For the first time ever in the U.S., a man has received a penis transplant. The recipient was Thomas Manning, a 64-year-old man from Massachusetts whose penis was removed due to cancer. After the work of a dozen surgeons and approximately 30 health care workers, the surgery was a success, and Manning reports only slight pain.
The experimental surgery is a part of a research program that hopes to one day help combat veterans with severe pelvic injuries, cancer patients and accident victims. As of now, Manning's transplanted penis has begun to receive regular blood flow and shows no signs of infection or rejection by his body.
"If all goes as planned, normal urination should be possible for Mr. Manning within a few weeks, and sexual function in weeks to months," said Curtis Cetrulo, one of the doctors who led the surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Mr. Manning welcomed questions and said he wanted to speak out publicly to help dispel the shame and stigma associated with genital cancers and injuries and to let other men know there was hope of having normal anatomy restored."
After Manning discovered that he had penile cancer in 2012 and underwent the amputation, he was unable to date and fell into a depression.
"I couldn't have a relationship with anybody," he said. "You can't tell a woman, 'I had a penis amputation.'"
Although some of those close to him suggested that he keep the penis transplant operation a secret, Manning opted to remain open and optimistic.
"I didn't advertise, but if people asked, I told them the truth," he said.
The surgery took more than three years of planning, with the team of doctors using cadavers to practice dissection, as well as the attachment and removal of tissue. Manning waited two weeks on the donor list to find someone with matching skin tone and blood type.
Although penile cancer is rare, with just 2,030 cases reported in the U.S. this year, the surgery's success opens up doors for treating veterans and soldiers that have suffered genital damage.
The team of doctors that performed the groundbreaking surgery has another patient waiting on a similar one, although a donor must first be found before the operation can proceed.
