Vietnamese Man Undergoes Successful Penile Reconstruction After Electrical Accident

A Vietnamese man who suffered severe electrical burns has had his penis successfully reconstructed by surgeons at Military Hospital 175. The 36-year-old patient, identified only as P.T.L., lost his organ after a high-voltage power line came into contact with a ladder he was using to harvest pepper in Vĩnh Long province.

The accident resulted in the patient receiving electrical shocks for several seconds, leading to a loss of consciousness. He was treated locally before being transferred to Military Hospital 175. Doctors diagnosed him with 6% body surface burns, ranging from second to fourth degree, with damage to his hands, genitals, right thigh, and both lower legs.

Although the burn area was not extensive, the high-voltage current caused deep tissue damage, severely destroying his genital area. The entire shaft of his penis was lost, leaving only the scrotum. Following his recovery from the burns, the patient expressed a desire for penile reconstruction to regain the ability to urinate standing and to restore his male form.

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The success of the surgery not only helps restore the appearance of the genital organ but also creates a foundation for the recovery of urinary and physiological functions in subsequent treatment stages.

Surgeons from the hospital's Burn and Plastic Surgery Department collaborated with the Urology Department to perform the reconstruction. They used a free flap microsurgery technique, taking skin and tissue, along with blood vessels and nerves, from the patient's outer arm. This tissue was then transferred to the genital area and connected under a surgical microscope. The "tube within a tube" technique was employed to create a penis with a relatively complete shape.

According to Dr. Thân Văn Hùng, deputy head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department, the surgical team proactively preserved blood vessels and nerves during the initial treatment of the injury, which facilitated the reconstruction. After seven days, the grafted tissue was fully viable, and the reconstructed penis achieved 80-90% of its original shape. The patient has regained some sensation, including hot, cold, and tactile feelings, with further recovery expected over the next three to six months. Dr. Hùng emphasized the dangers of electrical burns and advised seeking specialized medical care to minimize long-term consequences.

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Electrical burns are a particularly dangerous type of injury, with the actual extent of damage often being more severe than the external appearance suggests.