A team of doctors in South Africa have for the first time ever successfully concluded a penis transplant on a 21-year-old patient, reported The Independent newspaper. The man, whose identity is being protected, lost his penis in a circumcision gone wrong. He was 18 and sexually active when the incident happened. He is now able to urinate, have an erection and orgasm.
In parts of South Africa it's common for boys to be circumcised, to mark their transition from boyhood into manhood.
The operation, which unlike a heart transplant is not life saving, has been the target of intense discussion among the medical community. In China one such procedure went fine, but the penis was later rejected.
Doctor Andre Van der Merwe, who normally performs kidney surgeries, spoke to the BBC about the operation's complexity: "This is definitely much more difficult, the blood vessels are 1.5 mm wide. In the kidney it can be 1 cm," he said.
Demand for penis transplants in South Africa is among the biggest in the world, as dozens of young men are maimed or killed in initiation ceremonies every year.
Even after the successful transplant Dr Van der Merme said the patient will now have to deal with the psychological effects of having a donated penis: "Psychologically, we knew it would have a massive effect on the ego," he said.
More penis transplants are expected to take in place in South Africa in three months time.