A British father suffered a serious blood infection that caused him to lose his penis. To preserve the organ, doctors attached it to his arm for six years. After a complex operation, the limb was reinstated, and the patient was even able to regain his sex life.
Malcolm MacDonald, 47, of Norfolk, England, began the drama in 2010 when his original penis “fell to the ground” after being diagnosed with a perineal infection.
In the British BBC documentary “The man with a penis in his arm”, he claims that the solution found by doctors at University College Hospital in London was to create a new organ from part of the skin on his left arm.
The idea worked. Initially, they planned to move the prosthesis to the pubic area, but the operation had to be canceled due to lack of oxygen in MacDonald’s blood. As a result, his penis remained “attached” to his arm and nonfunctional.
MacDonald also explained that the corrective surgery was delayed by six years due to various issues, mainly planning errors, lack of professionals and other obstacles caused by the Covid19 pandemic. Given the new condition, the Briton was forced to live with his genitals attached to his arm.
“People ask me about it when they see me in the pub and of course they joke,” he said. “But I understand. It’s not every day you see a man with a penis in his arm. I see the funny side of it. I do not have another choice.”
He also recalled an embarrassing episode when he was at the supermarket trying to help an elderly woman retrieve an item from the top shelf. However, when he raised his arm, his penis came out of his shirt sleeve and nearly hit the woman’s head. “It’s something you should say to your grandkids, isn’t it?” he said on the TV show.
On the other hand, doctors finally performed a successful operation earlier this year, relocating the artificial penis from MacDonald’s forearm to the pubic area.
During the procedure, nerves and blood vessels were removed from the arm and sewn together in the lower abdomen to supply blood to the new penis. The urologists worked in partnership with the plastic surgeons to ensure the patient could have a functioning urethra so that he could urinate normally.
“It was a ninehour operation,” he said. “The first thing I did was look down and I was like, ‘I can’t believe it. They did it this time,’” he celebrated.
New life
Malcolm MacDonald revealed the new penis was designed to his liking and the surgeons’ work exceeded his expectations. According to him, the doctors added 5 cm to the organ, for a total of 15 cm.
“They were happy to hear how I wanted it, which was amazing. Few can say they have a designer penis,” he joked.
In addition, experts installed two tubes inside the penis to inflate it like a hand pump and allow the patient to have an erection. “This could be a turning point in my life,” MacDonald said.
He claimed that after losing his penis, he felt his selfesteem was shattered. So much so that he divorced the mother of his two children at that time. Now that the organ is back in the right place, he hopes to find a new direction in his life.
“My luck in life hasn’t been very good so far. Can you imagine six years of your life with a penis on your arm? It was a nightmare, but now it’s gone.”