First Complete Eye Transplant Performed in New York; A Step Closer to Restoring Vision

A surgical team in New York announced the success of the first complete eye transplant in a human. This surgery was performed six months ago, and doctors say it is still too early to know whether the patient will be able to see through his new left eye. While corneal transplants are common for treating specific types of vision loss, this is considered the first complete eye transplant in the world, including the pupil, blood supply, and optic nerve connected to the brain. A high-voltage electrical accident had destroyed most of Aaron James's face and one eye. His right eye is still functional, but surgeons at NYU Langone Transplant Center hoped that the replacement of his lost eye would yield better aesthetic results for his new face. He told the Associated Press, 'It feels good. I still can't give it any movement. I still can't blink, but the feeling has returned to it.' James, 46, from Arkansas, added, 'It has to start somewhere; there has to be a first person somewhere. Maybe something can be learned from this to help the next person.' Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, head of the plastic surgery department at NYU, who led the transplant, said, 'We are not claiming that we can restore vision, but I have no doubt that we are one step closer to it.' Doctors were concerned that the transplanted eye might wrinkle quickly, but when they opened it, they found that the hazel-colored transplanted eye, just like James's blue eye, was full of fluid and blood flow, showing no signs of rejection. During James's 22-hour surgery, surgeons also injected special stem cells from the donor in hopes of repair when they connected the donated optic nerve to what remained of James's. Researchers are currently analyzing James's brain scans, which have detected confusing signals from the vital but damaged optic nerve.