Thomas Manning underwent the first penis transplant surgery in the U.S. on Friday.

A man in Massachusetts has become the first person in the United states to have a penis transplant.

The patient was Thomas Manning, a 64-year-old whose penis was amputated because of cancer. Massachusetts General Hospital made the announcement Monday that a team of a dozen surgeons and about 30 health-care workers, led by Dr. Curtis L. Cetrulo and Dr. Dicken Ko, performed the procedure last Friday.

After the surgery, Manning said he felt well, and only experienced slight pain. In an interview with Manning over the weekend, The New York Times reported that:

The surgery is experimental, part of a research program with the ultimate goal of helping combat veterans with severe pelvic injuries, as well as cancer patients and accident victims. If all goes as planned, normal urination should be possible for Mr. Manning within a few weeks, and sexual function in weeks to months, Dr. Cetrulo said. Mr. Manning welcomed questions and said he wanted to speak out publicly to help dispel the shame and stigma associated with genital cancers and injuries, and to let other men know there was hope of having normal anatomy restored.

Manning first became aware of his cancer after an accident at his job. The doctors who treated him noticed a growth in his penis, and tests revealed potentially fatal cancer. In order to live, Manning would need amputation. He was single at the time of the procedure, and Manning said that since the operation dating had become out of the question, and as a result he’s suffered from depression.