World's First Full Eye Transplant

The transplant of a complete eyeball, with its blood supply and the critical optic nerve that connects it to the brain, has been seen as an impossible objective in the fight against blindness.1On May 28, 2023, surgeons at NYU Langone Health made history by performing the world's first complete human eye transplant.1 The patient, Aaron James, was a 46-year-old veteran from Arkansas who had lost most of his face and one eye in an accident involving high-voltage power lines.1 Upon learning of James' situation, face transplant specialists at NYU Langone Health proposed not just a partial face transplant but also a whole-eye transplant, a procedure that had never been performed before.2 More than 140 surgeons, nurses, and healthcare workers arrived at NYU Langone on the day of James' procedure and were divided into two teams, one removing the sections of James' face that would be replaced with donor tissue and the other removing the donor's face and eyeball.2 The ground-breaking procedure lasted 21 hours.2 Though James may not be able to see out of the transplanted eye, he is recovering well after the dual transplant.2 The donated eye appears to be in good health, revealing unparalleled insights into how the human eye can heal.1