Massachusetts General Hospital successfully performed a penis transplant for Thomas Manning on May 13.
Image shows Thomas Manning in the hospital after a successful penis transplant
In the picture above, the lucky recipient gives a thumbs up after being asked how he was feeling following the first penis transplant in Boston, U.S.A.
A statement from the hospital confirms that patient is recovering well.
The organ was transplanted from a deceased donor.
Reports say that during a 15-hour procedure, “surgeons connected the intricate vascular and nerve structures of a donor penis with those of the 64-year-old transplant recipient.”
A surgical team led by Curtis Cetrulo and Dickens Ko handled the procedure.
After the break-through, MGH hosted a news conference the following morning “to discuss this surgical milestone and the promise this technique holds for helping patients with devastating genitourinary injuries and disease,” spokesman Noah R. Brown said.
The recipient, Thomas Manning is a 64-year-old bank courier from Halifax, Massachusetts who lost his penis to cancer. His 15-hour transplant operation took place on May 8 and 9, according to reports.
In an interview with the Times, he said: “I want to go back to being who I was.” He says he’s feeling good and haven’t experienced any pain at all.
"This surgery is experimental, part of a research program with the ultimate goal of helping combat veterans with severe pelvic injuries, as well as cancer patients and accident victims, the Times reported. "If all goes as planned, normal urination should be possible for Manning within a few weeks, and sexual function in weeks to months," the report added.
Dr. Curtis L. Cetrulo (a renowned Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon) who also led the surgical team during transplant said: “We’re cautiously optimistic.”
“It’s uncharted waters for us,” he added in a statement.
Image: Dr. Dicken Ko, left, and Dr. Curtis L. Cetrulo, leaders of the surgical team, at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Manning has a piece of advice for those men who may have his kind of problem, “Don’t hide behind a rock,” he said.
Notwithstanding the successful transplant, the recipient said he doesn’t have the courage to look at his “Willy” yet. Not too bad, though. Time will come but now is the time to rejoice.
History confirms there are only two other penis transplants in the world: a failed one in China (2006) and a successful one in South Africa (2014). The South African recipient later fathered a child.
Doctors who performed the penis transplant said Thomas Manning will have to take “an anti-rejection drug” for the rest of his life.
You must log in to post a comment.