A South African university has announced the world's first successful penis transplant.

The nine-hour operation was performed by surgeons and specialists at Stellenbosch University near Cape Town.

According to the Huffington Post, the 21-year-old patient lost his penis three years ago from complications following a circumcision operation in his late teens.

The source of the donor penis remains unknown, but the university said "finding a donor was one of the major challenges."

A similar operation was performed in China in 2005, but several weeks after the apparently successful operation the patient asked for the penis to be removed because of psychological problems experienced by him and his wife.

However, doctors say this patient has made quick progress following the operation and "has made a full recovery and has regained all function in the newly transplanted organ."

Many circumcisions are performed for religious and cultural regions across South Africa, often without safe medical conditions. Stellenbosch University said up to 250 penis amputations may occur every year in the country due to botched circumcisions.

There are currently another nine men waiting to receive penis transplants.