A 43-year-old man has become the first recipient of a penis transplant from a brain-dead donor in Vietnam, opening a new chapter in the country's organ transplant program.
Doctors at Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi have announced Vietnam's first successful penis transplant using an organ donated by a brain-dead donor, a milestone that could pave the way for more advanced reconstructive transplant procedures, including uterus and ovary transplantation.
The transplant surgery lasted about six hours and involved numerous technical challenges. Photo: Hospital
The recipient is a 43-year-old businessman who underwent complete removal of his penis four years ago to treat a medical condition. Since the surgery, he had received regular follow-up care at the hospital's Center for Andrology.
Before the transplant, the patient experienced severe difficulties with urination, eventually having to urinate while sitting down, and was unable to have sexual intercourse. According to his doctors, the loss also caused profound psychological distress, leaving him with feelings of shame, low self-esteem and a significantly diminished quality of life.
"He told us that life was no longer worth living. He was in an extremely difficult emotional state," said Associate Professor Duong Duc Hung, Director of Viet Duc Hospital.
The donor was a university student in Hanoi who was declared brain-dead following a traffic accident. According to Hung, the donor's father voluntarily offered to donate his son's organs to save others and declined all financial assistance throughout the treatment process.
The donation enabled surgeons to recover the heart, kidneys, liver, corneas and penis, helping multiple patients.
Speaking to VietNamNet, doctors said the operation lasted approximately six hours and was particularly challenging because the recipient had previously undergone vascular surgery in the affected area.
Associate Professor Nguyen Quang, Director of the Center for Andrology, said surgeons reconstructed the penis by reconnecting the urethra, corpus spongiosum and corpora cavernosa, while microscopically repairing arteries, veins and nerves with extremely small diameters.
Following surgery, the transplanted organ showed good blood circulation, with normal color and temperature. Doctors reported no signs of tissue necrosis or vascular blockage, while clinical assessments and Doppler ultrasound examinations confirmed stable blood flow.
Preparing for uterus and ovary transplants
Doctors said the patient's psychological well-being improved significantly after the transplant. Photo: Vo Thu
One week after surgery, the transplanted organ had developed well and achieved satisfactory anatomical appearance.
Doctors will continue monitoring urinary and sexual function, sensory recovery, reproductive potential and the effectiveness of anti-rejection treatment over the coming months.
Hung said the most remarkable change following the procedure had been the patient's emotional recovery.
"This transplant has not only restored a part of the body but also given the patient back his quality of life, confidence and happiness, as well as that of his family," he said.
Although several Vietnamese hospitals have previously performed successful autologous penile reconstruction using a patient's own tissue, this is the first time a penis from a brain-dead donor has been transplanted into a living recipient in Vietnam. Hospital leaders said the achievement establishes the foundation for developing standardized penis transplantation procedures in the country.
Hung also revealed that Viet Duc Hospital is preparing to perform Vietnam's first uterus and ovary transplants.
According to medical experts, only five successful penis transplants have been publicly reported worldwide. The first was performed in China in 2006, followed by four others in South Africa and the United States, with the most recent reported in 2018. One recipient has since fathered a child.
Hospital leaders believe the demand for penis transplantation in Vietnam is considerable, particularly among patients who have lost the organ due to workplace or household accidents, animal attacks, war-related injuries, unexploded ordnance, cancer surgery, disorders of sex development or congenital abnormalities.
Vietnamnet.vn
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