Massachusetts Man Receives First US Penis Transplant

Thomas Manning (photo: Massachusetts General Hospital)

A Massachusetts cancer patient has become the first man to receive a penis transplant in the United States.

After a nearly 15 hour operation, 64 year-old Thomas Manning appears to be recovering well and there are no signs of rejection. Most of Manning's penis was removed during his bout with cancer four years ago.

From USA Today:

“Today I begin a new chapter filled with personal hope and hope for others who have suffered genital injuries, particularly for our servicemembers who put their lives on the line and suffer serious damage as a result,” Manning said in a statement.

Manning, a bank courier in Halifax, Mass., underwent the operation on May 8 and 9. The surgeons who led the 15-hour procedure, Curtis Cetrulo and Dickens Ko, said they were "cautiously optimistic" Manning will regain full urinary and sexual function.

"He's doing well so far," Cetrulo said at a news conference Monday. "He is up and out of bed. Emotionally he's doing amazingly well. He's a very positive person."

Manning has been cancer free for about four years, the physicians said. He is not married but said the transplant could help make such a relationship possible.

The first ever penis transplant in the world took place in Africa in December 2014.