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The New York Times reports that Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland has decided to perform up to 60 penis transplants on "men injured in combat."
The operation is experimental, and only two previous attempts have been reported: an unsuccessful one in China, and a successful one in South Africa. Because the procedure is so rare, the medical team will be seeking explicit consent from the families of organ donors, who may not have contemplated the use of their penises in this manner. One physician noted that, should the transplantation program meet with success, there will be interest in the surgery by transgender people.
A Department of Defense database shows that "from 2001 to 2013, 1,367 men in military service suffered wounds to the genitals in Iraq or Afghanistan."
additional coverage:
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bradley13 on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:40AM
I don't quite understand the priorities here. AFAIK, to prevent rejection of a transplant, you have to take some pretty nasty medication to suppress your immune system, with all sorts of serious consequences. It is worth seriously screwing up your health to get a half-functioning penis? The priorities here seem wrong...
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:59AM
Leave it to a geek to fail to understand the value of a penis.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:09AM
I'm too busy coding to notice my penis is missing. I hope I still have a urethra because I drank too many energy drinks and now I need to piss.
(Score: 3, Touché) by kaganar on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:06PM
Would you rather lose your legs, or have surgery performed and an immunosuppressant administered? In today's society you certainly don't need your legs. Sure, they're helpful, but functionally they're really not needed. Yes, you do lose certain functionality, there is a social stigma, you will not enjoy activities you used to enjoy, activities which you in fact have a natural propensity to enjoy, and it's likely you'll feel like the freak in the room.
Seems like a pretty easy-to-understand quality-of-life issue. It may be sad that there's a lot of social problems associated with losing your legs, but it's far easier to change yourself than society, and flesh-and-blood is better understood than emotions-and-neurons.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:29PM
As mentioned in the summary, this operation was done successfully in South Africa. The South African patient "was reported to have recovered function in the organ, including urination, erection, orgasm and ejaculation, but sensation is expected to take two years to return fully," says Wikipedia, citing these news reports:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/penis-transplant-successfully-performed-in-south-africa-1.2993991 [www.cbc.ca]
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-31876219 [bbc.com]
(Score: 2) by Mr Big in the Pants on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:52PM
I think you need to reevaluate people's biological motivators. They are incredibly strong to the point of insanity at times.
Not having a penis means you are "not a man" - you would have to pee sitting down. It means you cannot procreate -at least not naturally and assuming you still have functioning testes.
While I agree that a rational robot might decide that it is better to go through life with this "small" inconvenience, an irrational human may not come to the same conclusion.
I would like to see the end long term result. Many external transplants end up looking like horror shows. While they may want the idea of a new penis, the reality could be less than ideal...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 18 2015, @12:12AM
It isn't just about "being a man." Sex is how people connect emotionally. Without a dick, that intimate connection becomes orders of magnitude more difficult. Lack of sex can destroy a relationship.
(Score: 2) by morgauxo on Friday December 18 2015, @03:06PM
Well.. fortunately for these patients a penis isn't exactly a pretty thing anyway. Attraction by appearance is mostly on the female side of our species. Even most straight women will agree with that.
(Score: 2) by Common Joe on Friday December 18 2015, @09:49AM
Cracked isn't a great source for news, but sometimes they have some interesting articles. This article [cracked.com] gives a first person point of view about a guy who had his surgically removed because of cancer. It might help you understand the "need" or desire for a functional penis. I found the first section "Your personality changes" bit most interesting. (It probably inadvertently gives insight into how transgenders feel.)
Is it worth the nasty meds and surgeries? That's a really great question. I'm not sure if there's a one-size-fits-all answer. Personally, I can't imagine myself walking around with another guy's junk attached to my body, but I've never been put in a position to need to make a choice like that.