Reconstructive surgeons in the Boston based Massachusetts General Hospital performed the first ever penis transplant in the United States last week. The surgery, which took place on May 8th and 9th, took some 15 hours to complete. The surgeons used the penis of a deceased organ donor. Now that the procedure is complete, the patient has said he is experiencing only mild pain and is feeling optimistic.
Albeit, at this point, the surgery is still considered an experimental procedure. The doctors have described it as being “uncharted waters,” and are hoping for the best but cannot yet make any promises. The patient agreed to allow them to perform the procedure, saying, “I want to go back to being who I was.” He is a cancer patient who reportedly lost his penis due to the disease.
The patient has expressed a remarkable openness about the procedure, claiming he wanted to debunk the stigma behind injuries and diseases that affect the genitals. He said he wanted to be the image of hope for those who had undergone a similarly traumatic experience as the one that he had.
While it’s too early to tell whether the procedure was a complete success, the doctors have said they are tentatively confident, claiming that he should be able to undergo normal urination within a matter of weeks and should also be able to perform sexually within months. If the procedure does end up being entirely successful, this could pave the way for reconstructive surgeries for injured veterans, cancer patients, victims of accidents and more.
Despite a lack of empirical data regarding whether or not there are side effects from the surgery, there is already a number of patients set to undergo the same operation in different parts of the country. Among those is a burn victim who will be given the same operation as a group of doctors agree to it. There’s also already a waiting list at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
The cost of the procedure has been estimated to amount to somewhere between $50,000 and $75,000, although for the first procedure, physicians have reportedly donated their time for the sake of innovation and the hospitals have paid for the expenses.
There’s only been one other successful transplant in history, the result of which had led to the patient having a child. This was in 2014 in South Africa. There was also a failed operation in China in 2006.
This operation will likely pick up momentum and become more common in the coming years, assuming the success of this past procedure. That said, it’s always best to be proactive and prevent this from ever being necessary in the first place. If you think it’s about time for a checkup, you should contact the urologist NYC depends on. Luzato Medical Group has the answers to all of your urological problems. Our specialists can help you with problems of erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, prostate examinations, testicular cancer testing and more. To schedule an appointment, give us a call today at 212-661-7003.