Andre van-der-Merwe, Head of Urology at the University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch (Cape Town), on Friday confirmed that the recipient of the world’s first successful penis transplant has fathered a child.
The Urologist said it was the world first penis transplant, with long-term success, an indication that the operation worked.
van-der-Merwe said the girlfriend of the 22-year-old South African man, whose identity was been protected, was four months pregnant.
He said the young man’s penis was amputated three years ago, after a botched traditional circumcision which was carried out in a rural setting without doctors.
van-der-Merwe said the man received a penile transplant in December, but the operation was only announced in March.
A penile prosthesis was another treatment option for men with erectile dysfunction, and the devices were either malleable (bendable) or inflatable.
Medical experts noted that more than 250 penile amputations take place in South Africa each year due to botched circumcisions.
