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US Veteran 'Feeling Whole' Year After Penis Transplant At Johns Hopkins

BALTIMORE (AP) -- More than a year after performing the world's most extensive penis transplant, doctors say their patient has recovered and reports "feeling whole" again.

The U.S. veteran lost both legs and his genitals from a blast in Afghanistan. Last year, Johns Hopkins University surgeons rebuilt the man's pelvic region, transplanting a penis, scrotum and part of the abdominal wall from a deceased donor.

Doctors described the procedure in a letter in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, and said their patient, who hasn't been identified, recovered sexual and urinary function.

Only three other successful, but less complex, penis transplants have been reported, two in South Africa and one at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Hopkins surgeon Dr. Richard Redett says the team is evaluating other possible transplant candidates but it's a lengthy process.

(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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