CAPE TOWN (Web Desk) – A South African man who had the world’s first successful penis transplant last December has impregnated his girlfriend, the doctor who led the surgery has told Reuters.
Dr Andre van der Merwe of Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa, said that his patient told him the woman is about four months pregnant.
The 22-year-old man, who has not been named, is among around 250 South Africans who lose their penises each year in botched traditional circumcisions. The man’s first penis was amputated as a life-saving measure after severe complications arose from a circumcision performed as part of a coming-of-age ceremony.
The nine-hour transplant operation formed part of a pilot study by Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town and the University of Stellenbosch. The patient was sexually active five weeks later.
“To us it means we are ticking most of the boxes where this guy can stand and urinate normally, can have sexual intercourse and his penis function has recovered completely,” Andre van der Merwe, who led the surgical team said. “Now to have children is the last thing we wanted,” he added.
His was the second penis transplant attempted. The first one, in China, ended when the recipient suffered a severe psychological reaction and requested it be removed.
