Mon Sep 09 15:14:55 UTC 2024: ## World’s First Whole-Eye Transplant a Success, Patient Thriving a Year Later
**New York, NY** – In a groundbreaking medical achievement, Aaron James, a 46-year-old military veteran, is thriving more than a year after becoming the world’s first recipient of a whole eye and partial face transplant. Doctors at NYU Langone Health, who performed the historic procedure in May 2023, detailed James’ progress in a paper published Monday in JAMA.
James, who suffered severe injuries from a high-voltage electrical accident, received a donated eyeball along with a partial face transplant. While he hasn’t regained sight in the donated eye, doctors consider the procedure a success, as the eye is well-perfused and shows electrical activity in the retina.
“This was a big hurdle that needed to be overcome,” said Dr. Daniel Ceradini, one of James’ surgeons, emphasizing the complexity of eye transplantation. “So I’m hopeful that [restoring vision] will happen in the near future.”
The surgery, which took 21 hours, involved a multidisciplinary team of ophthalmologists, transplant surgeons, and plastic surgeons. The doctors injected stem cells from the donor into James’ optic nerve to increase the chances of success.
The transplant has dramatically improved James’ quality of life. “Aesthetically, Aaron’s doing great,” Ceradini stated. “His aesthetic outcome is incredible, and that can’t really be overlooked in how it’s impacted his quality of life and his reintegration into society.”
James himself expressed gratitude for his “second chance.” “I’m pretty much back to being a normal guy, doing normal things,” he said in a statement released by NYU Langone Health.
While the donated eye hasn’t restored vision, the doctors believe this groundbreaking procedure paves the way for future eye transplants that could offer a chance at sight restoration. Further research and advancements in the field are expected to build upon this significant milestone in medicine.
First Piper 