London: A man from the United Kingdom had lost his penis because of a severe blood infection. He has now become the first person in the world to have a new one grafted on his arm.
Malcolm McDonald is a mechanic by profession. He had a long-term perineum infection in 2014 that turned into sepsis and his toes, fingers and genitals became black.
Malcom reportedly said that this took a heavy toll on his mental health and he began drinking heavily.
“I knew deep down it was gone and I was going to lose it, then one day it just dropped off on to the floor. Because I had been through the devastation of knowing I was going to lose it, I just picked it up and put it in the bin,” he told The Sun.
“My life really fell apart because I had no self-confidence. I drank too much. I didn’t see family and friends — I just didn’t want to have to face up to it,” he added.
However, Malcolm met Professor David Ralph of London’s University College Hospital who told him about ‘bionic penis’ that was created for a person born without one.
An arm-graft procedure was done and the operation was life-changing for him. It allowed him to urinate properly. The NHS funded £50,000 for his surgery. However, the process is not complete with the coronavirus pandemic and missed appointments that have delayed the process.
“When I saw it on my arm for the first time I was so, so proud. After everything I had been through it didn’t feel weird at all — it was just a part of me,” he said.
Malcolm’s own blood vessels and nerves have been used to form a new penis with the skin flap taken from his arm. This is where it could thrive naturally and it will eventually be replaced and fixed back to where it belongs, hopefully by the end of this year. A urethra was created and two tubes inflated with a hand-pump were attached to help him get a ‘mechanical’ erection.
The 45-year-old says he’s aware of people making fun of him but he doesn’t mind them. “It looks like something out of a weird sci-fi comic. But it’s my chance at a normal life,” he added.
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