Doctors performed the first full transplant of a penis and scrotum

Surgeons at Johns Hopkins performed the first full transplant of the penis and scrotum for a wounded soldier. About the same time the hospital announced on Monday. Over the past few years there have been several transplants penis, but this is the most large-scale of tissue damage in the groin area and pelvis.

The soldier, whose name was not reported, lost his genitals following the detonation of an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. On the operating table, he spent 14 hours. All this time the team of 11 surgeons transplanted patient the penis, scrotum and part of the abdominal wall. They connected the urethra, arteries, blood vessels, muscles and nerves.

Andrew Lee, head of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, hopes that this transplant will help to restore normal urinary and sexual function for the injured soldier. The patient says that such a terrible trauma is not easy to accept, but after surgery, he was finally able to feel that he was okay.

It is worth noting that such injuries can restore the penis using body tissue, but in such cases, patients require implant to get an erection. In this case, significantly increases the risk of infection.

For such a large-scale transplantation scientists prepared about 5 years. In the future they will be able to use this technique to help other veterans. According to research presented by colleagues from Business Insider, 1367 soldiers were injured reproductive organs in the period from October 2001 to August 2013. 31% of these injuries affected the penis.

It seems that now and in severe cases, surgeons will be able to help if they will be able to find a donor.

Doctors performed the first full transplant of a penis and scrotum
Ernest Vasilevskiy


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