War causes many casualties. While deaths often eat up the most headlines, many casualties actually survive, but the veterans themselves are left permanently wounded. Limbs are frequently lost, and many veterans have lost their genitals from horrendous improvised explosive devices. Obviously, such injuries are life-changing, but one male veteran may get part of his life restored after receiving the first-ever successful genital transplant. Doctors are hopeful that the veteran, whose identity will remain anonymous, will be able to enjoy full functionality, both in terms of going to the bathroom and sex. It took a team of 11 doctors roughly 14 hours to complete the surgery.
The surgery marked the first for a successful scrotum and penis transplant. Previously, individual parts of the male genitalia have been transplanted. However, in this case, the testes of the donor were removed before the surgery owing to ethical concerns.
While the patient’s identity remains (rightly) protected, he did release a statement discussing his injury: “It’s a real mind-boggling injury to suffer; it is not an easy one to accept. When I first woke up, I felt finally more normal.” The surgery was estimated to have cost as much as $400,000. Most of the costs were covered by the hospital rather than insurance or the VA Department. The surgery was possible following years of research and work with cadavers. Two nerves, three arteries, and four veins had to be connected to allow for blood flow and sensation.
The patient also received a bone marrow transfusion and will be placed on immunosuppressive drugs. Unfortunately, the human immune system is unable to differentiate between harmful foreign objects and helpful transplanted limbs and organs.
Casualties are often thought of in terms of deaths, but the statistical measurement also includes injuries. As of the end of June 2016, nearly 32,000 soldiers had been “wounded in action” (WIA) in Iraq, while over 4,400 were killed. Roughly 2,300 soldiers have died in Afghanistan. WIA statistics are not publicly available.
As of 2013, over 1,300 vets had suffered genitourinary injuries. Psychiatrists have noted that genital injuries can be among the most traumatizing for veterans. Identity, self-esteem, and the ability to have intimate relationships can all be dramatically affected. The Iraq and Afghan wars have spurred the rapid advancement of limb and prosthetic transplants. An Iraq war veteran, U.S. Army Sgt. Brendan Marrocco, was the first to receive a double arm transplant, for example. Mechanical prosthetics have also advanced rapidly in recent years, with people now able to exert basic control over mechanical limbs via their nervous system—myoelectric prostheses simulate organic limb ambulation.
As for the genital donor, the circumstances that allowed for the donation remain unknown. The donor’s identity is being kept under wraps. However, the donor’s family did release a statement: “We are all very proud that our loved one was able to help a young man that served this country. We are so thankful to say that our loved one would be proud and honored to know he provided such a special gift to you,” the family said. “Please know that this is truly a heartfelt statement, as we have several veterans in the family. We hope you can return to better health very soon and we continue to wish you a speedy recovery.”
