Penis transplantation
Encyclopedia
Penis transplantation is a surgical transplant
procedure in which a penis
is transplanted to a patient. The penis may be an allograft from a human donor, or it may be grown artificially, though the latter is untested in humans. Peripheral transplant procedures such as hand
, face
, or penis transplant surgery are controversial because they are not necessary to ensure the life of the patient.
, China
. The patient, a 44-year-old male, had sustained the loss of most of his penis in an accident. The transplanted penis came from a brain-dead 22-year-old male. Although successful, the patient and his wife suffered psychological trauma
as a result of the procedure, and had the surgery reversed fifteen days later. Following this, Jean-Michel Dubernard
, famous for performing the world's first face transplant
, wrote that the case "raises many questions and has some critics". He alluded to a double standard writing, "I cannot imagine what would have been the reactions of the medical profession, ethics specialists, and the media if a European surgical team had performed the same operation." An example of a critic is Piet Hoebeke, a reconstructive urologist in Belgium, who wrote a letter that raised the question of whether or not ethics committees were involved, and criticised the group for the follow-up time of only 15 days, asserting that successful voiding at 2 weeks is not predictive of long-term outcomes, and even that inadequate arterial anastomoses might not manifest themselves in this time. The hospital which performed the first transplantation later issued a set of guidelines which amongst other considerations "recommended that the procedure be restricted to individuals with severe injuries who are unwilling to undergo traditional reconstructive surgery", according to a mini-review of the ethical issues surrounding penis transplantation published in the Asian Journal of Andrology. http://www.nature.com/aja/journal/v12/n6/full/aja201088a.html
's penis with one grown in a laboratory. The penises were grown on a matrix
from the rabbit's own cells, and contained nerves and blood vessels allowing them to become fully functional.
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
procedure in which a penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
is transplanted to a patient. The penis may be an allograft from a human donor, or it may be grown artificially, though the latter is untested in humans. Peripheral transplant procedures such as hand
Hand transplant
Hand transplantation is a surgical procedure to transplant a hand from one human to another.The operation is carried out in the following order: bone fixation, tendon repair, artery repair, nerve repair, then vein repair. The operation typically lasts 8 to 12 hours...
, face
Face transplant
A face transplant is a still-experimental procedure to replace all or part of a person's face. The world's first full face transplant was completed in Spain in 2010.-Beneficiaries of face transplant:...
, or penis transplant surgery are controversial because they are not necessary to ensure the life of the patient.
Allotransplant procedure
The first successful procedure was performed in September 2006, at a military hospital in GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The patient, a 44-year-old male, had sustained the loss of most of his penis in an accident. The transplanted penis came from a brain-dead 22-year-old male. Although successful, the patient and his wife suffered psychological trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
as a result of the procedure, and had the surgery reversed fifteen days later. Following this, Jean-Michel Dubernard
Jean-Michel Dubernard
Jean-Michel Dubernerd is a medical doctor specializing in transplant surgery, as well as a former Deputy in the French National Assembly.Dr...
, famous for performing the world's first face transplant
Face transplant
A face transplant is a still-experimental procedure to replace all or part of a person's face. The world's first full face transplant was completed in Spain in 2010.-Beneficiaries of face transplant:...
, wrote that the case "raises many questions and has some critics". He alluded to a double standard writing, "I cannot imagine what would have been the reactions of the medical profession, ethics specialists, and the media if a European surgical team had performed the same operation." An example of a critic is Piet Hoebeke, a reconstructive urologist in Belgium, who wrote a letter that raised the question of whether or not ethics committees were involved, and criticised the group for the follow-up time of only 15 days, asserting that successful voiding at 2 weeks is not predictive of long-term outcomes, and even that inadequate arterial anastomoses might not manifest themselves in this time. The hospital which performed the first transplantation later issued a set of guidelines which amongst other considerations "recommended that the procedure be restricted to individuals with severe injuries who are unwilling to undergo traditional reconstructive surgery", according to a mini-review of the ethical issues surrounding penis transplantation published in the Asian Journal of Andrology. http://www.nature.com/aja/journal/v12/n6/full/aja201088a.html
Lab-grown penis
In 2006 researchers succeeded in replacing a rabbitRabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
's penis with one grown in a laboratory. The penises were grown on a matrix
Matrix (biology)
In biology, matrix is the material between animal or plant cells, in which more specialized structures are embedded, and a specific part of the mitochondrion that is the site of oxidation of organic molecules. The internal structure of connective tissues is an extracellular matrix...
from the rabbit's own cells, and contained nerves and blood vessels allowing them to become fully functional.