Aaron James, 46, had an accident in 2021 while doing high-voltage line maintenance and lost most of his face.
James also underwent partial face transplant surgery, which is performed on very few people.
Researchers at New York University's Langone Health Medical Center say the transplanted eye maintains normal pressure and blood flow.
In similarly transplanted animals, the donor eye was observed to shrink after the operation.
James did not regain the vision in his donor eye. But researchers hope that one day he will be able to see again.
Researchers monitoring Aaron James say they are “amazed” by his progress.
Restoring the sense of sight
Vaidehi Dedania, James' ophthalmologist, said: “Our post-operative results are extraordinary. These results could inspire research into transplants for critical sensory organs.”
Experts who published the post-transplant process as research applied the electroretinography test, which measures the retina's electrical response to light, to James.
This test showed that the light-sensitive nerve cells in the donor eye survived the transplant.
The team involved in the research say these results give hope that vision can be restored through eye transplants in the future.James did not lose his right eye in the accident.
Then, last May, he underwent a 21-hour operation involving more than 140 medical staff.The donated face and eye came from a male donor in his 30s.
First person in the US to receive a whole-eye transplant
During surgery, doctors injected adult stem cells from the donor's bone marrow into the optic nerve to strengthen the repair.
Medical research published on James' recovery highlights the significant progress he has made since the transplant, including eating solid food and being able to smell again.Speaking about his recovery, James said, “I'm almost back to being an ordinary man, able to do standard things.”
The 46-year-old veteran is the 19th person in the US to receive a face transplant. He is the first to have an eye transplant.Eye transplants present many challenges due to the complex structure and function of this sensory organ.
Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, Director of the University's Facial Transplant Program, says they are focused on understanding how to restore James' vision through his transplant.
