Man who had world’s first full eye transplant says he feels ‘normal again’

Aaron James, United States Army veteran, has experienced remarkable progress after having been subjected to the world’s first complete human eye transplant. A year after the surgery, which also included a partial face transplant, James has begun to rebuild his life, according to the doctors responsible for his case.

Aaron James, 46, suffered a serious accident in 2021 while working as a power line installer, resulting in the loss of much of his face and an arm. In May last year, he underwent a 21-hour operation involving more than 140 specialists from New York University.

During the intervention, He had a complete eye transplant and part of the face of a male donor in his 30s, the BBC reported.

Although James has not yet regained vision in his transplanted eye, doctors are hopeful. Initial studies indicate that the cells in the transplanted eye, such as the rods and cones responsible for light perception, are responding favorably.

An electroretinography test showed electrical activity in the retina, suggesting that the eye may be in the process of adapting.

Ophthalmologist Vaidehi Dedania, who has been closely following James’ progress, He described the results as “incredible” and stressed that this intervention could open new doors. for future research on complex sensory organ transplants.

“We are seeing results that could change the future of medicine in this field,” he said.

James’ case is the first in the world to achieve a complete eye transplant, which is a great challenge due to the complexity of the organ and its connection to the brain through the optic nerve.

During surgery, doctors They injected adult stem cells from the donor’s bone marrow to help regenerate the nerve, which could be key to recovering vision.

James describes this past year as “the most transformative” of his life. In addition to recovering physically, he has resumed performing everyday tasks such as eating solid foods and regaining his sense of smell.

“I feel like a normal man again,” he confessed in an interview with the BBC.

Now his focus is on his family, especially her daughter Alice, whom she hopes to see enter college soon.

Meanwhile, investigators continue to study his case.hoping that their experience will lead to progress in future treatments for vision recovery in patients with similar injuries.