First penis transplant in S Africa successful

The world’s first successful penis transplant has been reported by a surgical team in South Africa.
The 21-year-old recipient, whose has remained anomymous, lost his penis in a botched circumcision.
Doctors in Cape Town said the operation was a success and the patient was happy and healthy.
The team said there was extensive discussion about whether the operation was ethical.
There have been attempts before, including one in China. Accounts suggested the operation went fine, but the penis was later rejected.
Penis replacement
The man was 18 and already sexually active when he had the circumcision.
The procedure is part of the transition from boyhood to adulthood in parts of South Africa.
The boy was left with just 1cm of his original penis.
Doctors say South Africa has some of the greatest need for penis transplants anywhere in the world.
Dozens, although some say hundreds, of boys are maimed or die each year during traditional initiation ceremonies.
Surgeons at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital performed a nine-hour operation to attach a donated penis.
One of the surgeons, Andre Van der Merwe, who normally performs kidney transplants, told the BBC News website: “This is definitely much more difficult, the blood vessels are 1.5 mm wide. In the kidney it can be 1 cm.”
The team used some of the techniques that had been developed to perform the first face transplants in order to connect the tiny blood vessels and nerves.
The operation took place on 11 December 2014. Three months later doctors say the recovery has been rapid.
Full sensation has not returned and doctors suggest this could take two years.
However, the man is able to pass urine, have an erection, orgasm and ejaculate.
Credit: BBC