Surgeons in New York announced today, Thursday, that they performed the first-ever full eye transplant on a person, marking a significant achievement, although the patient has not regained sight in the transplanted eye. The surgical team at NYU Langone Health reported that during the six months since the surgery—part of a face transplant—the eye showed signs of viability, including functioning blood vessels and a retina that appeared to be in good condition.
Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, who led the surgical team, stated, "The fact that we transplanted an eye is a tremendous step forward, something we have aspired to for centuries." Until now, doctors had only been able to transplant the cornea, the transparent front layer of the eye.
The recipient, 46-year-old Aaron James, a former soldier from Arkansas, survived an accident in which he was exposed to a high-voltage electrical current that damaged the left side of his face, including his nose, mouth, and left eye. The surgery lasted 21 hours. Rodriguez mentioned in a Zoom meeting that the doctors initially aimed to implant the eye for cosmetic purposes as part of the facial transplant.
"If it happens that he gains some sight, it would be amazing, but... our goal was to perform a technical procedure," he added, noting the aim was to keep the eye alive. He indicated they will continue to monitor any developments in the future.
Currently, there is no connection between the transplanted eye and the brain through the optic nerve. To stimulate the recovery of the link between the donor's and recipient's optic nerves, the surgeons extracted stem cells from the donor's spinal cord and injected them into the optic nerve during the transplant, hoping to replace the damaged cells and protect the nerve.
Rodriguez pointed out that the transplantation of a functional eyeball opens the door to many possibilities. He added that other research teams are developing methods to connect brain nerve networks to non-seeing eyes by, for example, inserting electrodes to restore vision.
James, who retained sight in his right eye, knew that he might not regain vision in the transplanted eye. He stated that the doctors "never expected it to succeed at all, and they told me that from the beginning." He added, "I told them that even if I can't see... maybe you can learn something that will help the next person. This is how beginnings are made. I hope this opens a new path."
However, Rodriguez indicated that James might regain sight in the transplanted eye. He concluded, "I don't think anyone can claim he will see. But they can't claim he won't see... at this stage, I think we are happy with the results we have achieved from this highly technical procedure."
