Andrew Wardle born without penis to get one built from his arm

A security guard Andrew Wardle, 39, from Stalybridge, Greater Manchester was born without a penis. But he hopes to become one of the first men in the world to have a penis built for him using tissues, nerves and blood vessels from his arm.

Wardle was born with an unusual and complex defect that included an ectopic bladder, that is, a bladder growing outside its normal position in the lower abdominal cavity. He was born with a pair of testicles but no penis. When he was a child, surgeons performed a successful surgical operation to have his bladder moved to its proper position but they had no idea what to do to remedy his lack of a penis. But since his birth medical technology has advanced and now surgeons at the University College London say they are able to perform a three-part 12-hour surgical operation which will involve transferring a flap of skin tissue, blood vessels and nerves from his forearm to his groin. Surgeons say they will be able to use the tissues to fit Wardle with a penile appendage. The penis will be a pump-operated implant that will allow him to pass urine and have sex. Mr Wardle said in excitement that if the operation is successful it will be like starting his life again. He even hopes that he will be able to have children. He told The Sun: "I never thought this day would come and I still can’t believe it is possible for me to actually have a fully functioning penis. If it’s a success, I can finally start living like a normal man. Things like having sex and starting a family, something which so many people take for granted, could actually become a possibility." What is most surprising about Wardle's life is that in spite of his lack of penis he has been a hit with women, or so he claims. Wardle claims he has "slept" with more than a 100 women. He probably uses the word "slept" literally since without a penis he couldn't have done much more than "sleep." The Daily Mail reports Wardle boasts: "Some were one-night stands, some long-term relationships. I've told 20 per cent of them the truth. The fact I didn't just want to get my leg over made me more attractive to women. I had charm and patter because it wasn't all about sex." But he admits that his birth defect has caused him a lot of trouble and embarrassment. His mother was just 17 when he was born. Unable to manage the situation she gave him up for adoption. The Sun reports that he was fortunate to find a loving couple from Wales who were willing to adopt him. While growing up he developed kidney problems and infections and had to undergo 15 operations during which surgeons built a tube from his bladder that allowed him to pass urine out of his body. Although he managed to keep his peculiar condition a secret from his schoolmates he said he suffered bullying in school because the fact that he spent so much time in hospital made him different from the other kids. The Sun reports Wardle commented about his experience of growing up without a penis: "I could use the tube to use urinals and I could play football and rugby and ride my family’s horses. I got used to hiding it. Apart from the operations, I could live like a normal lad my age. It was when I got into my teens and started getting interested in girls that it became a problem." The Daily Mail reports that his teenage years were particularly awkward. Keeping the secret from his friends became difficult. He explained that the only sensations of sexual arousal he felt when he began feeling sexually attracted to girls were "butterflies in his stomach." He said that this first girlfriend at 17 was understanding even after she had learned his closely guarded secret. They dated for four years but they eventually split, according to Wardle, because she "wanted to experience things I was unable to do." He said about his first date: "I was really lucky. She was a lovely girl so my first sexual encounter was good. Eventually, though, we split up. She wanted to experience things I was just unable to do." When he was 21, he got a job at Butlins in Minehead, Somerset. He soon turned to drugs to help him cope with the challenges. He said he used drugs like ecstasy and LSD as a coping mechanism. He told The Sun: "By taking drugs I gave myself the perfect cover. I’d bed girls but said things could only go so far because the drugs meant I couldn't rise to the occasion." But while he worked as a bartender, chef and security guard, he traveled to Spain and Eastern Europe where he had some nasty experiences with the opposite sex. He said when he revealed to one of his girlfriends that he did not have a penis she punched him in the face. He told The Sun: "One girl actually punched me in the face! Another girl I lived with for a year cheated on me. Whenever I told them it was a bit of a passion killer. It was horrible, I took more drugs to block out my feelings and they made me more depressed. I never went to the doctor, I didn't think they could do anything." But two years ago, he became so depressed about his condition that he tried to take his own life with an overdose of pills. But fortunately his sister Michelle Bailey came to the rescue and arranged for him to get professional help. He said: "I went home and saw a doctor who I’d seen when I had my operations growing up. She told me there had been advances in surgery that could help me and may be able to give me a fully functioning penis." He saw specialists at the University College London who ordered tests. He said: "Thankfully... they agreed to operate. I didn't realize quite how rare being born with no penis was until doing my own research and discovering it affects only one in 20 million men." Wardle says the first of three operations is scheduled for this summer. Surgeons will try to build a penis for him using skin, muscle and nerves from his arm. At the second operation they will attempt to connect tubes from his penis to his urethra and testicles so he would be able to ejaculate like a normal man. Wardle says that the experience of Mohammed Abad, an Edinburgh man who lost his penis in a car accident inspires him. Surgeons built a new penis for Abad using tissues from his arm. The Sun reports he said that Abad's experience made him realize that the surgery could be successful. He said: "For the first time in years I feel brighter about the future." His sister Michelle, 45, said her brother has gone through a lot of pain. She said: "Our parents have always been very open about Andrew’s disability and explained it to us all when we were little. Watching the anguish he has been through over the years has been hard for all of the family, but Andrew has shown so much strength and is a real inspiration." According to The Sun, Wardle plans to write a book about his experience. He also plans to train as a counselor.