American Man Suffers Burns from 7200-Volt Electric Shock
A man who suffered burns on half of his face, including one eye, after being electrocuted by 7,200 volts of electricity has successfully undergone an eye transplant. This is the world's first.
On the 9th (local time), the AP news agency reported that Aaron James (46), who was electrocuted after touching a 7,200-volt power line in June 2021 and lost his left eye, left arm, nose, and lips, successfully underwent facial reconstruction and a full eye transplant surgery two years after the accident.
Transplant of the Entire Left Side of the Face, Not Just the Cornea
The surgery was performed by the NYU Langone Health team in New York, USA. Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez planned the partial face and eye transplant surgery starting in June last year to preserve as many optic nerves as possible.
In May, after securing a donor for the eye and facial skin, a medical team of 140, including surgeons and nurses, completed the 21-hour surgery. It was a major operation involving transplanting the entire left side of the donor's face.
This surgery involved transplanting the entire eye, not just the cornea, requiring connection of the eye muscles, optic nerve, blood vessels, and more. If vision is successfully restored, it will open a new horizon in the field of organ transplantation.
Vision Not Yet Restored... Cosmetic Effects Are Clear
The medical team preserved much of the optic nerve from the initial eye removal stage to help Aaron James regain actual vision. During the transplant, adult stem cells extracted from the donor's bone marrow were injected to aid nerve connection. However, vision has not yet returned.
Nevertheless, the cosmetic effects are clear. He can now open his mouth, taste, and eat, and he can grow a beard. James, the protagonist of the world's first eye transplant, said, "There has to be a first person in any field." He also expressed satisfaction with the surgery, saying, "There is still no movement inside the eye, and I cannot blink my eyelids yet, but now I can feel it."
Dr. Rodriguez said, "The fact that the medical team succeeded in transplanting the entire eye for the first time in the world is an incredible achievement," and added, "We have taken a step beyond existing medicine and opened the way for the next chapter in vision restoration."
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