The procedure improved facial function and appearance for a patient with severe electrical burns, offering a new framework for reconstructive surgery.
Surgeons have performed the world’s first combined face and whole eye transplant, demonstrating that medical teams can address traumatic injuries once considered beyond the limits of conventional reconstruction. The study, published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, reports that the procedure improved the patient’s appearance, function, and quality of life.
The patient, Aaron James, 46, sustained high-voltage electrical burn injuries while working as a lineman. His injuries included his face, upper body, and left eye. Doctors determined the damage was too extensive for standard reconstructive techniques and recommended him for the combined transplant.
While the transplanted eye remains healthy, the study notes that vision was not restored. However, the patient experienced significant improvement in facial appearance and function. Sachin R Chinta, MD, of NYU Langone Health and study author, explains that a living eye provides a more natural aesthetic result than a prosthetic eye, even without sight.
“Aaron looked at his new eye and mentioned that this is the first time that he really felt like he was himself since before the injury,” says Chinta, in a release.
The operation was the result of two-and-a-half years of planning by a multidisciplinary team of plastic surgeons, craniofacial surgeons, microsurgeons, and a craniofacial orthodontist. The team performed 21 practice surgeries before the actual 21-hour operation, which was the shortest transplantation completed at NYU Langone Health.
“This procedure shows it is possible and able to be done in a safe and effective way,” says Chinta, in a release.
Researchers have studied whole eye transplantation for nearly 50 years. This case provides a framework for future research aimed at restoring vision for patients with severe injuries.
“The ultimate goal, of course, is being able to do these transplantation procedures and offer that ability to restore vision for millions of patients around the world,” says Chinta, in a release.
Study authors say the study indicates that complex reconstruction helps patients regain function, social confidence, and a sense of self.
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