A surgical team in New York has successfully performed the world’s first-ever whole-eye and partial-face transplant.
Experts have hailed the surgical achievement as ‘a major paradigm shift for potential vision therapies’.
The recipient, Aaron James, a 46-year-old military veteran, survived a high-voltage electrical accident.
The NYU Langone Health’s surgical team, led by Dr Eduardo D. Rodriguez, conducted 21-hours of surgery involving over 140 healthcare professionals, marking the first successful whole-eye transplant with a face in medical history.
Aaron faced severe injuries from the accident, losing his left eye, left arm, nose, lips, and more.
Dr Rodriguez & Aaron James. Credit: Russ Geltman, NYU Langone Health.
The complex procedure aimed to deliver cosmetic benefits and explore unknowns in vision restoration.
James, listed for donation in February 2023, had one of the shortest wait times – three months – before a donor was found, highlighting the efficiency of organ procurement efforts.
Overcoming challenges in nerve regeneration, the surgical team injected adult stem cells into the optic nerve during the transplant, aiming to enhance nerve regeneration – a pioneering approach in medical history.
Collaboration with Depuy Synthes and Materialise, utilising state-of-the-art 3D surgical planning, played a crucial role in precise reconstruction.
The surgery involved simultaneous operations in both donor and recipient rooms.
Dr Rodriguez and his surgical team of seven – and OR team of 80 – transplanted the following:
- Partial face, including the nose, left upper and lower eyelids, left eyebrow, upper and lower lips, and underlying skull, cheek, nasal and chin bone segments, with all of the tissues below the right eye, including the underlying muscles, blood vessels and nerves.
- The left whole eye and socket, including the orbital bones and all surrounding eye tissues, including the optic nerve.
Aaron experienced one of the shortest recoveries among face transplant recipients, spending only 17 days in the ICU.
Post-surgery, he regained the ability to taste, smell, and eat solid foods.
While it is still unknown whether he will regain sight, since the May 2023 procedure the transplanted left eye has shown remarkable signs of health, including direct blood flow to the retina.
This is the fifth face transplant performed under the leadership of Dr Rodriguez and the first known whole-eye transplant.
Dr Rodriguez said: ‘Aaron has been extremely motivated to regain the function and independence he lost after his injury. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect patient. We owe much of our success in this monumental endeavour to the exceptional institutional support we receive at NYU Langone and the unwavering dedication of our world-class team in delivering the highest level of care to our patient. This achievement demonstrates our capacity to embrace the most difficult challenges and drive continuous advancements in the field of transplantation and beyond.’
The medical team, including experts in neurology, ophthalmology and radiology, continues to explore ways to measure indications toward sight restoration, opening the door to further advancements.
This unprecedented achievement by NYU Langone Health transforms Aaron James’ life and paves the way for future innovations in vision therapies and face transplant technology.
Photo caption: Dr Rodriguez & Aaron James. Credit: Russ Geltman, NYU Langone Health.
