An Afghanistan war veteran who had his genitals blown off by a roadside bomb is the recipient of a donated penis and scrotum that doctors hope will restore his ability to function normally, after a 14-hour surgery that doctors hailed as a medical first.

The veteran, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy-related reasons, received the tissue transplant from a team of 11 doctors - nine plastic surgeons and two urological surgeons - at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in March. The procedure was the result of years of research, studies and cadaver work, giving doctors hope that if it proves successful, it could be used for injured veterans and other men with severe injuries to their genital regions.