TRAUMA [CONTINUED FROM PAGE 67]
so we determine the amount of missing tissue through a physical examination as well as an MRI and an angiogram, which tell us where the remaining blood vessels and nerves are,” Lee notes. “We then devise an operation based on our understanding of the vas- cular and nerve anatomy in the area. With this knowledge we can design an individualized operation for each patient.” The goal of the transplant is to restore sexual and urinary functions. “This is where our collaboration with urologists is most important, because they obviously know more about the physiology of the area,” Lee reports. “Once the nerves and blood vessels are connected, the penis will regain sensation, including erogenous sensa- tion, and regain the ability to achieve an erection.” While a promising advance, penile
transplantation is not for all patients with genitourinary injuries. Anatomic feasibility is vital, and potential sub- jects must be motivated to go through the operation and rehabilitation, as well as have excellent family support, Lee says. As of press time, the first veteran to
2016 MOAA ANNUAL MEETING WASHINGTON, D.C.
Oct. 24-25 at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, Va.
For more information, visit
www.moaa .org/2016AnnualMeeting.
receive a penile transplant has been se- lected and is expected to be “activated” for transplant within the next few months. At that point, Lee says, it’s just a matter of waiting for a donor organ. Though news of the penile trans-
plant program at Johns Hopkins has shed light on genitourinary injuries, more must be done to increase aware- ness, Lee concludes. “No one needs to be told how devastating it can be for a young man in his 20s or 30s to lose his genitalia fighting for his country,” he notes. “One of our greatest challenges ... is getting the word out so this opera- tion can benefit more people.”
MO
— Don Vaughn is a freelance writer from North Carolina. His last feature article for Military Officer was “Care in Combat,” June 2016.
84 MILITARY OFFICER AUGUST 2016
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