Update: Thomas Manning, the first recipient of a penis transplant in the U.S., was finally allowed to leave the hospital on June 1. Continue to our original story below to learn more about the surgery.
This article was originally published on May 16, 2016.
Thomas Manning, a 64-year-old man from Halifax, MA, lost his penis during treatment for an aggressive penile cancer. But as of this month, he's the first American recipient of an experimental penis transplant, the New York Times reports.
The transplanted penis came from a deceased donor. According to his doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital, Manning should be able to urinate using the transplant within a few weeks. And sexual function should be possible within months.
“Today I begin a new chapter filled with personal hope and hope for others who have suffered genital injuries, particularly for our servicemembers who put their lives on the line and suffer serious damage as a result,” Manning said in a statement.
Another patient, who lost his penis in a car accident, is ready for a transplant as soon as a matching donor is available.
Although this is the first successful penis transplant in the U.S., the first to ever be successfully completed took place last year in South Africa. About a decade before that, a Chinese man had a penis transplant, but had the organ removed after just two weeks. Researchers are also working hard on creating lab-grown penises to use instead of donor organs, hopefully cutting down the wait time for many patients.
According to USA Today, doctors are hopeful that this surgical technique, once perfected, could soon help soldiers suffering from similar injuries after being wounded by IEDs.