First breakthrough whole eye transplant.

AFP reported yesterday that a team of surgeons at NYU Langone Health in New York City (USA) performed the world's first whole eye transplant. The surgery involved removing the entire left eye of a donor, including the eyeball, blood vessels, and optic nerve, and transplanting those parts into patient Aaron James, 46, from Arkansas (USA).

Aaron James before his surgeries (small photo) and pictured with Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez after his latest surgery.

Mr. James was electrocuted with 7,200 volts in June 2021, resulting in the loss of his left eye, left arm above the elbow, nose and lips, front teeth, left cheek, and chin, but his right eye remained intact. He was then taken to NYU Langone Health and underwent an eye and face transplant on May 27, 2023.

'The beginning'

As of yesterday, AFP quoted ophthalmologist Vaidehi Dedania of NYU Langone Health as saying that James's transplanted left eye looked very healthy and was receiving good blood supply, although James was still unable to see with that eye. "But we have a lot of hope," Dedania emphasized.

Mr. James said he can now "smell, eat, and taste food again" and "kiss my wife for the first time in a year and a half." Mr. James also said he wants more people to know about his surgery, especially the eye transplant. "Even if it doesn't work for me, it's a start, so maybe Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez can learn something different to do next time," Mr. James expressed.

Dr. Rodriguez led the face and eye transplant surgery for Mr. James. "We're not claiming that we'll restore his sight. But I'm certain we're one step closer," Dr. Rodriguez emphasized, according to AP.

While it's too early to know whether James will be able to see with his new left eye, the surgery has been lauded by many scientists . "The eye transplant at NYU Langone represents a pivotal moment in our collective research to restore vision and bring hope to countless individuals around the world," said Dr. Daniel Pelaez of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami.

Optic nerve regeneration

Similarly, Kia Washington, a professor of surgery at the Anschutz Medical Center of the University of Colorado (USA), also praised the surgery, suggesting that achieving the goal of restoring vision may involve the application of other advanced methods, including gene therapy that exploits the inherent healing capacity of the optic nerve, according to AFP.

In addition, Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University (USA) stated: "We are making great progress in treatments aimed at promoting the regeneration of the optic nerve that may accompany eye transplantation."

According to AP, the face transplant for Mr. James was Dr. Rodriguez's fifth procedure, and Mr. James was the 19th person in the United States to receive a face transplant. The world's first person to receive a partial face transplant was a French woman named Isabelle Dinoire. That transplant was performed in November 2005 at a hospital in France.

Recently, the medical world has reportedly achieved initial success in transplanting pig hearts into humans. AFP reported on September 24th that a 58-year-old man has become the second patient in the world to receive a pig heart transplant, following the first successful case in January 2022. The first and second patients lived for approximately two months and six weeks, respectively, after receiving the pig heart transplant.

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