Imma Perfetto
Cosmos science journalist
Surgeons in the US who last year carried out world’s first successful whole eye and partial face transplant say a year on the eye has survived and even shows indications of retinal response to light stimuli.
Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at New York University Langone Health, says that while the recipient has not regained vision, the transplanted eye has maintained normal pressure, good blood flow, and some remaining structure and functions in the retina.
“Many experts did not think we would even be here, but we’ve successfully transplanted and maintained an eye without immune rejection,” says Rodriguez.
“The study reveals clinical outcomes from the past year following the world’s first whole eye and partial face transplant, highlighting promising initial results, and establishing a foundation for future advancements.”
The whole eye and partial face transplant was carried out on a 46-year-old man who sustained a high-voltage electrical injury in 2021, resulting in the loss of his left eye, left eyelid, nose, lips, and a large volume of facial tissue.
While facial transplants have proven feasible over the past 2 decades, whole eye transplant has not been successful before now.
However, while it appears the eye responds minimally to light, it does so without conscious light perception in the patient.
“While the relevance of these findings is unclear, it is possible that these results reflect electrical responses that do not reach the threshold to allow subjective perception of light,” write the authors of a related Editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Rodriguez says the next challenge is understanding how to restore sight.
“I look forward to continuing this research in collaboration across academia to accelerate these discoveries with unique tools and the best therapies,” he says.
The study is published in JAMA.
