A 25-year-old man in eastern China narrowly avoided permanent genital loss after his penis was almost completely severed in a traumatic accident involving a sharp object.
The incident occurred last month in Zhejiang province, where the man, identified only as Xiao Zhang, was rushed to the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine after suffering catastrophic injuries to his groin.
According to Chinese media reports, the victim arrived at the hospital with severe bleeding, his trousers soaked in blood as emergency medical personnel rushed him into surgery.
Doctors found the injuries were far more serious than they had initially appeared. Surgeons discovered that the right corpus cavernosum had been completely severed along with its artery, while the left corpus cavernosum was partially cut. The dorsal artery, deep dorsal vein and dorsal nerves of the penis had also been completely severed.
More than two-thirds of the penile tissue had been detached, with only a small section of skin still connecting the organ. Doctors said the only positive finding was that the urethra had not been completely severed.
Recognising the complexity of the case, specialists from the hospital’s urology, microsurgery and vascular surgery departments immediately assembled for an emergency operation. Surgery began about four hours after the injury.
Doctors said the procedure required extreme precision, as the blood vessels and nerves measured only about one millimetre in diameter. Using an operating microscope, surgeons carefully reconnected the tiny blood vessels and nerves with sutures finer than a human hair.
The medical team warned that failure to restore proper blood circulation could have resulted in tissue death, while unsuccessful nerve repair could have caused permanent loss of sensation and erectile function.
After nearly six hours of surgery, doctors successfully reattached the organ.
Three days after the operation, the patient experienced a normal spontaneous erection, a key sign that blood flow and nerve function had been successfully restored.
Two weeks later, Xiao Zhang was discharged from hospital. Doctors said his recovery has been encouraging, with only mild swelling remaining.
His urinary catheter is expected to be removed during a follow-up visit, and he has been advised that while his erectile function has recovered well, he should avoid sexual activity for at least two months to allow the surgical wound to heal completely.
The patient’s mother expressed her gratitude to the medical team, saying the successful surgery had saved her son’s future.
“If it weren’t for all of you, my son’s life would have been ruined,” she said.
