A first in medical history: Full eye and half face transplant was performed
It was announced that the first full eye and half face transplant was performed on a person who survived a high voltage electric shock in New York, USA.
USA NYU Langone Health announced that its surgical team performed the world’s first full eye and partial face transplant on a 46-year-old patient from Arkansas who survived a work-related high-voltage electric shock.
Doctors emphasized that the entire left eye and part of the face were transplanted to the patient named Aaron James from a single donor, and that this was the first complete eye transplant to a human in the history of medicine and the only successful combined transplant of its kind.
BLOOD FLOW FROM THE RETINA HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED
Doctors stated that they did not know whether the full eye transplanted to Aaron James with the surgery performed in May 2023 would be able to see yet, and said, “In the transplanted left eye, extraordinary health symptoms were seen, including direct blood flow to the retina at the back of the eye, which receives light and sends images to the brain.”
140 MEDICAL TEAM PARTICIPATED IN THE 21-HOUR SURGERY
In its statement, NYU Langone Health gave information about the surgery team and said, “The surgery on May 27 lasted approximately 21 hours and the Director of the Face Transplant Program, Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez and Prof. “A team of more than 140 surgeons, nurses and other healthcare professionals participated, led by Helen Kimmel,” he said.
While Aaron James was working as a maintenance worker on high-voltage lines in June 2021, his face accidentally touched a live cable and he survived a fatal electric shock of 7,200 volts. James’ left eye, left arm above the elbow, entire nose and lips, front teeth, left cheek area and jaw down to the bone were severely injured in the incident. (DHA)
