A man who cut off his penis in front of diners at a pizza restaurant in the Strand, London, has had it reattached in the first operation of its kind in the country. It is too early to tell whether the operation will be a success, however, according to surgeons who carried out the procedure at St Thomas's hospital, south London.

The 35-year-old Polish man had grabbed a knife from the kitchen of the Zizzi's restaurant before climbing on to a table, dropping his pants and cutting off his penis in front of other diners, many of whom had gathered at the restaurant after the London marathon.

When police arrived at 9pm on Sunday evening, they sprayed him with CS gas before recovering his penis from the restaurant floor. The man, who is yet to be identified, will be assessed by psychiatrists and is expected to be detained under the Mental Health Act for his own safety.

A urologist explained that the penis may have to be removed again if the operation fails. Francis Chinegwundoh, consultant urologist at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, said even if the procedure proved successful, the man would lose sensation in his penis and would not be able to have an erection without the aid of a special pump.

"If it doesn't take, then you would have to reamputate it. Attaching the penis is a very long, complex and painstaking operation," he said.