According to the Department of Defense Trauma Registry, roughly 1,400 servicemembers had injuries to their genitalia between 2011 and 2013, many sustained from improvised explosive devices. Several doctors at Johns Hopkins University are hoping to change the life of one of the veterans who lost part of his penis during service.
CBS Baltimore reported that a team of nearly 30 doctors will soon perform the first penis transplant ever performed on American soil.
For many of the doctors involved, the surgery is about more than improving the physical and sexual health of the injured veterans. A wound to genitalia is often accompanied with psychological repercussions.
"I don't care who you are military, civilian, anything you have an injury like this, it's more than just a physical injury," Army Sergeant First Class Aaron Causey, a victim of an IED genitalia injury, told the NY Times.
RT.com reported that the operation is expected to take up to 12 hours and cost $200,000 to $400,000. However, the final result will be a veteran who has been given back an important part of his life. The surgery will leave the former servicemember with a fully functional penis and urethra, meaning he will be able to have children of his own and use the restroom normally.