A man who lost his penis to cancer has a new one after the first-ever successful transplant of its type in the US.
The experimental procedure, carried out by a team of 50 surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital earlier this month, took 15 hours.
It has left 64-year-old Thomas Manning with a new lease on life.
"I couldn't have a relationship with anybody," he explained.
Mr Manning's penis was amputated in 2012, after developing cancer. The replacement came from a deceased donor.
"We're cautiously optimistic -- it's uncharted waters for us," Curtis Cetrulo, head of the surgical team, told the New York Times.
Mr Manning will need to take immunosuppressants for the rest of his life, so his body doesn't reject its new appendage.
The surgeons' primary goals, in order, are to:
Mr Manning hasn't mustered the courage to take a look at it yet, but has been brave enough to go public.
"Today I begin a new chapter filled with personal hope and hope for others who have suffered genital injuries, particularly for our service members who put their lives on the line and suffer serious damage as a result."
He is reportedly recovering well, and in little pain.
"His outlook is he wants to share this technology with others who need it," Dr Cetrulo told ABC News. "He was telling me this morning that if you just give a little bit of hope it goes along way."
It follows a successful penis transplant in South Africa in 2014. There is currently one patient on the waiting list in the US, reports CNN.
Newshub.
