A dad whose penis fell off in 2014 due to a severe blood infection is now the world’s first man to have a new living, breathing “piece” built on his arm with an added extra 2 inches. He is soon scheduled to have it reset and placed in a more appropriate location after waiting through delays in the course of four years.
Malcolm MacDonald of Thetford, Norfolk received a £50,000 NHS funded surgery to have the appendage attached to his arm through an arm-graft procedure. At the time, the man was suffering through a long-term perineum infection that caused his penis to turn black from sepsis and eventually made it fall off.
The 45-year-old mechanic turned to alcohol after his distressing medical ordeal and said his life fell apart and he became a recluse. In an article from the Evening Standard, he recalls how he picked up his penis after it fell off and threw it in the bin. He had been warned by his doctors of this and that there was nothing they could do to save it.
With much luck on his side, MacDonald’s GP told him about Professor David Ralph, a urology expert from University College Hospital in central London. In 2018, he was responsible for creating a bionic penis for Andrew Wardle, who was born without one. Finding hope in this pioneering surgical procedure, he was excited at the thought of having his mate “Jimmy” as he calls it, attached to his arm, trusting his cards that it could be relocated back between his legs.
MacDonald says, “Of course it is mad – having a penis on your arm. Not even I am used to it. But when you think about it, it’s actually amazing.”
Prof. Ralph is looking forward to fitting the penis as soon as possible post-pandemic. He says that Mr. MacDonald’s mate is indeed a living breathing part of him. Once he has fitted a penile implant, this will allow for normal passage of urine and enjoyment of intercourse for the individual.
To construct the penis, a skin flap was taken from Mr. MacDonald’s left arm. It was rolled and fashioned into the correct form and installed with a urethra and tubes that come with a hand pump to allow him to use the toilet and actualise an erection. The shaft dangles freely and appears as natural skin and tissue.
Due to a series of delays, Mr. MacDonald was unable to have his penis fitting in 2018 and his scheduled surgery last April was cancelled due to the pandemic. The mechanic is hopeful he will have his “Jimmy” returned between his legs before the end of 2020.
