First Male Genital Transplant in the U.S.

The first male genital transplant surgery has been performed in the United States. According to the New York Times, 64-year-old Thomas Manning, who had to undergo amputation of his genitalia due to cancer treatment, is the first man in the U.S. to receive a transplanted penis. The surgery, which lasted fifteen hours, took place at a hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Manning told the New York Times reporter that "I wanted to be who I was before." Dr. Curtis Stratton, the plastic surgeon and leader of the surgical team, stated that "we are cautiously optimistic." He added that there are still many unknowns for us. This surgery is part of a research program aimed at helping injured soldiers, cancer patients, and road accident survivors who have suffered severe injuries to the pelvic area. According to Dr. Stratton, if all goes well, Mr. Manning will be able to urinate normally in a few weeks and will be able to engage in sexual intercourse within a few months. According to Fox News, Thomas Manning had to have his penis amputated when he learned he had penile cancer. However, he decided to speak publicly about his illness and his transplant surgery to eliminate the "shame and stigma associated with genital diseases" and to let other men know that there are ways to reconstruct lost body parts. "Don't hide behind a rock," is what he said in an interview with the New York Times. The next patient awaiting a transplant is a man whose penis was burned and destroyed in a car accident fire. The cost of this surgery is estimated to be between $50,000 and $70,000, which has been covered by the hospital, and the surgical team doctors have volunteered to perform the procedure for free. Previously, only two male genital surgeries had been performed in the world: one unsuccessful case in China in 2006 and one successful case in South Africa in 2014.