NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Surgeons have performed the world\u2019s first transplant of an entire human eye, an extraordinary addition to a face transplant \u2014 although it\u2019s far too soon to know if the man will ever see through his new left eye.<\/p>\n
An accident with high-voltage power lines had destroyed most of Aaron James\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels good. I still don\u2019t have any movement in it yet. My eyelid, I can\u2019t blink yet. But I\u2019m getting sensation now,\u201d James told The Associated Press as doctors examined his progress recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got to start somewhere, there\u2019s got to be a first person somewhere,\u201d added James, 46, of Hot Springs, Arkansas. \u201cMaybe you\u2019ll learn something from it that will help the next person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, transplants of the cornea \u2014 the clear tissue in front of the eye \u2014 are common to treat certain types of vision loss. But transplanting the whole eye \u2014 the eyeball, its blood supply and the critical optic nerve that must connect it to the brain \u2014 is considered a moonshot in the quest to cure blindness.<\/p>\n
Whatever happens next, James’ surgery offers scientists an unprecedented window into how the human eye tries to heal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not claiming that we are going to restore sight,\u201d said Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, NYU’s plastic surgery chief, who led the transplant. \u201cBut there\u2019s no doubt in my mind we are one step closer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some specialists had feared the eye would quickly shrivel like a raisin. Instead, when Rodriguez propped open James\u2019 left eyelid last month, the donated hazel-coloured eye was as plump and full of fluid as his own blue eye. Doctors see good blood flow and no sign of rejection.<\/p>\n
Now researchers have begun analysing scans of James\u2019 brain that detected some puzzling signals from that all-important but injured optic nerve.<\/p>\n
One scientist who has long studied how to make eye transplants a reality called the surgery exciting.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an amazing validation\u201d of animal experiments that have kept transplanted eyes alive, said Dr Jeffrey Goldberg, chair of ophthalmology at Stanford University.<\/p>\n
The hurdle is how to regrow the optic nerve, although animal studies are making strides, Goldberg added. He praised the NYU team\u2019s \u201caudacity\u201d in even aiming for optic nerve repair and hopes the transplant will spur more research.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really on the precipice of being able to do this,\u201d Goldberg said.<\/p>\n
James was working for a power line company in June 2021 when he was shocked by a live wire. He nearly died. Ultimately he lost his left arm, requiring a prosthetic. His damaged left eye was so painful it had to be removed. Multiple reconstructive surgeries couldn\u2019t repair extensive facial injuries including his missing nose and lips.<\/p>\n
James pushed through physical therapy until he was strong enough to escort his daughter Allie to a high school homecoming ceremony, wearing a face mask and eye patch. Still he required breathing and feeding tubes, and longed to smell, taste and eat solid food again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn his mind and his heart, it\u2019s him \u2014 so I didn\u2019t care that, you know, he didn\u2019t have a nose. But I did care that it bothered him,\u201d said his wife, Meagan James.<\/p>\n
Face transplants remain rare and risky. James\u2019 is only the 19th in the US, the fifth Rodriguez has performed. The eye experiment added even more complexity. But James figured he’d be no worse off if the donated eye failed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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