Man receives 1st full eye transplant — ‘one step closer’ to restoring sight in future patients – CBC
Until now, doctors have only been able to transplant the cornea
Nov 09, 2023
Surgeons have performed the world’s first transplant of an entire human eye, an extraordinary addition to a face transplant — although it’s far too soon to know if the man will ever see through his new left eye.
An accident with high-voltage power lines had destroyed most of Aaron James’s face and one eye. His right eye still works. But surgeons at NYU Langone Health hoped replacing the missing one would yield better cosmetic results for his new face, by supporting the transplanted eye socket and lid.
The NYU team announced Thursday that so far, it’s doing just that. James is recovering well from the dual transplant last May and the donated eye looks remarkably healthy.
“It feels good. I still don’t have any movement in it yet. My eyelid, I can’t blink yet. But I’m getting sensation now,” James told The Associated Press as doctors examined his progress recently.
“You got to start somewhere, there’s got to be a first person somewhere,” added James, 46, of Hot Springs, Ark. “Maybe you’ll learn something from it that will help the next person.”
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/eye-transplant-1.7024033
