Soldier to become first person in US to have penis transplant
The procedure could open up opportunities for other veterans with similar injuries
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Johns Hopkins University has selected a wounded soldier as a patient for the country's first penis transplant, Reuters reported Thursday. The university announced its intention, in December, to perform the first surgery of this kind in the United States, and surgeons there have been practicing the 12-hour procedure on cadavers to prepare for their patients.
The surgery could take place within the next few weeks, pending the selection of a donor of the right age and skin color and permission of their next of kin. The potential stigma surrounding penis donation is one of the biggest problem for Johns Hopkins to overcome. In fact, the medical team has expressed concern that the very existence of penis transplants in the United States may discourage some individuals from donating any of their organs. For now, penile donation is strictly opt-in.
The first successful penis transplant was performed last year in South Africa, and has resulted in a child for the recipient. In South Africa, the procedure was developed to help men injured during ritual circumcisions, which are common in the country's Xhosa tribe.
In the United States, the target demographic for the surgery will be wounded veterans. The Defense Department's Trauma Registry reports that 1,367 military servicemen sustained injuries to the genitals between 2011 and 2013 in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The anonymous first patient is a soldier who lost most of his penis in an explosion overseas. More than 60 other potential patients — all of them wounded servicemen — are waiting in the wings to follow.
“These are very important in terms of giving back a sense of self,” Carisa Cooney, clinical research manager of the Johns Hopkins Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, told The Washington Post in December.
The surgery is meant to restore sexual function as well as heal the psychological trauma of severe genital injury. But it comes with risk: In addition to the grueling surgery and a lifetime of medication to keep the immune system from rejecting the new organ, patients must prepare for the possibility that their transplant will make their emotional anguish worse. Before South Africa's successful surgery, the world's first transplant in China ended in the patient asking for the new penis to be removed. The presence of the unfamiliar, donated organ was too disturbing.
It's possible that the surgery, once developed, could help people with congenital deficiencies or even be adapted for transgender people seeking sex reassignment. For now, Johns Hopkins will perfect the surgery solely on veterans injured in the line of duty — men who are ineligible for less drastic surgical fixes, eager to participate and who understand the risks.
The Washington Post
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments