But will he ever see again?: Doctors succeed in the world’s first eye transplant

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Aaron James (46) had to undergo a 21-hour operation to replace half of his face. This after the worker on a power line in Arkansas accidentally touched a 7200 volt line in 2021.

Nearly two years after his workplace accident, the 46-year-old received a rare partial face and eye transplant on May 27 this year, involving more than 140 medical professionals.

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.

Stem cells injected into the optic nerve

“The fact that we have performed the first successful full eye transplant involving a face is an amazing achievement that many thought impossible for a long time,” said Eduardo Rodriguez, one of the team’s lead surgeons, according to the BBC. It’s a major step forward that “paved the way for the next chapter of restoring the vision.”

However, the question is whether James will ever be able to see again with the operated eye. The operation offers scientists unprecedented insight into the healing processes of the human eye, the BBC reports.

The donated face and eye came from a single male donor in his 30s. During the operation, doctors injected adult stem cells from the donor’s bone marrow into the optic nerve to promote its recovery.

After the procedure, wife Meagan James told CNN, “I was just glad he pulled through.” James is also indescribably grateful – to the donor and his family, he told the BBC. The eye transplant changed his life. (gs)

Source: Blick