Surgeons in New York performed the world’s first full eye transplant surgery, though whether he’ll be able to see out of the new eye remains unclear, according to The Associated Press.
A surgical team at New York University (NYU) Langone Health performed the surgery as part of a larger face transplant on May 27, according to People. The procedure lasted 21 hours in total and left patient Aaron James of Arkansas hospitalized for 37 days, per the outlet.
James’ face and left eye were destroyed in an accident involving contact with a 7,200-volt power line, according to AP.
Although his right eye was still functional, the team, led by Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, hoped to yield improved cosmetic results by giving him a new right eye. James, so far, has been recovering remarkably well and the translated eye appears healthy, the surgical team announced Thursday. (RELATED: Boston Red Sox Legend Dick Drago Dead At 78 After Surgery Complications)
AP noted that, while “transplants of the cornea — the clear tissue in front of the eye — are common to treat certain types of vision loss,” a transplant of “the whole eye — the eyeball, its blood supply and the critical optic nerve that must connect it to the brain — is considered a moonshot in the quest to cure blindness.”
Aaron James, who survived a 7,200-volt electric shock while working as a lineman in June 2021, recently received the world’s first whole-eye and partial face transplant at NYU Langone Health, providing him a new sense of normalcy.
Read the story: https://t.co/OfEuV9LrB9 pic.twitter.com/6n60zYnVoH
— NYU Langone Health (@nyulangone) November 9, 2023
“The progress we’ve seen with the eye is exceptional, especially considering that we have a viable cornea paired with a retina showing great blood flow five months after the procedure,” Bruce E. Gelb, a transplant surgeon and the NYU Langone Transplant Insitute said, according to an institute press release. “This far exceeds our initial expectations, given our initial hope was that the eye would survive at least 90 days.”
James cannot yet open or see out of the new eye, but doctors have detected some brain signaling from it, suggesting the possibility of vision once his optic nerve heals, per AP.
“I’m grateful beyond words for the donor and his family, who have given me a second chance at life during their own time of great difficulty. I hope the family finds solace in knowing that part of the donor lives on with me,” James said, according to the outlet. “I will also forever be thankful to Dr. Rodriguez and his team for changing my life.”