Jamaica not ready for penis transplant

From the heart to the kidney, there are reconstructive transplants that are done frequently so as to improve the health of an ailing person. One organ transplant, however, that is sure to raise a few eyebrows is that of the penis. There have been three known penis transplants done to date.

The most recent operation took place in the United States. The recipient is a cancer patient.

Urologist and member of the Jamaica Urological Society

Dr Devon Osbourne, is of the opinion that Jamaica has a

far way to go before

even considering a successful

operation of that sort.

"I can tell you, we are light-years away (from penis transplants in Jamaica)," Dr Osbourne began. "Something like that involves microsurgery.

So you would need to be able to rejoin small blood vessels, and that is the primary thing. Also, the different structures in the penis that involves the erection as well as putting back the urethra for the passage of urine."

According to Dr Osbourne, even if such an operation is done 'successfully', there is simply no guarantee that the penis will function as normal.

"You can go about and transplant the organ, but there is no guarantee that all of the organ functions will return," he said. "You also have to think about sensation. So you have issues of function.

"But erection is a conduit for urine. You have the whole thing of erection that is going to involve blood vessels and so on, along with the different spongiosum and the cavernosum. These are three important structures in the penis for the whole process of erection."

While there haven't been any penis transplants locally just yet, penile trauma is not an uncommon in Jamaica. Such trauma, generally results from rough sexual intercourse, the doctor said.