A team of US surgeons has achieved an unprecedented medical feat, performing the world‘s first complete eye transplant on a man who lost his left eye in a power line accident. The groundbreaking procedure took place in New York on May 27 as part of a face replacement that involved the participation of 140 health professionals.
The patient, Aaron James, 46, spent 21 hours in surgery and is now recovering satisfactorily. While doctors cannot yet determine if James will regain his vision, they are calling the transplant a crucial advance in the quest to cure eye problems for millions of people worldwide.
According to the team of surgeons at NYU Langone Health, the successful surgery offers scientists an unprecedented window into how the human eye tries to heal itself. Doctor Eduardo Rodríguez, one of the lead surgeons, described the achievement as a tremendous feat that many had long thought was not possible.
The face and eye used in the transplant came from a male donor in his 30s. During the surgery, doctors injected adult stem cells from the donor’s bone marrow into the optic nerve to promote its repair. This revolutionary approach opens up new possibilities for future vision restoration and eye-related medical advancements.
James, a US Army veteran, has expressed his hope that the transplant will not only benefit him but also contribute to the next step in the medical field. His wife, Meagan James, described the moment she saw him after the procedure as a “crazy, cool, weird, strange, ecstatic, happy feeling.”
After facing numerous surgeries and a prosthetic arm following his accident, James has called the eye transplant “life-changing” and expressed his gratitude to the donor and the donor’s family.
While there is still uncertainty about whether James will regain his sight, the successful procedure marks a significant milestone in the field of medical science and offers hope to many others around the world.