No better way to prove that the first ever penis transplant had been successful than news of the recipient's girlfriend getting pregnant. Dr. Andre van der Merwe of Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa, told CNN that the woman is about for months pregnant, CNN reports.
A coming-of-age ceremony in South Africa caused complications to the recipient's first penis, leading to the life-saving measure of severing the part. The identity of the recipient remains disclosed for ethical reasons.
In a nine-hour operation in December, Doctor Merwe did the penis transplant at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town.
Last March, news about the surgery's success also broke out when doctors pronounced that the man's "urinary and reproductive functions" have been restored, and were expecting his recovery to last two years.
This is the very first successful penis transplant, with the first attempt in China ended the recipient to have it removed because of severe psychological reaction.
Dr Van der Merwe said he was "very pleased" when he found out about the 21-year-old recipient's girlfriend's pregnancy and stating that a paternity test won't be necessary since there is no issue with infertility given the problem is the penis and not the testicles, BBC.com reports.
"This is what we intended, that he should be able to stand up and be able to urinate and have intercourse, so it is a milestone for him," Dr Van der Merwe told the BBC.
Doctor Merwe is set to review the operation's success and see if further transplants can be carried out.
The surgery followed the methods and techniques used for the first face transplant to connect the tiny blood vessels and nerves and attach the donated penis.
Doctors say South Africa has some of the greatest need for penis transplants in the world.
Dozens, some say hundreds, of boys are maimed or die each year during traditional initiation ceremonies.
