First face transplant involving an eye said to show promising results
In May 2023, Aaron James, an electrician, became the first person to receive a partial face transplant, including an eye. Now, a year later, doctors at New York University Langone Health report no signs of rejection, with blood flow to the transplanted eye. Despite this positive development, however, James still cannot see through the eye. The nerve connections to the brain have not regenerated, a crucial factor in restoring vision.
Challenges in eye transplants
The transplant team published Their findings, published Sept. 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, emphasize that while there was a mild reaction to light during the tests, it does not indicate potential recovery of vision.
James has no feeling in the surface of his eye and his eyelid remains closed. Despite the lack of vision, the maintained blood flow is considered a great success, according to a Science News reportHe will reportedly have to take immunosuppressive medications for the rest of his life to prevent future rejection of the transplanted tissue.
The procedure has highlighted the significant barriers that still exist in whole eye transplants, particularly in restoring vision. Nerve connections between retinal cells and the visual centers of the brain, which are necessary for vision, do not regenerate once damaged.
Life changing surgery
The need for this transplant arose after a serious high-voltage accident in 2021, which left James without his left eye, nose, lips and extensive facial tissue. After a suitable donor was found, the 21-hour surgical procedure marked a milestone in the field.
Despite the vision challenges, James has reported improvements in his quality of life since the transplant, the publication said. The procedure has offered new hope for reconstructive surgery, even if complete visual restoration remains out of reach.
