A British father who lost his penis after developing sepsis has become the first man in the world to have a new appendage built on his arm.
Surgeons gave Malcolm MacDonald's new penis an extra two inches - however, the 45-year-old has lived with it dangling off his arm for roughly four years.
The Norfolk father-of-two is desperate for his NHS-funded penis - with a £50,000 price tag (NZ$98,600) - to be transferred to the correct part of his anatomy, but can still see the funny side of his unique predicament.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, the mechanic said he has yet to adjust to having a penis on his limb, even after four years - but remains astounded at the medical advancements.
"It's my chance at a normal life. It's been the first step towards being able to go to the toilet and even being intimate with someone," he told The Sun.
MacDonald lost his manhood in 2014 after a long-term infection of the perineum - the stretch of skin between the anus and the scrotum - developed into sepsis. His fingers, toes and penis all turned black, he says, before his appendage eventually fell off. MacDonald said he had come to terms with the fact he would lose his penis, so when it "dropped off onto the floor", he simply "picked it up and put it in the bin".
"I went to the hospital and they said the best they could do for me was to roll the remaining stump up like a little sausage roll. It was heartbreaking," he told the outlet.
The loss of his penis hit MacDonald hard, and the father began drinking heavily. He was later informed by his GP of the "penis master", Professor David Ralph, an expert in phallus construction at London's University College Hospital. The professor gained recognition for creating a 'bionic penis' for Andrew Wardle, a man who was born without one due to a rare birth defect.
The arm-graft surgery was funded by the NHS as the procedure was motivated by being able to use the toilet correctly, rather than for sexual purposes.
MacDonald said the "miracle" procedure was his chance for a "new start" and to renew his self-confidence.
The penis was created using skin from MacDonald's left arm, which was rolled into the correct shape with its own blood vessels and nerves. Surgeons constructed a urethra, allowing MacDonald to urinate, and installed two inflatable tubes. Using a hand-pump, MacDonald can have a mechanical erection. The shaft was then detached from his forearm, leaving the appendage to dangle and form naturally, The Sun reports.
The operation to have the penis grafted to the correct area was postponed a number of times, before being scheduled for April - yet the COVID-19 pandemic saw it delayed yet again.
MacDonald is now ready to part with his forearm phallus after years of wearing long-sleeve shirts and being unable to run due it "waggling" about.
"I am determined this penis will be ultimately used for what it was built for," he told The Sun.
