"We are hopeful that this transplant will help restore near-normal urinary and sexual functions for this young man," said W.P. Andrew Lee, M.D., a professor and director of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“He is expected to be discharged from the hospital this week, and we are optimistic that he will regain near-normal urinary and sexual functions following full recovery,” Dr. Lee added. “For reasons that we can all understand, the patient wishes to remain anonymous and requests to have his privacy respected.”
Doctors are hopeful the patient's full reproductive functions will return within six months.
“It’s a real mind-boggling injury to suffer, it is not an easy one to accept,” said the patient in a statement released by Johns Hopkins. “When I first woke up, I felt finally more normal… a level of confidence as well. Confidence… like finally I’m okay now.”
