Taiwan-born physician Andrew Lee (李為平) is scheduled to head a three-man team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, that is to conduct the first penile transplant surgeries in the US for soldiers wounded in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has given permission for the team to conduct experimental surgery on 60 veterans within the year, the New York Times (NYT) reported on Monday.
Lee, chairman of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Johns Hopkins, immigrated with his family to the US when he was 15 years old.
He established his authority in limb transplants in 2013 after surgically transplanting two arms for a veteran who had been wounded in the second Iraq War.
The proposed 60 surgeries are to be restricted to men who have suffered genitourinary injuries in combat, the hospital said.
The school will monitor the results and decide whether the operation procedures could become standard for such surgeries in the future, the NYT said.
The transplant should, over a matter of months, restore urinary function, sensation and even the ability to have sex, the university said.
Lee said it was a “realistic goal” for those who had undergone the transplant to father children, with the newspaper reporting that it would be their own sperm and not that of the donors, provided the recipient’s testes were intact prior to the surgery.
Jeffrey Kahn, a bioethicist at Johns Hopkins, said it was essential for families of organ donors to be asked for specific permission.
“It is not assumed that people willing to donate kidneys or livers will also consent to having their loved one’s genitals removed,” the NYT quoted Kahn saying, adding the surgeons want a relatively young donor to increase the odds that the transplanted organ will function sexually.
Medical journal data show only two reports of penis transplants: one in China in 2006, which was not successful, and one in South Africa last year, which was.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS