Surgeons in the UK have performed the first testicular tissue transplant on a teenager. The 19-year-old had his tissue removed and frozen three years ago before receiving chemotherapy for a serious blood disorder. Tests conducted three years after his chemotherapy showed he had no sperm in his semen.
A team of NHS medics in Edinburgh transplanted the previously frozen testicular tissue back into his body. This procedure is the first of its kind in the UK and only the second reported globally. The patient stated he was "incredibly grateful" to the medical team for the opportunity.
The operation offers hope that boys who become infertile due to chemotherapy could potentially have biological children in the future. Chemotherapy can permanently damage cells needed for sperm production. Doctors anticipate knowing in a matter of months whether the procedure, which took place in August, has enabled the 19-year-old to produce viable sperm.