Thomas Manning became the first man to have a penis transplant in the United States, NBC News reports. The Halifax, Massachusetts, resident had the surgery on May 8 and May 9, according to the New York Times.
“Earlier this month during a 15-hour procedure, surgeons connected the intricate vascular and nerve structures of a donor penis with those of the 64-year-old transplant recipient,” the Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement on Monday, May 16, of the experimental operation. “The patient continues to recover well.”
Manning, whose penis was amputated in 2012 after he was diagnosed with cancer, opened up about his recovery in an interview with the NYT. “I want to go back to being who I was,” he said on Friday, May 13.
The bank courier also revealed that he came forward to encourage others who may be going through the same ordeal. He warned: “Don’t hide behind a rock.”
The organ was harvested from a deceased donor, the NYT reports. Dr. Curtis L. Cetrulo, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, said that Manning will have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life. He will be able to urinate normally in a few weeks and will return to normal sexual function in a few months.
“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Dr. Cetrulo said. “It’s uncharted waters for us.”
According to NBC, the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa claimed to have performed a penis transplant last year. The unidentified 21-year-old man, who had his penis amputated following a botched circumcision in his late teens, went on to father a child.