A team of doctors in Vietnam has successfully performed the country’s first penis transplant, marking a major milestone in reconstructive and transplant surgery.
The recipient, a 43-year-old man, underwent the groundbreaking procedure at Hanoi’s Viet Duc Friendship Hospital after losing most of his penis during a partial penectomy performed four years ago.
According to the medical team, the patient was selected for the transplant after undergoing extensive medical, psychological, immunological and ethical assessments, which confirmed he was a suitable candidate for the rare procedure. 
A penectomy is the partial or complete surgical removal of the penis, commonly performed to treat penile cancer or, in some cases, as part of gender-affirming surgery.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Quang, Director of the hospital’s Andrology Centre, explained that the complex operation involved reconstructing the penis while reconnecting delicate blood vessels and nerves using advanced microsurgical techniques.
“In this transplant procedure, we reconstructed the anatomical structures of the penis, including the urethra, corpus spongiosum and corpora cavernosa, while simultaneously performing microsurgical anastomosis of minute arteries, veins and nerves,” he said.
He noted that combining reconstructive and microsurgical techniques required exceptional precision to ensure the transplanted organ remained viable and functional.
Doctors said the patient is recovering well, with no early complications recorded. The transplanted organ is healing as expected, and the patient is responding positively to anti-rejection medication.
Before the transplant, the patient had been able to urinate normally following his earlier surgery. However, only a very small portion of his penis remained, leaving him with significant psychological distress that negatively affected his quality of life and mental wellbeing.
Medical experts cautioned that it will take time to determine whether sensation, erectile function and long-term urinary function are fully restored. The patient will also continue to undergo close monitoring for any signs of organ rejection.
Hospital Director Dr. Duong Duc Hung described the procedure as Vietnam’s first penile transplant using an organ donated by a brain-dead patient.
He said the surgical team spent months preparing for the operation, studying international medical experience and coordinating specialists from multiple disciplines before carrying out the complex transplant.
According to international medical literature, only five successful penile transplants had been reported worldwide before the Vietnamese operation, making the procedure one of the rarest and most advanced reconstructive transplant surgeries ever performed.
