Photo: KAREN BLEIER / AFP / Getty Images
Surgeons in New York performed the first-ever whole-eye transplant in a human earlier this year, Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez revealed on Thursday. “The mere fact that we transplanted an eye is a huge step forward, something that for centuries has been thought about, but it's never been performed,” Rodriguez said — who led his team of surgeons throughout the 21-hour operation.
Though patient Aaron James has not yet regained sight in the transplanted eye, six months after the surgery — attempted successfully during a partial face transplant — the grafted eye has shown significant improvements. The team of surgeons with NYU Langone Health said it has well-functioning blood vessels and a promising-looking retina.
Until this surgery, health-care professionals have only been able to transplant the cornea. James, a 46-year-old military veteran from Arkansas, survived a high-voltage electrical accident at his workplace, which resulted in the amputation of his left arm and the destruction of the left side of his face, nose, mouth and eye. Acknowledging that his sight may never return, James saw the positive in the medical breakthrough. “I told them, even if I can’t see, maybe at least you all can learn something to help the next person," he said.
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