CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The girlfriend of the world’s first successful penis transplant recipient is reportedly pregnant, the man’s doctor has told CNN. Dr. Andre van der Merwe of Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa, told CNN on Friday that his patient told him the woman is about four months pregnant.
The man’s first penis was amputated as a life-saving measure after severe complications arose from a circumcision performed as part of a coming-of-age ceremony. Merwe led a nine-hour operation in December to replace the penis at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town.
It was only in March that doctors pronounced the surgery a success, saying the transplant had restored all of the man’s “urinary and reproductive functions.” They had expected his recovery to last two years.
Doctors have not identified the 21-year-old man for ethical reasons.
His was the second penis transplant attempted. The first one, in China, ended when the recipient suffered a severe psychological reaction and requested it be removed.
