21 hours of surgery: this American received the first full eye transplant that Israel has ready for years of war against Hamas – the night update without photos

An American team of surgeons says they have achieved the world’s first complete eye transplant. It is still unclear whether the patient will ever be able to see with the donated eye, as the NYU Langone Health medical center announced.

Direct blood flow to the retina, the area that receives light and thus sends images to the brain, is a good sign. In general, the eye has developed well since the operation in May 2023. 46-year-old patient Aaron James lost his entire left eye and parts of his face as a result of an electric shock while working on a high-voltage line, the center also announced.

The 21-hour procedure was reportedly performed by more than 140 surgeons, nurses and other health professionals led by plastic surgeon Eduardo Rodriguez. The transplant was possible because when James’ left eye was removed, the optic nerve was severed as close to the eyeball as possible, as Rodriguez explained. The longer the nerve length, the greater the chance of a later transplant, according to NYU Langone Health.

The team around surgeon Rodriguez and the James family decided together to proceed with a complete eye transplant in combination with the already planned face transplant. “Considering that Aaron needed a face transplant (…), the risk compared to the benefit of the eye transplant was very small,” Rodriguez said. Even if James can no longer see, the procedure is a remarkable success from a cosmetic standpoint. (sda/dpa/meg)